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    PMDD or PMS diets

    Posts: 27 Member
    edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
    Hello,

    I'm wondering if anyone can help?

    I was diagnosed with PMDD about 18 months ago and I've made some changes. Cutting down on alcohol, getting more sleep, exercising and cutting out most junk (most, can't resist a pizza or monster munch)

    There's so much conflicting stuff online about what helps, no dairy or gluten etc. Just wondered if anyone had any experience or tips?

    Thank you

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    Replies

    • Posts: 439 Member
      I follow a gluten free and vegan diet, and it doesn't help with PMDD. I still get the moodiness, depression, impulsiveness and pain. For the worst PMDD days, I don't worry about my diet. I tend to be ravenous and fatigued, and my only goal is to get through the worst of it. I don't try to track or count; I eat what I want and how much I need to be comfortable.
    • Posts: 27 Member
      It's a total struggle, isn't it? I just know, when i eat rubbish, my fatigue is 10 times worse. Thanks for replying x
    • Posts: 1,307 Member
      From what I've read getting adequate calcium can help. Possibly magnesium as well. But i try to get it from food so that I don't cause any other stomach issues from a pill.

      Drink so much water. Cravings are going to happen but if you stay very hydrated I find it helps with pain, moodiness and fatigue.

      I can't recommend exercise enough. Walking every day. Any kind of movement, particularly some sort of cardio. Basically, if it's recommended for depression it should help PMS/PMDD as well.

      The key, I have found, is to do these things regularly. A more nutrient-dense diet combined with lots of water and lots of exercise is the only thing that helps me physically and emotionally. But I have to be consistent (which I am not) so sometimes the raving lunatic shows up anyway!
    • Posts: 1,946 Member
      I'm going to second everything that @slaite1 said. As much as it sucks, keeping yourself moving helps. I've started taking a magnesium supplement and I THINK it's helping but I've only started incorporating that for a month or so which isn't long enough to say anything for sure.

      Eating nutritiously and staying hydrated has helped. For me, caffeine seems to help, too, so my coffee/diet soda intake tend to go up on those days.

      ~Lyssa
    • Posts: 1,307 Member
      macgurlnet wrote: »
      I'm going to second everything that @slaite1 said. As much as it sucks, keeping yourself moving helps. I've started taking a magnesium supplement and I THINK it's helping but I've only started incorporating that for a month or so which isn't long enough to say anything for sure.

      Eating nutritiously and staying hydrated has helped. For me, caffeine seems to help, too, so my coffee/diet soda intake tend to go up on those days.

      ~Lyssa

      Ditto on the caffeine. Extra coffee with my Ibruprofen definitely helps
    • Posts: 27 Member
      edited June 2015
      Thanks. What's your opinion on alcohol?
    • Posts: 77 Member
      I eat gluten free mostly, lots of veggies, fruits, protein, stay away from processed food, take a good multivitamin, drink lemon water, exercise, limit alcohol & decaf coffee for me, all this helps with pms symptoms for me.
    • Posts: 1,037 Member
      edited June 2015
      Depending on the severity- an anti-depressant a week or two before could help if the symptoms are awful. Yoga is an incredible help for me mentally. I love my red wine and cocktails- I enjoy no more than one or two a day- and add them into my calories. Many days I don't want any alcohol but, on days that I do, I have it. For me it takes the edge off and I am almost always happy with just one cocktail or glass of wine. If you can't drink in moderation, I personally would do my best to abstain.
    • Posts: 1,307 Member
      WhiskyMania wrote: »
      Thanks. What's your opinion on alcohol?

      In my opinion, it's fine in moderation just like anything else. However, I would avoid it during the worst of my symptoms. Again, PMDD can mimic symptoms of depression. Alcohol is a depressant, not to mention it can dehydrate you-neither of these will help PMS. I would avoid it during the second half of my cycle.
    • Posts: 1,942 Member
      I suffered from PMDD for years. It seems to be calming down now that I am in the early stages of menopause. What I found to be helpful was taking Estroven supplement as well as Magnesium and b complex vitamins.

      One thing that made it much much worse was being on an estrogen based birth control pill.

      I did not find alcohol to be an issue but I have always been a very moderate drinker. I did fond that high cocoa content chocolate helped me feel better but that turned out to be because cocoa is high in Mg. Other than that I never noticed any specific foods that had an effect.
    • Posts: 27 Member
      Thanks guys, i have a pretty good diet, i take evening primrose, vitamin a and vitamin b complex. Going to try and make myself get some exercise and buy some magnesium too.
    • Posts: 28,055 Member
      Over the last two months, I cleaned up my diet, increased exercise, and for this TOM the food cravings were very brief, as opposed to previously having a week of cravings. I also didn't get the premenstrual blues.

      After reading about the different types of magnesium, I ordered Source Naturals, K-Mag to see if this will reduce the chocolate cravings even further.

      I highly recommend Dr Christiane Northrup's Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom (Revised Edition): Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing - this has a chapter on PMS. It's available in my library system, so maybe yours as well.
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