What is PMDD?

We've all heard of PMS but PMDD is the ugly stepsister very few people know of. I thought I would start a blog about my story and struggle with PMDD.

What is PMDD exactly? PMDD disorder (Pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder) is an extreme form of PMS affecting around 8% of women during their menstrual cycle.

Women with PMDD complain of irritability, anger, tension, marked depressed mood, and mood lability (crying spells for no reason, verbal outbursts, or tantrums ) to such a severity that quality of life is seriously compromised. In addition to these symptoms, some women complain of lethargy, sleep disturbance, limited concentration and a host of physical symptoms such as breast tenderness, headaches, joint and muscle pain, bloating and weight gain.

Symptoms include, but are not limited to, the following:

deep sadness or despair
possible suicidal thoughts
extreme tension or anxiety panic attacks
diarrhea
sudden and extreme mood swings
long lasting anger and irritability
apathy & disinterest in daily life
yeast infections
problems with concentration
fatigue
food cravings or binge eating
extreme sleep problems and insomnia
feeling "out of control"
changes in sex drive
need for emotional closeness

Other physical symptoms may include: bloating, heart palpitations, breast tenderness, headaches, joint or muscle pain, swollen face.