I just sat down and went through my journal over the last year or so. Almost every single time I have my period (I keep track of it) I write something horribly depressive/suicidal/upset either the day before, the first day, or the second day. I wonder if I should start keeping those writings private, just because I know that it is strongly correlated to my cycle. I don’t find many other super depressed posts and the upset ones are generally tied to something pretty significant.
I agree with karenbynight all things done while on my period should be announced with a loud booming voice that I did it “WHILE MENSTRUATING!” Cause Jesus Christ. It seems like getting out of bed and not killing myself are accomplishments on about three days of the month. *sigh*
I have been trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to make a note of the first day of my period each month, so I have some clue when to expect it next time. It does seem to help to be prepared for it.
Some women apparently take Prozac during some of the month, but not all of it. And other folks get good results from other sorts of hormonal balancing. I wonder if anything like that might help smooth out the worst of the dips for you?
(hugs)
Having headed down the Prozac route before my mood stabilized, I learned some interesting things about it: the Prozac is actually prescribed as continual every day usage, not as needed. Both my physician and my gynecologist said that Prozac is not tested and therefore not shown to be effective, and is not endorsed by the FDA, when used on an as-needed basis. They claim that it just doesn’t *work* that way; that Prozac works by causing long-term growth of new serotonin receptors and so takes weeks to ramp up.
Nonetheless, when I explained that I had previously successfully used it as-needed to treat extreme short-term (2-3 days) depression, my general physician said that she would endorse the idea of my taking it as-needed for menstrual depression, given that she didn’t see how it could hurt when taken that way.
Personally, I have an immediate serotonin response to Prozac which is useful for treating occasional excessive hormonal or bi-polar-like depression. (Actually, is it called “depression” when it’s a very down mood that doesn’t last long? I think one of the diagnosis markers for “depression” is that the mood lasts for longer than a couple of days.)
But you should be aware that if you expect to get it prescribed as-needed and endorsed by your doctor, you may encounter resistance. Of course, if you’re not so obsessed with being entirely honest with your doctors as I am, you could accept a daily prescription and then use it as-needed. In any case, as-needed Prozac works for me, probably doesn’t work for some women, and its long-term side effects aren’t well tested. But given recent medical research suggesting that depression has cumulative effects on brain and body function that extend beyond when the depression ends, it’s probably worth the risk.
Don’t know if you’ve made it out of bed yet, but congratulations on not killing yourself.
Take your victories where you can.
*hugs*
I have some similar-sounding medical problems, and got a solution a bit over a year ago. I’d be happy to talk about it with you.
Or happy to just say “Yay! Krissy is alive and out of bed!”
I’m with you. I used to have a policy, any arguement I had with anyone most often occures the a day or at most two before I have my period. I then get my period, realize I was hormonal and go back and appologize.
Me, too
I get deeply depressed once a month, and have done so for years. I once had a doctor hand me a prescription for an anti-depressant with the advise of “I’m giving this to you so you can research it and decide if you’d like to use it.” That was a little weird, but she was completing the tail end of her residency and moving out of state in a week or two. After doing the research, I opted not to fill the prescription.
In the past year or so I’ve succeeded in stabilizing myself enough to not get so deeply affected by balancing my diet, making sure I exercise, and adding vitamin and mineral supplements to my daily consumption. I tend to have a very different day if I miss taking my vitamins, and I also find it helpful to increase some of them (minerals, Vitamin B complex, and sometimes calcium) during the week surrounding the beginning of my period. I still get bouts of depression, and they are still timed with my cycle, but now when I start to feel that, I do a mental check of diet, exercise, and vitamin supplementation. Resolving whatever I missed (or added, when I eat food that has detrimental affects for me) makes me a happier camper. I’m still working on finding the right balance for me, actually.
I have never received any kind of diagnosis related to all of this. That was one reason I didn’t want to take an anti-depressant: there was no diagnosis, and I’d rather get to the underlying reason(s) for my health than treat the symptoms.