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Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) occurs at certain times in the menstrual cycle. It is a mood disorder that is significant enough to have an impact on a woman’s ability to carry on normally. It can affect her social life, work life and relationships. The symptoms are similar to PMT but much more severe.
The symptoms can be similar to those that occur in depression:
Feeling: Depressed, sad, anxious or bored.
Energy: Tiredness, fatigue, everything seems an effort, slowed movements.
Sleep: Waking during the night or too early in the morning. Oversleeping or trouble getting to sleep.
Thinking: Slow thinking, poor concentration, forgetful or indecisive.
Interest: Loss of interest in food, work, sex and life generally.
Value: Reduced sense of self-worth, low self-esteem or guilt.
Aches: Headaches, chest or other pains or palpitations without a physical basis.
Live: Not wanting to live, suicidal thoughts or thinking of death.
However, what makes PMDD different is the cyclical nature of symptoms.
Physical symptoms such as breast swelling and tenderness, headaches, joint pain, and a feeling of bloating are also common.
When do symptoms occur?
As the menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman, this depends on the individual cycle. However, the symptoms are seen the week before menstruation and they wear off when bleeding starts. The rest of the time there are no symptoms.
It is thought that the hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle are responsible for PMDD. However, whether it is the changes in sex hormone levels or changes in brain chemicals, like serotonin is not known.
Women who have a history of depression, postnatal depression or anxiety disorder, or who have a close relative with depression are more likely to suffer from PMDD.
Women with PMDD tend to crave foods like carbohydrates and chocolate which are high in serotonin levels. A healthy diet rich in complex carbohydrates can help and it is also a good idea to cut back on fat and drinking tea and coffee.
Sometimes combined oral contraceptives seem to help to ease symptoms. In more severe cases, women may also be helped by antidepressants.
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