dealing with PMS/PMT/whatever you call it

Any women on ilx treating this with either pharmaceuticals or alternative therapies?

I could use some advice - I'm getting really fuckin sick of this:
- severe mood swings the week leading up to period (depression, malaise, panic, anxiety, any or all of the above)
- bad food cravings during the week prior
- tiredness

It's hard to prepare for because I'm highly irregular, and it usually takes a couple of days of these symptoms before I realize what's actually going on.

I also get severe lower back and hip pain first 2-3 days of my period, which advil works well for - but I have to take 6-9 in a day for it to be effective, so I'm little concerned about long term effects

I don't have any personal suggestions because I don't really get PMS at all and I never have (really lucky in that regard, I know). If it's that much of a nuisance/disruption for you it would probably be worth talking to your dr about. Have you done that already? I know a friend of mine takes something for PMDD and it's helped her a lot.

I will find out what exactly it is that she takes because I know it's been very helpful for her.

i used to think there was something i could do about it, but after a while, maybe a few years ago, i just kind of accepted that this is how i am. i used to get migraines every month too, and at least that stopped.

It's been the opposite for me - for years I just thought ” this is how it is”, and now I'm more in the mind of ”fuck this shit!”

Justine - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PMDD - Might be worth asking doc about.

Thanks, e, that's really useful

I stay on the pill both for contraceptive purposes AND because my perids suck when I'm off. With them, I still get a little crampy (but nothing like before) and I eat anything that is not running away from me the week prior. A problem I had both on and off the pill was headaches triggered by the estrogen drop; my gyn prescribed a low dose of Premarin to take during the "off hormones" week, and that has been helpful in warding them off. Those headaches reaaaaaally suck, they are akin to migraines.

See, I am at the end of that -- I went off of hormonal bc because the pills for the headaches were causing more problems than they were worth, and I would have done anything to make them go away.

And as I mentioned, now I feel totally better! I'm at peace with my mood swings and no more headaches.

Being on the pill sucked, plus I wasn't good at taking every day. But it def made my moods worse.