I just got diagnosed with PMDD and I was prescribed Lexapro, which seems to be working but its a bit early to say. Also my Dr. says to take Cal-mag supplements, iron, and drink raspberry-leaf tea. I would try finding another doctor; I talked to my OBGYN and I think the fact that she is a woman helped.

If you are interested, I just created a support group specifically for PMDD:http://dailystrength.org/groups/PMDD. I am the only member so far because I just created it yesterday, but I really wanted a place that I could talk to people about PMDD specifically, not just PMS.

If your doctors still won't listen you can probably ask for antidepressants even for the "personality disorder". Thats probably what they would prescribe even if they agreed you did have PMDD.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

thank you so much for responding. i am on Wellbutrin right now and have tried many other anti depressants. I gave Lexapro a shot and got several side effects that i just couldn't deal with, mostly sexual side effects. then i tried Effexor and that had to be the worst drug i've ever been on. just made me numb and unable to cry. i feel like no medicine will help me. and i cant seem to find a doctor who believes i have PMDD since its so rare.i will work on finding a better one. just hard without insurance.
i am glad you made a support group on here. i will go and join it. its nice to know i am not alone. thank you so much.

Oh man, I hear you about the insurance, I just got married and he had insurance so I got lucky, otherwise I would be screwed right now. It sucks to say it, but sometimes doctors don't give you the attention you deserve based on your insurance and whether you will be able to pay for the treatments to recommend. Its so much rarer to hear about doctors who actually listen to you than ones who are callous. I really think I got lucky. But try some of the naturopathic remedies and see if that helps you at all, feel free to message me!

first off dont apologize for rambling. this is not a easy thing to deal with.you need all the help you can get. i have been going through the same thing since i was fourteen. i am now 27 and found few answers. i does seem like any doctor i have been to see doesnt know what they are talking about. they just keep telling me that it is depression. well the only thing that i have to be depressed about is this disorder or whatever they are calling it. i completely feel your pain. i am taking yaz and it seems to take the edge off. give it a try. try to smile

I was diagnosed with PMDD about 10 years ago. It is awful. none of the meds they give me work except yaz does seem to make it a little better. my PMDD is very severe. the worst symptom I have is the suicidal thoughts and wishing I was dead. the docs wanna say oh you're just depressed you have depression, no I don't have depression I get depressed because I have PMDD. dpression is not the disorder it's just a symptom of the real disorder which is PMDD. they do have shots you can take that in affect turn off your ovaries so it's like a temporary hystorectomy without surgery, I don't know how much they cost or if insurance covers it because I don't have insurance but you can ask your doc and see. a pdoc can't really help you much with PMDD as it is not a mental condition even though it seems like it is sometimes, you really need to be seeing a obgyn I recomend a female one. if you no longer want to have kids and you're old enough you might consider a hystorectomy. I hope this helped and you feel better. god bless

nicole, you are ok on yaz? that is interesting for i had a ghastly experience on it, it goes to show that some things work for some and not others! i can't handle the pill, i was worse on it!

i don't have PMDD but get bad pms. i am working with my acupuncturist, it's a slow process, but most months i am in PMS zone from day 15 (i've posted lots about this) THIS month i have made it to day 19 and only now have the dreaded PMS symptoms (nausea, bad stomach, jsut don't feel right, now feel lethargic etc). I am fighting the emotional side a bit via exercise but i still have 6 days till i'm due so time will tell.

i know it's expensive but natural/alternative therapies have been a godsend for me, even though i am a work in progress.

i agree about iron etc (i forgot mine at work, so will hit them tomorrow) and i forgot to take my B vitamins today, i wonder if this is part of why i feel blah today!

i do take pms vitamins though, by aussie vitamin company blackmores. i'm upping those to 2 per day from today!

def try another doctor if you can. it can be tricky! i am so sorry you guys have the insurance issue over there. thankfully in australia we have free health care/doc visits.