I was falsely diagnosed with PMDD, but it's more just PMS exacerbated by the Bipolar. I am on Yasmin birth control, along with all my BP meds. I've been on birth control for about 15 years now. It helps more with the mood swings then without it, but even with birth control, the PMS is really bad. My periods last about 5-6 days. I get really bad abdominal cramps that throw off my whole day and mood.

Aside from all the physical problems, my depression and anxiety get worse. The irritability and anger get pretty bad too, and I get especially self-critical, which can lead to some thoughts of self-harm. I try to remind myself that this time of the month will pass, because sometimes it feels like it'll last forever! My mind races a lot when experiencing PMS. Occasionally, it gets hard to differentiate the Bipolar symptoms vs. the PMS. All I know is that PMS makes me 10 times worse!