Flora's Story: PMDD - Michele Christine Weinstein

From Michele:
Have you ever been misdiagnosed and/or diagnosed later on in life?
Frustrating, right?
Well, today hear from a doctor who couldn’t figure out the reason behind her physical and mental symptoms prior to getting her period. It wasn’t only until medical school that she discovered what was wrong. Check it out, read her story, be inspired, and learn, so that if you are dealing with the same thing you can be properly diagnosed.

Imagine being debilitated for one week out of the month.

Every month.

In addition to the extreme physical symptoms of bloating (I literally had a different set of clothes 1-2 sizes up to wear during that week), fatigue, and weight gain, I would experience anxiety, depressed mood, irritability,
decreased focus, and hopelessness.

My highs were highs. My lows were lows.

I would cry one second. Giggling the next.
The level of anxiety would overtake any rational thoughts. Panic attacks.
I couldn’t study. I couldn’t do simple tasks.
It was an out of body experience.
I would spiral.

And, then, magically, I would be myself again.

It didn’t occur to me to seek medical attention.
My labile emotions and reactions affected my performance in school, my friendships, and even my relationship with my now husband.

A lightbulb went off in my head during medical school, when I came across learning about something
called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

That was it.
I have PMDD, which is much more extreme form of PMD (premenstrual disorder).

Symptoms of PMDD include:

Mood swings
Depressed mood/Feelings of hopelessness
Intense anger leading to conflict with others
Anxiety and irritability
Anhedonia
Decreased focus
Fatigue
Change in appetite
Issues with sleeping
Feeling out of control
Abdominal cramping and bloating
Breast tenderness
Headaches
Joint or muscle pain
Hot flashes

PMDD is clinically diagnosed by your doctor after reviewing your signs and symptoms. They must rule out other diagnoses like fibroids, major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, thyroid disorder, menopause, endometriosis (to name a few) depending on your symptoms.

Your doctor can diagnose you with PMDD if..

You have at least 5 of the symptoms that I had listed above
Your symptoms start 7-10 days before you get your period
Your symptoms resolve soon after you start menstruating.

Now what? PMDD can be treated through various methods: birth control pill, antidepressants, and/or lifestyle modifications.

I learned to be my own advocate.

As a patient, doctor, woman. I suffered through this since my early teens and got help way too l late. Now, as a board certified internist, I recognize a patient’s frustration, guilt, low mood, and confusion when they describe their symptoms. I can empathize. Those symptoms are all too familiar. I can help.

This is not “just PMS.”
You don’t have to “just deal with it.”
Don’t ever let anyone else label you as “just hormonal,” make you feel guilty, make light of yoursymptoms, or dismiss your mental and physical swings.
Don’t wait.
Go to your doctor.
Get help.
I did.
And never looked back.

Flora