SAD & PMS/PMDD

Hi, having suffered with SAD for many years I have recently been diagnosed with PMDD. My consultant is keen to treat this with a combination of SSRI's along with a Merena coil I had fitted six months ago. Has anyone else experienced similar? Every year I hope to get through without anti depressants (usually without success) I don't want to start messing around with trying things out, especially at this time of year.

Hi Whistling Pig. PMDD is Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a more severe form of PMS. It basically means my head spins and I become a completely different person for about 2-3 days like a woman possessed, coupled with suicidal feelings. It's not that I don't like the idea of AD's -in fact I have almost depended on them for the past 18 years. Its just that my consultant wants to treat the PMDD but I want to feel in control of the treatment in terms of managing the SAD at the same time. I feel if I can go to my next appointment forarmed with some info he might take me seriously. I have been looking at the thread Linda started on nutrition. I have tried the usual natural/homeopathic treatments along with vitamin supplements and 5HTP. I've just got to the point where I decided I want to beat PMDD and SAD before they beat me!

Hi Suzie, thanks for your response. I am not convinced the Merena is helping - if anything I am even more erratic, at least without it I can roughly plan on when I'm going to start 'headspinning'. I have been working on reducing my carb intake (I posted a thread called SAD & diet) and light therapy both seem to be helping. Hope the supplements are working for you...