PMS is Back With a Vengeance!

PMS is back this month with a vengeance! And it's all my fault.

It's not so much the physical symptoms (although I do have some fluid retention around my whole body and breasts), it's more the emotional symptoms that have come back. Grrr!

But it's my own fault really. I know I have to do everything I need to, in order to make myself better, but this month I have not been doing everything. I have been eating well in general, but I haven't been eating at regular times. I also have done absolutely no exercise (its freezing here and winter makes me so apathetic in terms of exercise) and I have been doing no meditation and no self-massaging. And, on top of that, I have been under some stress, which is not helping. So what else am I going to expect?

I am feeling all the classic symptoms this month so much more than usual:

• wanting to cry
• feeling angry
• feeling easily irritated
• hating everyone
• isolating myself
• no energy
• very apathetic

Great set of symptoms huh? No wonder men get so scared when we utter those three letters - PMS and now PMDD.

But, what I have been doing to make myself feel better is the following:

• When I feel any negative emotion boiling up I simply tell myself "it's only PMS" and that seems to make me feel better. If I don't know why I am feeling bad, then I usually take hold of whatever is annoying me and making it so much bigger and more horrible than it really is and then I just feel worse and worse and worse, with the negative feelings feeding on the PMS and then I fall into a pit of despair and depression, which is not helpful for me. So by telling myself that "it's only PMS" it means I am cutting off the negative emotions before they spiral out of control. It's basically a reality check I decided on trying (I don't even remember how I came to think like this) to make me realise that these negative emotions were not real (or really ultra exaggerated) and only a symptom of PMS. Seriously, it's amazing (almost magical) how well it works. Just now I started to feel like crying (for absolutely no reason whatsoever) and I told myself "its only PMS" and that emotion went. But I warn you, some days (like today), I have had to say that little phrase at least 50 times and some days it could be more, so it's that simple to get rid of the emotions as they tend to come back again and again (those hormones again), but if you persevere, I am kind of re-training my brain a little to the point where my emotions do not feel quite so out of control, as I know they will pass. If I tell myself this same phrase over and over again, it seems to help me, because it makes me realise its not me going crazily emotional over absolutely nothing, it's just PMS/PMDD
  
  
• Whenever the irrational thoughts come into my mind, I take a big breath, take a stand back for a second and tell myself why I am being irrational with irrefutable logic, as many times as I need to, or as long as I need to in order to get my mind into being rational again. I know how hard it to rein in that negative and irrational and highly emotional thinking, but I have done it, so you can too.
  
  To give other women a good idea about just how irrational/highly emotional I can get and even though it is quite embarrassing, I will give examples about the seemingly silly things I get irrational about when I have PMS/PMDD, so that other women know they are in good company: (1) I went to a food court for lunch and I got so upset that I had tears in my eyes and wanted to cry so bad (I stopped the tears before they came out, but if I wasn't in such a public place, I would have bawled like a cry-baby) because one food vendor had no food without butter. I am lactose intolerant and I cannot handle dairy products. And it wasn't like there were no other food vendors around, because there were, but I just was so upset that this food vendor had no food for me, as if they hated me - I just took it so personally. Just one example of total irrationality. (2) It was Christmas one year with my family and just before everyone was due to open up their presents, I went to the toilet. When I came back everyone had already unwrapped their presents and were looking at them or playing with them - and I had only been gone about 1 minute. I got so upset that my family disregarded me that badly that I told them I hated them (I was in my early 30's and not a teenager!) and ran to my room, where I proceeded to ball my eyes out with those great hiccuping tears, rather than tell them off for being so damn impatient (like they couldn't wait one minute), like a normal person would. They had to coax me out of my room and apologise profusely before I would emerge back to the lounge room and finally open my presents. Ah yes, another embarrassing example of my extreme emotional ride at PMS time. I could go on, as there are so many more examples, but I will leave it at this for now. But suffice it to say, a lot of people around me tell me that they used to be on tenterhooks when I had PMS in the past, afraid to say anything to upset me (as basically just about everything did) - and we are talking about 2 weeks of PMS out of every 5 weeks or so that I used to have. That's pretty bad. So what I am saying here is that my tips really work.
  
  
• I use some herbal teas to make me feel more relaxed - the one I use has chamomile, lemon balm and peppermint. It's organic (of course) and really nice. I also use to it to relax me before going to bed
  
  
• This evening, I am going to do some meditation, as that seems to help even more than any vitamins or herbs to dissipate both the emotional symptoms, but also the physical symptoms (such as bloating)
  
  
• I am also going to have a lovely bath with some rock salt and some lavender - that always seems to make me feel better any time
  
  
• I really need to eat food more regularly, as that will raise my energy levels and give me less reason to feel bad
  
  
• What I would really love, is a massage every day - as that would definitely put me in a better mood, but alas I am not wealthy enough to do that
  

Today is like one week prior to my periods and I am feeling the PMS (or rather PMDD) rather acutely, so I started my action plan (as above) last night and it has helped a lot. I have basically been using points 1 and 3 so far in the last day as I am still within the rational realms. I haven't had to use point 2, which is reserved for those exceedingly irrational days and hopefully this month I wont have to. The thing that is important is to cut off those negative emotions before they take hold, because if you try when they are at their worst, it is so much harder to get back to normal.

Its all about controlling your mind. Seriously. Our hormones start of in the brain, in the pituitary gland. Our hormones work very closely with our emotions and I really believe that PMS (once it does take hold, when we are not doing the proper nutrition, meditation, massage) can be controlled by your mind. I have proved it to myself time and time again. You have to tell yourself that these emotions are not real (or an exaggeration, which again means they are not real) and that you are ok. It really is that simple.

So remember (me and every other woman who reads this):

• Cut off those negative emotions/crying/irritation/etc before they take hold

I am still sighing somewhat (really big sighs where I am trying to get some air as I am not breathing properly enough), but I don't feel so much of the negativity by relieving my mind of the PMS symptoms a little as I have listed above.

So I just wanted to show other women that no matter how bad it is, there is always something you can do to make yourself feel better - if I can then anyone can!

PMS/PMDD continues to improve

Well, it's been over 2 months since my last post and I have an update on my PMS/PMDD as well as my health in general.

My periods the last two months have continued to be regular and that is really unusual for me.In April, my periods came 4 weeks and 1 days after my last ones and in May, my periods came exactly 4 weeks after my last ones.

This means my menstrual cycle has been incredibly regular and consistent for the last 5 months and having such regularity for many months in my menstrual cycle is totally unusual for me as my cycle has always been very unpredictable and irregular - anywhere from 28 days to about 35 days, with no regularity between one month and the next. That was before. Now, it is totally different. Now I am getting much more regularity and it is so nice to know when I am going to menstruate, as I can plan things around it. In addition to the regularity of my cycle I have also noticed that I am getting much less pain during my periods and that allows me to have a much more normal life.

PMS also is staying constant and I am not getting the symptoms that I used to get to the same level that I used to get - breast swelling and tenderness, irritability, fluid retention - I have found that these symptoms continue to be significantly reduced. In fact, last month when my breasts did start swelling a little and were a little sore (but not as sore as prior to starting this blog), I did some more meditation and the next day and until I got my periods, I had no more breast swelling or soreness. It's pretty clear that meditation helped. My moods are also more stable, even when I do get irritated, I don't get irritated to such an extreme level, now I am much more calmer.

In addition to this, I noticed I have been feeling really tired lately and when I got a blood test it showed that I have iron deficiency, that my iron stores are very low. My doctor suggested that this could be due to my heavy menstruation. This is right, as I do menstruate quite heavily for the first three days of my periods and the challenge of having such regular menstruation for me now is that I am menstruating more than before, so I am losing a lot more blood than before and I hadn't been eating enough iron-rich foods to replenish my iron levels. Due to this iron deficiency, I have been eating a lot more meat and particularly liver (which I find totally disgusting, but it's more palatable when I mix it with chicken and lots of vegetables) and as liver is one of the richest sources of iron (as well as other vital nutrients such as selenium, vitamin B12 and vitamin A). I also eat some food rich in vitamin C with the meat, as it helps the iron get better absorbed and I have noticed a major improvement in the reduction of my tiredness within only a few days.

Food is medicine!!

Alas, PMS Here Again

I must say that PMS while not as severe as it has been in the past, was a problem this month.

I can only guess that it was because I did not exercise much (I was sick from a really bad cases of sinusitis, that progressed to be a flu-like infection), which also meant I did not do much meditation, nor did I do any of the detox massage. I did though, eat very well, with 99% of my food intake being from a natural (and usually organic) source and all home-made. But obviously food intake is not enough for me (or others like me).

Quite obviously I need to continue with my self-healing strategies (exercise, good nutrition, detox massage, meditation) for a number of months before I will feel more longer-lasting effects. It is normal to have to do this for a number of months, because realistically, it took a long time to get my body to this state and it will take some time to get it back to normal health, which I am quite prepared to engage all my strength in order to make it happen.

My symptoms this month

• Quite painful breasts for a number of days prior to menstruation
  
• Some level of bloating at PMS
• Relatively little emotional symptoms at PMS (in comparison to normal)
• Very severe emotional symptoms (anger, irritation, crying) on day 3 of menstruation
• Quite bloated abdomen for 1.5 days of menstruation
• Severe dizziness and feeling like I wanted to pass out on day 2 of menstruation
  

The doctors think I also had a ovarian cyst that burst around mid-cycle of this menstrual cycle and this is because I was in excruciating pain which centred around the ovaries and especially the left one at that time. The pain was so bad that I was advised to go to the hospital where they gave me morphine for the pain. Needless to say, not the best 2-3 weeks of late.

It seems that I still have a lot of work to do in terms of regulating my menstrual cycle. Even just today and last night when I did some stretching and meditation, my menstrual symptoms (severe bloating of my abdominal area) eased quite a lot, which is a good thing.

I know there are plenty of women like me, who know they need to do something to help ease their symptoms but may be at a loss as to the natural strategies they can use.

I will keep you all updated on the progress during the month, of all the things I am doing to get my gynaecological health back to normal.

Regulated Menstrual Cycle

One more thing I forgot to mention in the previous post was that this month, my cycle was exactly 29 days, to the hour!

Last month my periods started at 7pm, this month, they started at 7pm 29 days later. That has never happened before!

Normally my periods are so irregular that I have no clue when my next menstrual cycle will start. Always in the past, my periods would start at any time and I wouldn't know when. I would always know when it's 28 days after my last cycle, but my menstrual cycle could occur anywhere from about 29 days to 35 days and I wouldn't know when. I just had to keep a pad or panty liner in my bag from day 28, just in case. Sometimes I got caught, when I took the pad/panty liner with me for a whole week and they didn't start, then I decided not to take anything with me to school/uni/work one day and that's the day that my menstrual cycle would start.

So to have my periods become this regular is amazing!

Hopefully this means that my cycle will be more regular from now on and pain free! Yipee!!

Wonderful PMS and Menstruation This Month

What a surprise this month's PMS has been.

Let me just recap on the symptoms I normally experience for about 2 weeks each month. with symptoms the worst in the last few days before menstruation and the absolute and utter worst the day to two days before menstruation (yes, I am not kidding here)!!

• Severe bloating of the whole body (about 1-2kg)
  
• Sore, painful breasts (cant hug anyone as they are too sore)
  
• Very tired and lethargic
• Seriously cranky with major mood fluctuations
• Feeling emotional and crying for no reason
• Very irritable
• Headache
• Blood sugar level fluctuations and craving sweet foods
• Insomnia
• Severe confusion and forgetfulness
  

This is basically all of the symptoms a woman can have prior to menstruation.

Some months when my menstrual cycle has been very erratic and long (6 weeks or so between menstrual cycles), PMS was then extended to 4 weeks - this was basically hell because all my symptoms were completely exaggerated and severe for 4 whole weeks! Imagine how horrible that would be?

Now this month, because I have been eating so well, exercising and doing the detoxification, my symptoms were unbelievably minimal in PMS. This is a list of the symptoms I experienced this month at PMS:

• Some bloating (but nowhere near as much as normal)
• Bloated breasts, but not painful at all
  
• Slightly irritable only the day before menstruation started

Yes, that is it! That was the extent of my PMS! Now for someone who normally experiences really severe PMS, to have such a normal mental and physical time prior to menstruation is wonderful, absolutely wonderful!

This has been the best PMS of my life - because it basically was not PMS. But not only that, my periods this month were absolute bliss! I had no pain this month.

Now that in itself is pretty amazing, as I am normally in excruciating pain that all I can do is just lie down and try to relieve it in whatever way I can. Drugs normally just take the edge off the pain for maybe 1 hour or so and that is no relief when you can only take medication every 4-6 hours! I had given up on the medication (Naprogesic, Ponstan) for period pain, as it does nothing for me and my pain.

To have a month where I felt absolutely no pain or discomfort whatsoever, without any medication, is truly amazing! I used to be in awe of those friends/acquaintance who would tell me that they hardly noticed they were menstruating. I always knew I was menstruating, the pain I was in for about 3-4 days of my periods always made sure of that! But this month, I was only of those women who hardly noticed they were menstruating! Pure bliss!!

Now, I shall continue to eat the same way I have been eating (healthy food, but not denying myself things like organic dark chocolate or some ice cream a few times a week), exercising, detoxifying with the massaging and meditating. I will continue with all these techniques and see how my PMS and period pain is next month - hopefully it will continue to be bliss.

The other exciting thing I need to mention is that my cycle was exactly 29 days, to the hour this month! Last month my periods started at 7pm, this month, they started at 7pm 29 days later. That has never happened before! Normally my menstrual cycle ranges anywhere from 29 - 45 days, with an average of about 31-32 days between my periods. So to have my periods be this regular, is truly an amazing gift!! Wonderful!! Hopefully this means that my cycle will be more regular from now on and pain free! Yipee!!

Thank goodness for the lovely relief this month!! I really hope it will continue next month and beyond!

Breakfast Helps to Reduce PMS/PMDD Symptoms

This morning, I had the most delicious breakfast ever:

• Organic brown olive bread with a little bit of virgin olive oil on top
• 2 boiled organic and free range eggs
• Organic banana and peach salad with (non-organic) yoghurt and crushed pecans

The bread with olive oil was an essential item for this morning, because when a woman has PMS, she needs to have more essential fatty acids in her diet and I think I need a lot more, as I do not eat butter, margarine or much fats other than olive oil (or sometimes the bad fats from junk food, but I try to avoid those for the most part, now). The yoghurt was also a fantastic item because it is a given that calcium levels in women seem to drop just before menstruation. Plus calcium is great for women due to its protective activity against osteoporosis.

The essential fatty acids are great for the brain cells, which in essence, controls everything that happens in the body. If your brain is functioning properly, it could be that there is less likelihood that PMS can happen. You see, inside the brain is the master gland of the endocrine system, that controls all the hormone secretions in the body - the pituitary gland.

The pituitary gland is responsible for releasing a hormone that stimulates the hormone synthesis in the reproductive system - follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH), which in turn cause ovulation and then stimulate the synthesis and secretion of oestrogen (oestradiol) and progesterone.

The synthesis and secretion of the different types of hormones from the pituitary gland to the ovaries occurs in a complicated process, which if any part of it does not function correctly, could cause an imbalance of hormones and in some women, even if it is slightly imbalanced, could be the reason for PMS (and PMDD).

Scientists have many theories about what causes PMS, but they do not have a definitive answer yet. While they propose their various theories, women should just know that the following will definitely have an effect on them regarding PMS (and PMDD):

Diet
Diet plays a direct role in not just PMS (and PMDD), but in overall health. If you are not getting enough of the right nutrients, then your health will suffer. It really is just that simple.

Exercise
You need to exercise to enable correct circulation in the body - this may have some definite impacts on the way that the hormones are circulated in the body. After all, the pituitary gland is in the head and the blood needs to transport the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and the luteinising hormone (LH) to the ovaries, which is quite a long distance away. If the circulatory system is not working correctly, this could impact the amount of hormones that are sent to the ovaries.

In addition to this, exercise reduces fat, increase muscle tone, increases metabolism and release endorphins, which are "feel-good" hormones - what better way to counteract the "feel-bad" times of PMS?

Reducing exposure to chemical xenoeostrogen toxins
Reducing your exposure to these chemicals (phthalates and Bisphenol A), which mimic oestrogen and disrupt hormone function in the body, means that there is less likelihood for PMS. These chemicals are toxic to the body as they are stored (when ingested or breathed in) in the fat cells and women have fat cells in the breasts, which due to the oestrogen-like activity of these chemicals increases the risk of breast cancer!

So not only do these chemicals (phthalates and Bisphenol A) interfere with the body's natural hormone production, but they are implicated in female cancers too.

How do you reduce your risk of these chemicals? Stay away from using plastics in your kitchen. Do not heat anything in the microwave with plastics - that means no plastic containers, no plastic cling (or saran) wrap, do not warm baby plastic bottles. Try to drink from ceramic or glass, warm up food in glass, ceramic, iron or stainless steel containers (but do not use the metals in the microwave - only glass or ceramic, but ensure they are microwave-safe).

Reduce stress
Stress at any time is bad for the body, but if you have an illness or health condition, it just makes it feel so much worse.

Ways to reduce stress - meditation, yoga, tai chi, visualisation - just take at least 15 minutes each day to feel better, wind down and relax.