Does anyone else think to themselves...how do we do this every single month?

My PMDD symptoms began two years ago after I had my third child. Before that, my cycle had never been normal. I would go months without having a period. My husband and I did fertility treatment for our first two babies because I don’t think I was ovulating. In some ways, it’s like my body knew what was in store for me when my ovulation and periods returned and was trying to protect me. But immediately after I had my third child, my son, I started getting a period every month (go figure) and I started having PMDD symptoms. 

I would be emotionally inconsolable, crying in the fetal position, yelling nonstop at my husband and kids. I had chills all over like I had the flu, and extreme anxiety which made me unable to function… sadly the list goes on. There were several times where I felt completely out of control of my own body. I thought something was seriously wrong with me. 

Thankfully, I started tracking my symptoms and realized there was a cyclical pattern. I researched and found an amazing support group on Facebook as well as IAPMD.

About 18 months ago, I started taking Yaz continuously to treat my PMDD. It helped me feel normal again! But unfortunately, I started having some serious breakthrough bleeding with Yaz, really heavy, so heavy that in a PMDD panic/fog I went to the ER! I tried to stop taking it continuously to manage and reset the bleeding by taking the placebo pills, but I backed out within two days. I couldn’t go back to how I felt before. My PMDD symptoms would last from 10 to 14 days every single month and they were really really really bad. I felt like I couldn’t live like that anymore. The pill made me feel normal. After that, I started estrogen to try and thicken the lining of my uterus so I could continue on the Yaz without bleeding, but that didn’t work either. 

I didn’t know what to do. I have 3 kids under 6, I can’t manage the way it was before. So I decided to take more control of my life and I found a specialist and a therapist to help with my PMDD.

I found a doctor who’s an endocrinologist and an OB/GYN that specializes in women’s reproductive and hormonal imbalance issues and specializes in PMDD. He was an hour away but I would have driven 8. It was a life-changing experience to have someone listen and understand what I was going through. 

After so many scares with changing my usual regimen, we were looking to just keep me on Yaz indefinitely and do a uterine ablation to hopefully stop the bleeding…but then by the grace of God, the crazy bleeding finally stopped!

Recently, I started taking Sarafem under the guidance of a local OB who also specializes in PMDD. He has actually done full ovary removal on women with PMDD who haven’t found any interventions that help, but I’m a young candidate. I’m 35 and not close to menopause and although it could be done, I wanted to keep trying other methods first. I’m hoping to avoid surgery if I can. He told me to try Sarafem first and then we would take it from there. 

This medication, in addition to the continuous Yaz, has saved my life and my marriage, hands down! It’s also taken the edge off of the lingering rage that the Yaz couldn’t mask. Or maybe I was also depressed because how can you not be depressed when dealing with this condition?! It’s exhausting!

I don’t know how I lived to manage this and fight for this. I literally wanted to die. I can physically feel the shift in my brain. But here I am!

WE must be WARRIORS!

My best advice is to advocate for yourself and NEVER give up! My story isn’t over, but it’s a great start in a new chapter.

MEET TRISHA

“I am a mom of 3 littles (6, 3, and 2). I am a wife. I am a personal trainer. I have fought so hard to manage my PMDD which started after baby number 3 and after speaking with my mom I realized PMDD might be in our genetics. I’m strong-willed, I’m a fighter and I will NOT let this win.”

You can follow Trisha on Instagram @the_trishaanne