I don't always suffer PMS, but maybe every third month I am clearly affected. I don't feel like I'm going to die, like you, but I get bad cramps, perhaps upset stomach, headache, and some mood slump or even mixed-like symptoms. Advil helps, and laying low.

I believe hormonal birth control may have exacerbated my moods at times, too. When I went off of it my bipolar seemed to improve a bit. I had a copper IUD, not hormonal one. That was also important because my Tegretol XR can decrease the effectiveness of hormonal birth control. I was told that Trileptal can, too. I'm not sure about others.