3 replies to this topic

[breakfastsurreal]

Does anyone have any information on this?  I have suffered since I was 10 years old.  It took me about 14 years to figure out it was all actually cycle related.  As a teenager it was awful, I was in and out of psychiatric hospitals, on a plethora of drugs that I believe shouldn't be given to children.  I was one of the ones who a week after starting prozac attempted suicide.  Later in life I discovered mood stabilizers, I thought they were the magic bullet for me...first lithium, which I liked, but I stopped feeling anything at all.  Then lamictal, which seemed to help overall, but I still noticed it didn't help when I needed it most.  Around ovulation it hits, and the next 2 weeks are hell, especially the week before menstruation.  Some cycles are worse than others, but about 50% of them cause me to have suicidal days.  I would never act on it--the simple fact of knowing that it is NOT me but some type of imbalance in my body has allowed me to somehow separate myself and get through it.  But working, school, anything I have to do is a million times harder.  I have given up on traditional medicine routes.  I think I have some hormone issues as I am hypothyroid, I am probably estrogen dominant.  I have a very high sex drive.  Something is off and I need help.  Any ideas on supplements I can take to combat my issues?

[FocusPocus]

isnt this called premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

 

Sorry i cant be of help, just wondering if thats what you have.

Edited by FocusPocus, 24 September 2014 - 05:29 PM.

[sthira]

Ugh. I'm sorry for you. Do you think may be a hormone-related issue or something like PMDD? Have you tried working with your gynecologist to determine which type of birth control -- if any -- may help minimize the severity of your symptoms?

If anxiety accompanies the depression, maybe try ashwaganda?

[breakfastsurreal]

I'm pretty anti birth control or artificial hormones.  I have had nothing but horrific experiences and worsened symptoms with them, I've tried about 5 different types.  They have said over the years that I have: major depressive disorder, ADHD, bipolar II, bipolar I, PMDD, PCOS, metabolic syndrome, hypothyroidism.  A few of those diagnoses are totally contradictory to one another so I don't really think I have most of those.  I benefited a great deal from DBT therapy and feel like my behavior is in check.  I am doing all the right things thinking positively, not letting myself go to certain places in my head, but there is something chemically off.  Therapy has done what it can already.  And still, I think about 80% of it is cycle/hormone related.  I have a 5 year old and the only time I was completely symptom free was during pregnancy.  Most women seem to have the opposite experience with pregnancy hormones but they were a dream for me.  I am thinking of trying ashwaganda, also maybe bacopa in the near future.  Right now I am most concerned with my performance during practical exams and studying so I am adding a few nootropics and don't want to add anything else in too soon, but this is the overall underlying issue for everything so I definitely want to address it sooner rather than later, depending on how well/fast I respond to aniracetam/pramiracetam for those issues.  I know there area  lot of people who are smart as hell here about pharmaceuticals, I am just hoping someone has any insight/info on hormonal issues as well.  Maybe I am deficient in something that is very easy to fix and just don't know it.