Hi Ladies, (and Gents who suffer with us)
I've suffered with PMS/PMDD all of my life (since 12 when I started menses). Unfortunately, no one acknowledged PMS/PMDD that long ago (I'm now 45). At first I thought I was just a "moody" person; At 12 you don't look too deep into your personality. By the time I was 17, I was convinced I was mentally ill. My moods swings were so drastic; I’d be happy one moment, then in a rage the next. I'd scream and carry on like a shrew; knowing I was out of control, but unable to stop myself. This is truly a feeling of insanity!
Finally, people (doctors) started to talk about PMS. I started tracking my crazy days to see if there was a pattern. Guess what.. My crazy days started 2 weeks before my menses and stopped the day I started! (2 weeks out of every month; half my life! No wonder I thought I was crazy)
Well, I now knew I wasn't crazy, just suffering from this "new" thing called PMS. I immediately went to the doctor to get help... There was none to be found...
The doctors said there was nothing that could be done about it (remember this was appx 27 years ago). To make matters worse, no one I knew suffered more than mild cramps & discomfort. Most of the general population (men, & women who didn't suffer from it) thought it was just an excuse for women who refused to take responsibility for their actions.
Unfortunately, everyone in my family suffered along with me. I would scream at my kids, knowing all the time that I was wrong. But I just couldn't stop myself. My husband would come home from work, and I would just seethe with anger when he was around me. He didn't do anything; I just couldn't stand the sight of him. This would go on every month for 2 weeks prior to my menses. The day I started, all my hormones would settle back to normal & I was my sane self for a few weeks, until the next cycle started over again. I never had to look at calendar to know when my menses was coming; I simply knew by my anger and rage!
It was total misery for all of us; I'm amazed my kids survived it and my husband didn't leave me!
About 5 years ago, my best friend told me about Paxil. She suffered from PMS, but not to the degree of PMDD. She had been on Paxil for appx 6 months and told me her PMS had completely gone! I set an appointment with my Dr immediately. I started the Paxil the day after my appointment.
It did take my body a few weeks to adjust: I was extremely tired all the time, I had frequent diarrhea, and I was sweating allot. The worst side effect was the total loss of my sex drive. BUT... my PMDD was GONE!!!!! My first menses, after starting the Paxil, was a complete surprise because I didn't have ANY of the mood swings, anger & rage I normally did! And it's been this way for 5 years now. I actually have to check the calendar to know when I'm due to start..
The side effects only lasted a few weeks, then my energy level returned, the diarrhea stopped, and the sweats stopped. A VERY SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR SANITY!
However, my sex drive has never returned. This is very unfortunate, but I couldn't continue living with PMDD. I would rather be less sexual than to be a complete maniac for half my life. My husband agrees and we just have to spend more time & energy in the loving department than we had to before. Drugs are evolving all the time; eventually they will come up with a serotonin drug without the negative sexual side effects. Until then, I’m happy and content with Paxil.
For me, it was truly a lifesaver. I know some women are resistant to using drugs and want to find a natural way to combat PMS/PMDD. The natural approach is wonderful if it works for you, but it did very little for me & I can't sacrifice my life and family when there is a drug out there that works for me. If my life sounds familiar, give it a try. If Paxil doesn’t work, there are other serotonin drugs on the market.
Best of luck to all of you AND don’t worry about what other people think if you decide to try a serotonin drug. It’s your life and your sanity we’re talking about.
Your sister in the fight against PMDD, Lora
--- From the Board Moderator: Thank you for sharing your story Lora. 
Please note however, that this site is NOT dead-set against using SSRI's for treating PMDD, only it encourages trying alternative solutions so that long-term dependence on drugs won't be necessary.
The alternative solutions are of course, not for everyone, and have as much chance of working (or not working) as does the drug treatment, BUT the main difference is that when the alternative treatments work, they have a much higher success rate over the long-term than does drug treatment. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and Lora was very fortunate to have had such a positive experience with Paxil.
Everyone is different, and have different needs. The aim of this site is to provide information re. ALL options; drug & natural.
I invite everyone who finds this site for the first time to PLEASE take some time to read through my main web site PMS & PMDD INFORMATION (link above) and the many posts BEFORE making a judgement on what the aims of this support group is about. Thank you. Anthea