STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

conet · BCBG

Relationship - Health problem

boobaby · Kate Spade

PMS is rough! I definitely get depressed, enraged and sleepy. Not to mention what it does to my self-esteem. It could definitely be a factor for her. Maybe she should see an ob/gyn?

I think the early twenties can be very difficult, too. It's a strange time in life, at least it was for me. FWIW, I probably nearly gave my parents a nightly heart attack at that age. I'd moved away from home after college, had a crappy job, no money, a crappy living situation, I missed my friends and my family, etc. I would call my parents and I would think "whatever you do, don't cry" and within 5 minutes I would be bawling uncontrollably.

My dad told me one night that life was too short to be so miserable, so if I was unhappy, I should make a change. He offered to help my financially and physically in anyway he could and told me I would never be alone in this world as long as I was his daughter. I don't know what I'm trying to say here, except that conversation was a major wakeup call for me and it was very comforting to have my father express that he will always be there for me no matter what.

Sorry you are so worried...it must be so hard.

-- Edited by boobaby at 23:18, 2007-11-08

txgal · BCBG

I have friends that have had great luck with accupuncture in treating PMS.

scarlett · Marc Jacobs

I'm sorry your daughter is going through such a tough time. When I got on the pill it dramatically decreased my PMS symptoms. Granted, it took a few tries before I found the right birth control pill for me (different types have different hormone levels and fluctuations) but the one I'm on now works perfectly. It's Yasmin, FWIW.

conet · BCBG

Thanks very much, everyone. I appreciate your input and best wishes.

erin · Chanel

i don't know if this would help her, but maybe a birth control pill like seasonale where you only get your periods a few times a year?

i'm basically hellish about two weeks out of the month (week before, and during period). i get moody, depressed and altogether unpleasant :(

Elle · Hermes

I agree that extended-cycle BC pills might be a good solution. Many docs will also prescribe packs to be taken back to back to suspend cycling when it causes such emotional/physical disturbances. Frankly I'm quite suprised that a doctor would prescribe anti-depressants before trying BCP to regulate hormonal triggers, but I guess she probably went to the campus clinic? If she can find a BCP that works with her body well and can reduce/eliminate her cycles she might even be able to step off the anti-depressants. Treating the cause instead of the effect and all that ....

tina242 · Kate Spade

I have horrible PMS and it almost cost me my marriage. What has worked for me is Flouxetine, which is a mild form of Prozac. I only take 10 mg and it has literally made all the difference.
Oh, by the way, BCP did NOTHING for me.
Good luck!!

-- Edited by tina242 at 17:04, 2007-11-11

nunzi182 · Kate Spade

When I was a teenager, I had the same problem you are describing with your daughter and I will tell you that as soon as I went on the BCP I was fine. It was like I was a totally different person. I would tell her to try that. She just needs to find the right balance. A lot of anti-depressants are prescribed for PMDD which is a severe form of PMS so that may be why her doctor gave her an anti-depressant rather than a BCP. Best of luck.

Mitz · BCBG

tina242 wrote:

I have horrible PMS and it almost cost me my marriage. What has worked for me is Flouxetine, which is a mild form of Prozac. I only take 10 mg and it has literally made all the difference.
Oh, by the way, BCP did NOTHING for me.
Good luck!!

-- Edited by tina242 at 17:04, 2007-11-11

Sarafem (which is also fluoxetine) is marketed specifically for PMDD. My sister, who always had problems with PMS, has done very well on it.

Jamsicle · BCBG

I agree that if the PMS is really bad that medication might be an appropriate solution but I would caution you to be really careful in starting drugs. It is VERY hard to get off antidepressants once you are on- they are really addictive. This site, http://www.paxilprogress.com , is full of unhappy people who have been trying to discontinue antidepressants for years unsuccessfully. These drugs are toxic and over long amounts of time can impact the body in various ways.

Birth control pills aren't great for your body either- they can alter aspects of your cycle permanently, even after you stop taking them. Also, if you are single, the birth control pill can change your sensitivity toward a male's MHC pheromones and men with MHC more like yours will smell attractive to you ie. you'll find someone whose genes are closer to yours more attractive than someone who is more dissimilar. This is because the pills mimic pregnancy and that is what happens to people's senses when they are pregnant. I appreciate that there may be no other choice, but I would definitely exhaust all holistic options, like the acupuncture that someone suggested- before taking this step.

Jamsicle · BCBG

I should add that young women are under a lot of pressure on today's college campuses and among their friends to be in relationships, and these are often uncommitted and add a lot of stress for the woman. Because they're having sex and getting emotionally bonded and society often says that those types of bonds are largely inappropriate- sex is supposed to create a transitory rather than lasting attachment and this ethos is often at odds with what young women are feeling. I realize that I am being rather old fashioned, but one book that I found that really helped me in my early twenties was this one:

http://www.amazon.com/RETURN-MODESTY-Discovering-Lost-Virtue/dp/0684863170

which really reassured me that my feelings weren't weird or aberrant.

Anyway, far be it from me to at all presume what your daughter is going through- I just wanted to offer what worked for me! :)