difference between PMS and depression?

ok im kinda used to feeling like crap, but when its around that time (im really irregular so that could be anytime) i dont feel particularly worse, just same old.

then people claim its just the pms..

ugh.......

anyway i was wondering how long pms usually lasts?

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Gabriel said:
anyway i was wondering how long pms usually lasts?

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PMS and PMDD ........... can occur a few days before your cycle is to begin and last until a few days after your cycle has ended (and) any were's in between that time table.

If you are finding that you are feeling depressed to the point of having suicidal thoughts during your monthly cycle please see your doctor concerning possibly PMDD...... as there are medicine out there that can you with this problem.

whats PMDD?

its like pms thats bad enough to interfere with your everyday life. take pms and multiply it several times over.

im on Yaz which is supposed to take care of pmdd, weight gain, acne and all kinds of stuff. i had none of that so it had the opposite effect on me and gave me all those symptoms. but if you have them now it might do the trick. especially if youre irregular.

My friend and I were just talking about this. Both of us have been getting worse and worse every month and we're both on the pill to try and help with that. She's gone so far as getting on an AD for it because its just horrible every month.

I'm the same way. A few days before I get my period, I get absolutely crazy. I start questioning my relationship, I pick fights with my boyfriend, I start getting totally unhappy with him, I stay on my couch and don't want to leave the house and I worry about the future.

My friend said that her doctor told her, that after we release an egg, even if its not fertilized, our bodies start "nesting". Much like a pregnant woman does. The doctor said that might be why we get so depressed and irritable and questioning everything, even our relationships. Because unconsciously, we're thinking about the future life of our unborn child.

This was like a total aha moment for me. It made total sense. If my body thinks its gotta start caring for a baby, no wonder I'm going nuts. For me, it made even more sense that its worse since getting with my boyfriend, because he's the one I want to have a child with. Before him, I didn't want a child. So it makes sense that if I'm "nesting", I'm gonna go extra nuts thinking about the future and analyzing everything thats wrong with my life.

I've always heard that PMS and PMDD were chemical imbalances when we get close to having our cycle, but I never understood why.....until I found out that my body is "nesting" an egg. As soon as I actually start menstruating, it starts to get better.

So I don't know if that helps anyone, but it sure helped me. My friend and I told our boyfriends to tell us to call each other when we start pmsing really bad. So we're gonna try that next month, to see if we can talk each other down.

My understanding is that PMS is in the days before you get your period. It doesn't last your whole cycle.

I don't have PMS but birth control pills have bad effects on me and make me emotional, crying, depressed. Some people have told me that this is what PMS is like. So yes, I think taking hormones can make it worse. If you are taking hormones and are very moody and depressed, I would recommend stopping the hormones and using another form of birth control, such as a diaphragm or IUD. It's worth a try!

I have a friend whose daughter (age 19) began taking depo-provera for birth control. After several months, she was very depressed. She visited GP, was put on anti-depressants. Had moments of being too "up" so they next added a mood stabilizer. My friend happened to share what was going on with me and the first question I asked was, has your daughter recently begun taking female hormones? THe answer was yes. THey had just never put two and two together. So now this poor gal is still on hormones, plus the two psychoactive drugs. It's crazy! I don't understand why they don't take her off the hormones and solve her mental problems. I guess she is just too worried about getting pregnant, which yes, is a very important worry.

I've noticed that my depression has been getting worst before & during my menstruation. My psychiatrist said that I may have PMDD so she added Zoloft to my current meds, which was Effexor.

It was okay for a little while (maybe 2 months or so), but now it's getting worst again. She told me to increase my Zoloft from 1 to 2 pills daily. Every time my depression gets worst, she always increases my dosage. I'm worried.

Does anybody take something else that has been working for their PMDD?

I'm 39 years old & already had my tubes lasered. I heard about a hyrestictomy (sorry, I don't know how to spell it. . . but it's when they remove your womb through surgery). . . is that supposed to help as a last resort?

hysterectomys usually arent advised unless its necessary like from a problematic birth and you shouldnt have more children or cancer etc... its very stressful on your body and obviously not natural. plus i would be worried that if youre only 39 it would send you into menopause or something. i would ask about how that would effect your hormones first. maybe you should take birth control like yaz. that is supposed to basically clear up your pmdd, acne and tons of other stuff. ask your doctor about yaz. its low dosage so the risk of birth control causing breast cancer shouldnt be as high. have them do a mammogram and see what your risks for breast cancer first though. do you have a family history of it? usually once you get into middle age i think they try and get you on hormone treatment anyways.

hmmmm thanks all..

im not on the pill or anything, was thinking about it though..

i'll start another thread for that....

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sunrise said:
My understanding is that PMS is in the days before you get your period. It doesn't last your whole cycle.

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PMS - can start up any time right before your cycle is to begin to the first few days of the cycle and it can indeed last the entire cycle.

Symptoms of PMS:

Abdominal bloating
Abdominal Cramps
Breast tenderness
Itching of the breasts
Stress or anxiety
Depression
Appetite changes and food cravings
Trouble falling asleep
Joint or muscle pain
Headaches
Fatigue
Acne
Swelling of Breasts
Trouble concentrating
Worsening of existing skin disorders, and respiratory (eg, allergies, infection) or visual disturbance

Symptoms of PMDD (PMS on Steroids)

Feelings of sadness or despair
Possibly suicidal thoughts
Feelings of tension or anxiety
Panic attacks
Mood swings, crying
Lasting irritability or anger that affects other people
Disinterest in daily activities and relationships
Trouble thinking or focusing
Tiredness or low energy
Food cravings or binge eating
Having trouble sleeping - Insomnia
Feeling out of control
Physical symptoms, such as bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and joint or muscle pain


IMO as a PMDD sufferer - PMS is more physical where as PMDD is more mental mixed with the physical.

I have reservations about PMDD. For example, I could easily be diagnosed with PMDD... but I already have depression, anxiety, and irritability... so of course each month before my period my baseline symptoms mix with the regular PMS symptoms-- and create a horrific mess! Why did they have to come up with a separate diagnosis for this? Does it happen to people who have absolutely no prior issues with depression or other mental health issues? I find that hard to believe. Can anyone clarify for me? I tend to get very suspicious of such things-- it's not that I don't believe the feelings exist-- they do-- I get them... but sometimes I think they create such labels so that drug companies can make more medications to target a certain thing-- then it is advertised on television and people will want to purchase. I just get wary of the actual diagnosis and statement that this is its own disorder. I like to learn, so if anyone can provide more information, please let me know.

This is me on the week before my period:

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Rhapsody said:
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sunrise said:
My understanding is that PMS is in the days before you get your period. It doesn't last your whole cycle.

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PMS - can start up any time right before your cycle is to begin to the first few days of the cycle and it can indeed last the entire cycle.

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Ummm, there is no "before your cycle." We are constantly in our cycle. There is no outside of our cycle. There are different parts of our cycle, but we are always in part of the cycle. The first part of our cycle is considered the time we bleed or have our period. After that there are different phases, and then we bleed again. That's all I meant. There is no "before your cycle." It was confusing the way it was written. (But probably not any clearer now!)

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pinksoil said:
Why did they have to come up with a separate diagnosis for this? Does it happen to people who have absolutely no prior issues with depression or other mental health issues?

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YES.......... there are people out their that do not have "mental issues" and they too suffer from severe PMDD - (I know a few).

And - what can I say as a severe PMDD sufferer, BUT that it "SUCKS" when you have both PMDD & "Mental Issues"

........................ Thank God for Celexa and Sarafem.

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sunrise said:
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Rhapsody said:
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sunrise said:
My understanding is that PMS is in the days before you get your period. It doesn't last your whole cycle.

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PMS - can start up any time right before your cycle is to begin to the first few days of the cycle and it can indeed last the entire cycle.

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Ummm, there is no "before your cycle." We are constantly in our cycle. There is no outside of our cycle. There are different parts of our cycle, but we are always in part of the cycle. The first part of our cycle is considered the time we bleed or have our period. After that there are different phases, and then we bleed again. That's all I meant. There is no "before your cycle." It was confusing the way it was written. (But probably not any clearer now!)

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Well..................... then we can use the word PERIOD for a better understanding of time.

lol too many quotes!!!

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Rhapsody said:
Well..................... then we can use the word PERIOD for a better understanding of time.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">Yes, the "period" is considered to be the first few days of the cycle, when bleeding occurs.