The Hidden Culprit Behind Your Mood Swings: Unmasking PMDD by Megan Haralampou
For many women, the days leading up to their period can be filled with mood swings, fatigue, and irritability. But for some, these symptoms are not just a monthly inconvenience—they are debilitating. Enter PMDD, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe form of PMS that's more than just "bad PMS".
What is PMDD?
PMDD is characterised by severe emotional and physical symptoms that arise in the luteal phase (or second half) of the menstrual cycle. These symptoms can range from extreme mood shifts and depression to physical pain. But how can one tell if it's just PMS or something more serious?
Signs and Symptoms
Typical PMDD symptoms go beyond the occasional irritability or discomfort. Women with PMDD often describe their experiences as living in a fog or feeling like they're on an emotional roller coaster. If your moods swing from feeling completely normal to feelings of deep sadness, suicidal ideation to intense anger or you experience significant fatigue, in the lead up to your period or roughly 7 days before your expected period, chances are you're not just dealing with PMS.
Understanding the Underlying Causes
Histamine and mast cell activation have recently come under the spotlight for their role in PMDD. Interestingly, histamine levels peak just before ovulation and again right before menstruation. For many women, this is when PMDD symptoms are at their most pronounced.
If you find relief from symptoms after taking antihistamines, or experience issues like anxiety before ovulation, headaches, dermatographia, breast pain, or period pain, histamine might be a major player in your PMDD story.
Conventional Treatments and Their Limitations
For too long, the go-to treatments for PMDD have been SSRIs and birth control pills. While they might offer relief for some, they're not without drawbacks. SSRIs, for instance, carry risks of weight gain and reduced libido. Birth control pills, on the other hand, shut down ovulation altogether, a natural process crucial for heart, breast, bone, and brain health.
Taking Charge with Alternative Solutions
Instead of immediately resorting to medications, consider some holistic alternatives:
Dietary Changes: Reducing intake of mast cell-stimulating foods, like alcohol and dairy, can make a world of difference. Reducing histamine rich foods like red wine, cheese and fermented foods
Natural Supplements: Quercetin, magnesium glycinate, SAMe, and vitamin B6 have shown promise in managing PMDD symptoms by regulating histamine levels.
Progesterone: Natural progesterone can stablise and upregulate the DAO enzyme, crucial for clearing histamine.
Take a look inside your gut: a gut condition called SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) can impair the DAO enzyme needed to break down histamine. Often SIBO is misdiagnosed as IBS. SIBO often shows up as bloating with meals like fruits and vegetables, constipation, diarrhoea, reflux, abdominal pain. A simple breath test can determine if this is a factor for you.
A Deeper Dive into Progesterone and PMDD
Another key consideration as an underlying driver of PMDD in some women is their response to progesterone. Progesterone is the hormone we make after you release in egg. Progesterone interacts with GABA receptors and helps to soothe and calm the brain, relieving anxiety and improving sleep but for those with PMDD, this isn't always the case. This hormone converts to a neurosteroid called allopregnanolone, which typically soothes the brain. However, in PMDD sufferers, it can trigger anxiety and negative moods due to a unique sensitivity.
Treatments here are focused on stabilising the GABA receptors to allow you to move through the ebbs and flows of progesterone
Balanced Lifestyle: Prioritise regular exercise, which has been shown to improve mood by boosting endorphins and reducing stress hormones.
Magnesium and Vitamin B6: Incorporate these micronutrients into your routine, as they play a significant role in mood regulation and hormonal balance.
Other helpful considerations
5-HTP: This natural supplement can support serotonin production, which plays a crucial role in mood stabilization.
Calcium: A calcium-rich diet or 500mg of calcium from supplements can help alleviate mood swings and enhance overall emotional well-being. Be sure to take calcium away from iron rich foods or iron containing supplements as it competes for absorption.
Empowering Yourself with Knowledge
Understanding PMDD is the first step toward managing it. By being informed, seeking advice, and exploring both conventional and holistic treatments, you can find a solution that works best for you.
If you believe you're grappling with PMDD or know someone who might be, remember that support and solutions are available. You're not alone in this journey.
Instead of resorting to SSRIs or hormonal birth control, there are empowering holistic alternatives that promote emotional balance and well-being:
Navigating the tumultuous waters of PMDD demands an approach that addresses the mind, body, and emotions. By understanding the intricate interplay of histamine, allopregnanolone, and GABA receptors, women can find targeted solutions to manage their symptoms.
Discovering what works best for your unique body is an act of self-love and empowerment, leading you toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Much Love,
Megan
Founder of The Biomedical Naturopath and Naturopath, wife and mama to two wonderful children. Megan is a highly qualified Naturopath, holding not one but two bachelor degrees. A Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Bachelor of Clinical Sciences majoring Complementary Medicine and Naturopathy. She is a wealth of knowledge bringing with her 8 years of clinical experience. Megan is highly skilled in pathology interpretation and when we say highly skilled we mean it. She is one of the best in business when it comes to understanding bloods. This is her super skill and she uses bloods and when needed functional testing to truly and deeply understand a person. Never will you hear the words “your bloods are fine” “there is nothing wrong with you”. Megan works with all aspects of women’s health from IVF, fertility, complex cases, hormones, thyroid, PCOS, endometriosis, autoimmune diseases, gut health, mental health, pregnancy and post-partum.
www.thebiomedicalnaturopath.com.au
@thebiomedicalnaturopath