Having one of those cranky PMS days today and the requisite chocolate cookie has not worked its magic. I am thinking of having some ice cream but before I go on a lovely sugar binge thought I'd ask you ladies what you do to try and banish the cranky day blues?

Rant at hubby, scream in to a pillow, chocolate, go off alone & read a magazine, cup of tea but generally I just try to talk to as few poeple as possible Interestingly enough since having the boy 7 months ago I have yet to suffer the same level of uncontrolable emotions type pms I used to suffer pre pregnancy.

the good thing about menopause is that you dont have periods. its great.

the bad thing is that you have these moods all the time, not just for a few days.

i find that going for a bike ride is good (bicycle, not moto).

chocolate also helps. immensely.

any downward emotion and chocolates does the trick for me. at the moment I have a loadddddddddd of chocolates available...and in fact trying to get rid of. been distributing to lots of friends, colleagues etc....but there are still a lot of these good dark choc with 60, to 70% cocoa. problem is most thai people dont appreciate the taste of these chocolates.

if any of you want to come collect them just drop me a line

well other than chocolates...I put on my Nirvana unplugged CD. suicide he may have committed..but somehow his music still manage to cheer me up.

otherwise...I go out dancing. or stay in writing my blog and watch football. ohh Kylie Minogue just came on in my music playlist...thats uplifting music too

if you have a bath tub..use it! light some candles, relax in the bath. even if u dont have a tub..light some candles in your room....some nice music, take a magazine...perhaps a fashion one...or some other light reading.

or go out try some nice food...maybe a new place has opened? (ok I know its less likely than in Bangkok...but well maybe go to your favorite bakery). and in my case...sometime just call a girlfriend...go out to some bars, check out some cute boys and then go dancing with just the girls (boys are only fun to look at...girls are better to hang out with )

hope u feel better soon

PS. when I was travelling and staying at a friends...one sleepless late night..I just went through my friend's flatmate collection of all seasons of sex and the city i think I watched the entire season 5 and 6

Edited December 9, 200718 yr by MiG16

I also avoid talking to people but when you have to go to work and interact with them you have little choice. I just remind myself that my period is on the way and try to create a cheerful atmosphere around me 'cause after all it's my PM not theirs. To kick away bad thoughts I chant and treat myself to a nice meal. Also talking and playing with children and cats (I talk to them a lot..) usually take away my blues. Chocolate is always there in the fridge for emergencies..

massage to reduce stress

If you can, get on birth control pills and stay on them. I went off of mine a few months ago and had real PMS for the first time in a few years... it made me decide to get right back on them. It was unbelievable to feel that cranky again and that I had forgotten how it had been. The pill can even be taken so that you can have your period once every three or four months and even plan when to have it. Amazing invention, those pills.

I am on the pill

No, I am just having a stressful day; a few annoying members, some family issues all combine to make my PMS a cranky day. Usually I can look at myself objectively, realize its just my PMS as Ave points out, and then it seems to get better. but not today.

I had some chocolate, maybe it wasn't dark enough

Will try londonthai's suggestion and see if I can talk hubby into giving me a massage tonight (using PMS as an excuse usually works )

perhaps I do need some ice cream after all

If you can, get on birth control pills and stay on them. I went off of mine a few months ago and had real PMS for the first time in a few years... it made me decide to get right back on them. It was unbelievable to feel that cranky again and that I had forgotten how it had been. The pill can even be taken so that you can have your period once every three or four months and even plan when to have it. Amazing invention, those pills.

Times must have changed since the early nineties when I took that horrible Marvelon, only to become 3 sizes bigger and experience a six month long PMT that made me burst into tears every single morning. I couldn't work out why because I was so happy during those years. I also swelled up like a balloon for the first time in my life (that's must be another reason why I cried so much..). Most people I have known, though, react quite well to the pill.

A question: I heard why but, is it common to have milder PMS once you've given birth?

A question: I heard why but, is it common to have milder PMS once you've given birth?

Not sure about others but mine is def not as bad. Then again my hormones are still settling down after the birth so it may come back as it was before

When I hit my mid-30s, I started to have absolutely horrible PMS, that wouldn't subside during my periods. Combine that with graduate school, staying up late, constant deadlines and stress, and every weekend starting on Friday I would have the most jarring, shrill migraines that would have me helpless under the covers until Monday morning, when it was time to start all over again. During my periods they would last for about 5 days or so.

When I moved to Asia, I started eating an Asian diet, and in Bangkok, I took advantage of comparatively cheap Japanese food, especially salmon, miso soup (with tofu and seaweed), and green tea (Salmon Steak Sets). I cut down on white flour and dairy (no bread). The effect was nothing short of miraculous! I felt like a new person - absolutely NO SYMPTOMS; I went from someone from the worst side of the spectrum to being without symptoms at all.

I followed up on this and bought a book in LOS - I forget the exact name - about perimenopuase and women's hormones. It turns out the combination of the nutrients and compounds in the food above is an incredible natural antidote to women's hormonal attacks, in particular an abundance of estrogen. I am considering following a macrobiotic diet as I age because of the incredible effects I've had in my life from this one meal. I eat this combination at least a few times every month, right around the crazy times.

You can also buy a tube of natural, bio-identical progesterone cream (not progestin) to help relieve symptoms of PMS and menopause, among other things. You can find this on the web. And of course, I ALWAYS eat natural, 70% or more, dark chocolate. It's an antioxidant and in later studies has shown to help produce collagen - that's in the vegetable group for me now

Evening primrose oil supplements help with me as although I don't get cranky, I get really weepy and cry over "anything!" (Can be a sad move/sad story on the news or hearing about people dying in Iraq etc).

Yeah, I get the weepy thing, and I trip over and drop everything.

The Evening Primrose thing is good, too, and I think it is similar to the qualities in Salmon (Omega oils). I found Evening Primrose to be expensive, because you have to take a few a day for it to work - at least for me. Although, others could mention the high mercury content in Salmon.

Edited December 9, 200718 yr by kat

Yeah, I get the weepy thing, and I trip over and drop everything.

The Evening Primrose thing is good, too, and I think it is similar to the qualities in Salmon (Omega oils). I found Evening Primrose to be expensive, because you have to take a few a day for it to work - at least for me. Although, others could mention the high mercury content in Salmon.

Hi Kat

I think it may depend on the strength of the Evening Primrose Tablets. I bring mine back from Holland & Barrett Health Food store in the Uk and they have 1300mg strength so I just take one tablet.

I am naturally clumsy so trip up and drop things most of time and not just before my Period! I am especially not very good with steps and stairs (tend to trip up them or down ). Sad but true!

I also eat lots of fish - I am a regular at Ootoya here (wonderful Japanese ressie in Emporium, Siam Paragorn, Ekkamai etc).

Hope the ice cream did the trick in the meantime SBK!!!

Yeah - I think 1300mg would do the trick! Expensive, though, right?

So far small studies have not shown Evening Primrose Oil (Omega-6) to help with menopause or PMS. It conclusively helps with skin irritations, breast cancer, and other afflictions, but not PMS/Meno. But, the Omega-3 in Salmon does help.

At least, my own experience has borne this out, even before knowing what studies said. Either way, all of the Omegas are good for us, but for bad PMS, nothing has come close for me to making the difference like Salmon (Omega-3), and the elimination of white flour.

*typo

**In looking at information on EPO, I see mixed reviews on the benefits for PMS/Meno; some tout benefits, and others say inconclusive. It helps with so much else - hangovers, skin, post-natal depression, and PMS for some, that it is definitely worth it. I will try a higher dose. But, I think the combination with Omega-6 has been the best so far.

Edited December 9, 200718 yr by kat

Having one of those cranky PMS days today and the requisite chocolate cookie has not worked its magic. I am thinking of having some ice cream but before I go on a lovely sugar binge thought I'd ask you ladies what you do to try and banish the cranky day blues?

Strange way to look at this! I look forward to my PMS days. Being quite good hearted and I think too soft, I deliberatly schedule tricky meetings for those days. If I would not do that I would NEVER get what I want!

I am lucky, I rarely have bad PMS, but yesterday I felt cranky and out of sorts. Today I went to town and bought a dark chocolate bar, that Ritter sport has a new one out, dark chocolate mousse. Yum. That certainly helped.

yeah, that chocolate mousse one is great, isnt it? hope they dont make it prescription only!

Oh god PMS. Before birth control I'd pass out, feel nauseas, get horrible cramps, bad mood swings, etc. Then I went on birth control and I didn't pass out from the pain anymore but it turned me into a nut case. Last year I locked myself in my dorm room for a week because I hated the thought of talking to anyone and just ate PB&J sandwiches because if I went and got food I'd run into someone that wanted to talk. (When the PB ran out I ate jelly sandwiches. Funny in retrospect). If any of my friends did try and talk to me I got an incredible urge to hit them, so, I told everyone to leave me alone for about a week. Other times I'd go on uncontrollable crying spells of 2-3 days. My mood swings got a lot better when I got OFF the birth control, I've been totally stable for 5 months. I have PCOS so I'll probably try to go back on it, but try a different brand or something and play around with dosing to avoid issues.

As far as tips for lessening pms...do whatever you like to do and makes you happy in other scenarios. I would usually read or play video games. Oh, and I think avoiding caffiene is a good idea, it agitates any underlying anxiety you have. Diet is a big factor I think, and so is exercise. Excersise reduces a lot of stress for me and it's better if it's not boring excerise like weights but if you play a game with other people like basketball or go swimming.

Has anyone tried St.John's Wart for depression symptoms of PMS? I tried and I didn't think it did much.

Natural progesterone is what really, really works.

You can order it in creams/gels by mail (be sure it is real progesterone and not yam extract) or buy Utrogestan brand in larger pharmacies in Thailand,. The utrogestan is a capsule form, for regular use the creams are better but the capsule is good for quick relief.

No side effects other than being really, really calm...

For women who suffer on a regular basis, some of the SSRIs (Zoloft in particular) have been proven effective. This is not worth doing iof your problem is every once in a while but if it's a monthly horror show, can be a life saver (if not yours, then those of all the folk you might otherwise have killed!)

And yes, chocolate. DARK chocolate. As high a cacao percentage and as little sugar as you can find.

In Phnom Penh I was able to find 86% cacao. Miraculous stuff...........

If you can, get on birth control pills and stay on them. I went off of mine a few months ago and had real PMS for the first time in a few years... it made me decide to get right back on them. It was unbelievable to feel that cranky again and that I had forgotten how it had been. The pill can even be taken so that you can have your period once every three or four months and even plan when to have it. Amazing invention, those pills.

Times must have changed since the early nineties when I took that horrible Marvelon, only to become 3 sizes bigger and experience a six month long PMT that made me burst into tears every single morning. I couldn't work out why because I was so happy during those years. I also swelled up like a balloon for the first time in my life (that's must be another reason why I cried so much..). Most people I have known, though, react quite well to the pill.

A question: I heard why but, is it common to have milder PMS once you've given birth?

I was on Yasmin for a few months and I was absolutely looney the whole time and it took a while to figure out that the pills were doing it. I switched to a low dose pill (but not a micro pill) and felt saner with almost no PMS. It seems that it make take a few tries to find the right pill.

Jorinda - St John's Wort really does work, but you should read up on it before taking it because it is a very powerful remedy.

I get PMS (or PMT as we call it in Blighty) and although it does make me cranky (friends and family usually steer clear) and gives me a low self esteem, there is also an element of wallowing that I quite enjoy. You have a carte blanche to eat what you want and feel miserable, because ultimately you know what is causing it and how long it will last for. It's a great excuse to get a few weepy movies, a great deal of chocolate and lock yourself away in a pit of your own self pity. and then when it is over I am always in a great mood!

I would recommend shouting at your boyfriend, saying he doesn’t love you, doesn’t care and only thinks about himself. Follow this with a session of crying, sulking and moping and you’ll feel right as rain. It’s always worked for my girlfriends :-)

But seriously, as others have mentioned, I know so many women who say that Evening Primrose has changed their lives…

It’s a brave man who joins a discussion on PMS…and now I think I shall retire, quickly :-)

hm, i don't get it... can't get PMS without the M!

i also have heard evening primrose works well...

hm, i don't get it... can't get PMS without the M!

i also have heard evening primrose works well...

eh? Was that aimed at my PMT thing - we call it pre menstrual tension not stress. Definitely still have the M!

i am ok with that never have problem with PMS, i still can run or play sport , only i feel myself so dirty at that time... i always try not to think about having PMS or its disgusted me (just the feeling).. i have heard many got real bad problem with it but i never experience one yet.i know it strange or maybe i am lucky i donno,

QUOTE (girlx @ 2007-12-13 19:56:41)

hm, i don't get it... can't get PMS without the M!

i also have heard evening primrose works well...

eh? Was that aimed at my PMT thing - we call it pre menstrual tension not stress. Definitely still have the M!

no sorry i meant me- i don't get the M... i take birth control pills continuously which stops it, but even before that i never got it regularly.

QUOTE (girlx @ 2007-12-13 19:56:41)

hm, i don't get it... can't get PMS without the M!

i also have heard evening primrose works well...

eh? Was that aimed at my PMT thing - we call it pre menstrual tension not stress. Definitely still have the M!

no sorry i meant me- i don't get the M... i take birth control pills continuously which stops it, but even before that i never got it regularly.

Getcha. Do you just take the normal pill constantly or is it one of those special ones? I used to get really bad pains and i had a doctor who said "just carry straight though". I have done that quite a bit out of convenience (only get to see my boyfriend at the weekend ) but feel naughty bout doing it!

i take a (normal) low estrogen mono-phasic (doesn't vary in amount of ormones throughout the month) pill called microgynon. i take it every day, and have been doing this for about 6 years. most women freak out when i tell them that but my doctor actually recommended it when i set out to travel round the world. i get checkups every year (just had one 2 months ago) and everything is a-ok. there is a good site with lots of info on this- see here. i LOVE not having the M, though like i said i rarely ever did before anyway, but i always found it really disgusting.

i take a (normal) low estrogen mono-phasic (doesn't vary in amount of ormones throughout the month) pill called microgynon. i take it every day, and have been doing this for about 6 years. most women freak out when i tell them that but my doctor actually recommended it when i set out to travel round the world. i get checkups every year (just had one 2 months ago) and everything is a-ok. there is a good site with lots of info on this- see here. i LOVE not having the M, though like i said i rarely ever did before anyway, but i always found it really disgusting.

AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHH - microgynon. I will only go near that deathwish again if I am contemplating suicide yet am not quite feeling brave enough. Absoluetly guarunteed to push me over the edge. Within 1 week it turned me into a quivering wreck of my former self. But I know plenty of people who are fine on it too...

I am going to check up on the details. Thanks for the info!