by Sadie Davis

Created on: December 08, 2011

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or PMDD, is a severe and debilitating disease that effects many women 1-2 weeks before menses and then about 2 or 3 days into menses. It is not to be confused with it's lesser cousin, PMS. PMDD has symptoms that are severe enough to interfere with a woman's normal daily activities, therefore affecting those around her.

Symptoms include, but are not limited to: migraine, headache, dizziness, muscle pains, chest pains, heart palpitations, shakiness, anxiety, depression, severe mood swings, crying for no reason, anger over the slightest things, rage, confusion, blunted emotions, fatigue, changes in eating habits, bloating, feeling out of control, temporary low self-esteem and more. PMDD can turn the nicest, kindest woman into an angry pit viper.

These symptoms come in batches. Chances are, a woman suffering from PMDD will have many, if not all of these symptoms every single month for years. PMDD is not a once-and-done thing like PMS can be. It usually starts in a woman's mid-30s and gets worse as the years progess until menopause. These symptoms can be so severe that it keeps the woman in bed, generally ill, for several days each month.

The good news is that there are different types of treatments for PMDD. A doctor can prescribe an anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication to be used 2-3 weeks per month to alleviate symptoms. There are over-the-counter products to help various symptoms, such as migraine pills, pain relievers, mood stabilizers, etc. There are also homeopathic remedies, such as vitamins and herbs that are supposed to help with the symptoms. Even with all the fixes out there, sometimes the best thing is to drink a lot of water, eat a balanced diet and get lots of rest.

The bad news is that most women will never know they have PMDD, therefore it will remain untreated. It usually takes a caring friend or family member to realize that a woman's symptoms are the same every month and bring it to her attention. I'm a long-time sufferer of PMDD and was told about 5 years ago that there was something wrong at a certain time every month. When I realized that was true, I sought help in the form of anti-anxiety medication. After I felt that I understood and could deal with it, I switched to self-help along the lines of watching my diet, replacing caffeine with water and getting lots of rest.

If you know someone you suspect has PMDD, the kindest thing you can do is to gently suggest it to her. You will be doing her a huge favor as no one wants to feel so terrible every month!

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