Lisa's Story
26 Jun 2010
Another life blighted by years of PMS
Lisa is 39 and has had PMS for as long as she can remember and it is now getting worse. Living in Southern Europe she has the problem of accessing appropriate treatment. NAPS hopes to be able to help her manage her PMS successfully.
"I believe I have suffered from this condition from my early teenage years, it has affected my life more than I have ever cared to admit, and now at the age of 39 I have realised that it has actually altered my life and changed the way I am, sounds dramatic I know even as I read this back.
I am single and I am currently living in Southern Europe, and for as long as I can remember I have turned into an irrational emotional wreck for about two weeks before my period is due every month. It is getting more severe as I am getting older. The symptoms are getting far worse. I can honestly say sometimes I am not sure what I am capable of next. I get angry, upset, irrational, and have food cravings. I cry at everything, am angry at everything, I want to eat tabasco sauce with everything. My breasts are so painful I can barely walk fast they are so uncomfortable. I have severe joint pain, my memory and general well being is affected so much I am just not Lisa for almost half the year, which is half my life. I have tried homeopathy, acupuncture, prozac, the pill, femal, various vitamin concoctions, agnus castus, zinc, magnesium, giving up coffee, alcohol, salt, Tibetan medicine, Chinese herbs (hey when you are desperate!). I have to admit that Evening Primrose does help reduce the breast pain a lot, but I retain so much water I have to wear larger clothes and underwear. Of course this affects my relationships, because who in their right mind would put up with what is basically a split personality for two weeks a month? The rest of the time the real Lisa is incredibly laid back. I love life, I travel, I work overseas, grasp every chance of happiness, but this last PMS bout I had was so severe, I found myself thinking I actually wanted to die, ok it was for a few minutes, but I then sat on the floor and cried so much, as I do not understand where this feeling of despair comes from.
"I lead a healthy life style, I exercise, but have gained a lot of weight recently, as I have had about 15 periods in the last six months. I have been to my doctor in the UK on so many occasions, with diaries as suggested, she did not even look at it, put me on another mini-pill to try, which I did for four months, which made me ill all the time. I have tried hormone diets to help, but my food cravings when I am pre-menstrual are so severe I feel like I would kill for cheese or bread or whatever it is that I currently feel I must have, usually very spicy food and lots of salt. I also feel paranoid, like everyone is looking at me, my hair gets so dry and my skin is dry and in bad condition. I feel like I look so fat that everyone hates me. This comes from nowhere, ok I have gained weight, but I wear a size 8 and am 5 ft 2 so am not obese. I feel like I am genuinely going mad at times. I have looked at the NAPS website many times and taken lots of advice. I have now reached the stage that I would give up my life as it is just to be cured, whether that means taking part in trials, hysterectomy, whatever I don't mind, I just want Lisa back and I am at my wits end. My period is actually about to finish so am not feeling bad at the moment, so it gets hard to describe these feelings, but as my periods seem to be getting more often, as soon as I get the first signs I do start to feel down just knowing what is to come. I am a positive person, have some great friends, and stay single because I don't believe anyone else deserves to be dragged into my hell for two weeks per month. Sounds so dramatic, I can put up with a lot, I really can, I am a strong women who has been through a few things in life, and I believe that this makes you stronger, all experience makes you what you are in life, but this now I feel is overtaking me and I really do not know where to turn to next.
"I am currently having massage treatments Reiki to help also, I meditate each day to try to keep calm, but when I am pre-menstrual, nothing helps."
