Vicious Cycle

Agree you should talk to your doctor. BC or a Mirena might help if they're options.

Sorry to hear it's that rough. When I had PMS hunger/cravings, I tried to not give in to the cravings for sweets, (because I couldn't moderate), but ate as much nutrient dense food as I wanted so that I didn't go mad with hunger. I still lost. I've heard it said that your metabolism increases when you're PMSing. You're problems seem a lot more involved, apologies if my response sounds like "it's easy".

My GYN put me on Yaz because it helped with PMDD which is basically a more severe form of PMS and it took away all of my PMS symptoms. It did such a good job that when I finally got off of it, I didn't even recognize or know how to cope with the real deal PMS when it hit. I track my cycle with an app called Clue so I always know when I'm getting close to my PMS time or if I am feeling a little extra hungry I know why. I now know how to handle it but maybe you can try out Yaz, I loved it. And like some others have said, you may just have to buckle down and get through it. Maybe you can work out to help with extra calories you're eating. I know that when I exercise, it tends to be an appetite suppressant for me. And coffee, coffee in the mid afternoon always keeps me from rummaging in the pantry during that time of the month.

Oh you're so not alone. You described me completely. It's awful and unfortunately a lot of people really don't get it... And the last few months my cycles have one lasted 3 weeks, so it's pretty much non stop hell.

First, medicate. I pretty much have to alternate Advil and Tylenol (or store brands, but it has to be soft gels or it takes too long to work) every 2-3 hours for days. I start as soon as I get up. Once the pain is gone, it's much easier to get moving.

Exercise more. Seriously. My last bad PMS day was bad, but I try to stay active and end up burning off a big chunk of the surplus (I laugh at the 'eat at maintenance' posts. Maintenance doesn't even get close to cutting it for me). I've increased my activity and walk whenever I have 30 minutes to kill (instead of just sitting down and watching TV or browsing the web or something - exceptions being in the morning while I drink my coffee and at night when the kids are in bed).

Find what foods REALLY satisfy you. That horrible hunger feeling... what can you eat in reasonable quantities to make it go away? For me, I've found that just a plain English muffin will work much better than ice cream or cookies (I might crave them but they really don't satisfy me and I can't stop eating them if I start at that time). The key is to eat as little as possible of the thing that will satisfy you, and avoid the stuff that won't, no matter how tempting.

The whole mental thing... I know it's not it for me because sometimes I skip a period and it doesn't happen to me at all. I always kinda feel insulted when people suggest it though! And yeah, some cycles it doesn't happen more than maybe a day and I'm so grateful.

And my best advice if you don't want to gain weight from that - eat less on the easier days. It sucks, but that's pretty much how I've managed not to gain back the weight in 2.5 years (I've gained back a couple pounds when Holidays and special events fell on usually 'normal' days and I wasn't able to keep a deficit that 'easy' week, but that's pretty much it and my clothes still fit the same).

HG210 wrote: »

Sounds good ladies. Thank you for the suggestions. First let me say I am 45...of course I have seen the doctor about this and have had many forms of birth control. Never a good reaction to any of them. So I just deal with it. I promise, the pain, the cramps the appetite is not in my head. It is all very real. I can go through almost a whole bag of napkins in one cycle. I will say this. If I work out it is not as heavy but I do still get every thing else. I think the suggestion about drinking a lot of water is one that I will try. Honestly I don't drink a lot of water. I am not using this as an excuse or a crutch of any sort. You all are right I have to keep pushing through. So that is what I intend on doing. I just can't with another birth control. Nothing good ever comes from it for me.

Sorry . You would be amazed how many people post on here that they are constipated for 3 weeks and can't get out of bed and there is yellow ooze leaking out of their eyes and they can't remember what number comes after 4 and ask for advice on what to eat. And people post Go To The Doctor! And they go, hmmm that might be a good idea I'll think about going to the doctor LOL.

I don't normally suggest "alternative" stuff, but meditation is often touted for chronic pain management. There are free apps you can download, maybe it would be worth trying as well.

Do you know around when your older female relatives started menopause? Maybe nature will give you some relief sooner rather than later.

Not sure if this applies, but I used to suffer from migraines. Once the pain hit, there was nothing that would do any good. But if I started taking ibuprofen on a schedule at the first sign the migraine was coming, the pain would never develop beyond some slight pressure. Perhaps try starting Midol etc before the symptoms really start? I know regular use of NSAIDS is troublesome, but knowing your age, there is a limited amount of time you would need to rely on them. (I'm 44 and I can't wait to have to stop dealing with this crap myself!)

Best of luck, and sorry you are going through this

Christine_72 wrote: »

kimny72 wrote: »

Also wanted to suggest/ask about BC, the Pill took care of most of my extreme PMS, and shortened and lessened my TOM. Some brands can increase your appetite or have their own side effects, but it sounds like it can't be worse than you are experiencing. I also had a doctor before I decided on BC that suggested a calcium/magnesium supplement, though I admit I don't remember why/how that would help.

I also agree with the previous posters that exercise and hydration help too. The thing with exercise is you have to remember how you feel when you are done, as opposed to how you feel when you start. I find when I feel crampy and grumpy, I never feel like moving, but a brisk walk leaves me feeling much better.

ALWAYS log, even if it looks awful, sometimes we don't realize how much of what we think we have no control over is actually just habit. Sometimes seeing it in writing helps motivate you to at least make better choices in comfort eating LOL.

I don't mean this as an insult, but just wanted to add, do a gut check and make sure it really is that bad, and not just something you have gotten used to using as a crutch. I'm not saying you are, I completely relate to what you are going through, but I've also known some people who get great comfort from convincing themselves they are in too much pain/too many cravings/etc to lose weight.

In all seriousness, if you are legit struggling through three weeks every month, and all your current doctor can suggest is surgery, get a second opinion. A lot of women have to deal with a few days a month of discomfort/pain and cravings, but what you are describing is not normal. Good luck :drinker:

I often wonder how much of some women's pms symptoms is mental. .. Not saying this is you OP, not at all!

They know tom is approaching and the panic sets in, they resign themselves to the fact that they are going to eat the house down, not exercise etc etc Do this for enough years and it becomes an auto pilot thing. The mind is powerful and mysterious, what will happen is what you expect to happen.

I did read something about this. There was some study that showed that women who reported the worst symptoms (without any medical explanation) tended to be the least busy. Literally, they had more time on their hands to think about it.
Also pain is subjective. People have varying tolerances for it. Doctors say that period pains lessen after a woman has given birth. This is partly to do with the stretching of the uterus but also to do with perspective. The pain of labor far exceeds menstrual cramps and somehow that is remembered.
OP forgot to say that often anti-depressants will help with this. If you can't take contraceptives you may want to look into it.