MEDICINE

The main drug treatments offered in UK for PMS are contraceptive pills, HRT and SSRI’s (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors). Some women take GnRH analogues for severe PMDD, which suppress ovulation and puts the body into a peri-menopause. These drugs can only be taken for 6 months at a time though and HRT is usually given with them. Contraceptive pills may aggravate mood-related symptoms rather than curing them because of the synthetic progestins they contain. Yasmin and Yaz are contraceptive pills recommended for PMDD. Also contraceptive pills may affect absorption of the B vitamins which are essential for stabilising hormone levels. High levels of estrogen, as in first-generation COCPs, and progestin, as in some progestin-only contraceptives, have been shown to promote the lowering of brain serotonin levels by increasing the concentration of a brain enzyme that reduces serotonin
 
However some women say contraceptives help. Newer contraceptive pills, such as Yasmin and Qlaira, may be better. I haven't tried them, and wasn't encouraged to try Yasmin when i asked about it at my PMS clinic. Yasmin contains drospirenone. I think it has a higher stroke risk than other contraceptives.
 
SSRI’s (e.g. Prozac/Sarafem) are a type of anti-depressants and they can have the following common and distressing side-effects:
 
feeling sick
low sex drive
blurred vision
diarrhoea or constipation
dizziness
dry mouth
feeling agitated or shaky
insomnia or, alternatively, feeling very sleepy
loss of appetite
excessive sweating
yawning

SSRI’s will treat PMDD symptoms only while you are taking the drug, but will start working as soon as you start taking them, due to the rapid increase in allopregnanolone. Quote: "Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine are better than placebo, with improvement occurring in the first month, but symptoms return to baseline after cessation of treatment" from 22nd Annual meeting of the Canadian College of Neurophyschopharmacology. I would only recommend anti-depressants as a last resort, if you really cannot cope, as the side-effects (anxiety, insomnia, nausea for me) might be worse than your PMDD. They do work though, and can be taken just during luteal phase, instead of all month round. If you feel your mood's are out of control and you aren't coping, then perhaps it is worth trying one of the SSRI's recommended for PMDD. 

Also this is new, you can take a very low dose of Prozac (just 2mg), instead of the full dose for depression. This is due to the increase of allopregnanolone treating the mood swings, instead of serotonin:
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3251902.htm

Although it seems anti-depressants are no longer approved for PMDD treatment in Europe because of issues in diagnosis, however i'm pretty sure your doctor will still prescribe them:

http://www.ahrp.org/risks/LillyPMDD1203.php

Additionally, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, will help with bloating and pain; beta-blockers may help with migraines (but can cause insomnia which is common in women with PMDD); anti-anxiety medications, such as buspirone or alpraxolam, may help with anxiety.

I also tried Natural progesterone pessaries and HRT (oestrogen patches/implants with natural progesterone).

28/04/2004 I tried Natural progesterone pessaries, Cyclogest: 200mg twice a day for a couple of months. The first month I was taking them, I was off work, and they seemed ok. The second month I felt very very drowsy, dopey and confused and my moods were quite severe so I decided to stop as they didn't seem to be helping. Looking back, this sounds completely the wrong dose though, it's extremely high, so i hope i'm mistaken in the dose that i wrote down at the time.

2005 - 2013 I took oestrodiol patches, and then an oestrodiol implant (with natural progesterone) at a PMS clinic in London. HRT was fantastic and i was on it for 8 years. I have stopped the implant in the last 6 months because I have become intolerant to the progesterone - it gives me gastric disturbance - and it may worsen my migraines. I don't remember experiencing these side-effects when i first started the treatment though and it has helped having a break from depression each month, I feel i've been able to live my life more effectively. Progesterone has always sedated me but I didn't mind that so much as it helped with insomnia. So i'm trying without the HRT to see if my symptoms return/my stomach&migraines get better. I didn't get IBS while on the Mirena coil which is an alternative to natural progesterone. Progesterone is necessary (in younger women) with continuous oestrogen therapy as it can effect the womb lining. I would still recommend HRT as the best treatment for PMDD (it has less side-effects than SSRI's). You can contact NAPS to find out more. 

December 2013 - i had three very stressful months and found my PMDD horrific during this time. So i think HRT is a very effective treatment for the mood symptoms of PMDD. It's a shame progesterone has side-effects. They need to find a better progesterone delivery system but there is no money for research into PMDD, despite the cost of lost work time to UK businesses.

I take Nurofen meltlets and dissolvable paracetomal for migraines and cramps. 
Motilium (domperidone) or Metoclopramide can be helpful for the nausea associated with migraines, and helps the painkillers get absorbed if you feel sick. 
CoCodamol or Solpadeine (codeine) can take the edge off mood symptoms during period but also makes me feel 'flat' if take too often and both caffeine and codeine can cause rebound headaches but i take it if i get a bad one!
Lately my migraines have been pretty bad so i've tried to take sumatriptan instead, i take half a 50mg tablet, and the other half later on, as 50mg gives me side-effects and is too much at work. 
For migraines and insomnia, the antihistamine cetirizine hydrochloride is great (especially if you have allergies too!), however it causes weight gain longterm (over years) and sedation/lack of motivation. Nytol makes me groggy the next day (as do most herbal sleep remedies). Melatonin and 400mg magnesium citrate before bed work better than prescription sleeping pills in my opinion and knock me out!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3118460/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3098121/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440788/ 
Personality and PMDD