If 29-year-old Marianne Barry fails to take her daily contraceptive pill, she might experience intense anxiety or possibly even contemplate suicide.
Marianne suffers from premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a condition that impacts up to 8% of women. However, the typical waiting period for receiving an accurate diagnosis often stretches to approximately 12 years.
For women dealing with PMDD, contraception continues to be the main form of management. However, this presents a challenge for those hoping to conceive.
“I desire to become a parent, yet I wish to remain mentally balanced,” stated Marianne.
The Welsh government stated that they were committed to enhancing the detection, care, and public understanding of issues impacting women, which includes PMDD.
Marianne, who works as a teaching assistant in Cardiff, visited her general practitioner multiple times over an eight-year period before deciding to seek a private diagnosis two years ago, once her symptoms became too severe to ignore.
She mentioned, ‘Every morning when I woke up, I could sense something stirring within me.’
“It was like my brain was almost hot with feelings of anger, being upset, anxiety – the anxiety was just insane.”
She started to notice that her symptoms aligned with her menstrual cycle, and decided to start keeping track of them.
I could sense it and would think, ‘Okay, I know my period is about to start.’
Prior to being prescribed the birth control pill, Marianne experienced recurring symptoms every month, leaving her constantly anxious about it.
You get the sense that you’ve achieved something because you experience such a difficult time followed by everything starting to improve as you approach the ovulation phase.
What is PMDD?
According to the
NHS
The symptoms of PMDD are comparable to those of PMS; however, they are significantly more severe and can considerably diminish your quality of daily activities.
Symptoms can include:
- Migraines along with ache in joints and muscles
- Overeating and problems sleeping
- Experiencing intense anxiety, rage, sadness, or having suicidal thoughts.
The precise reason behind PMDD remains unclear; however, individuals in Wales typically face an approximate waiting period of 12 years before receiving a diagnosis.
Dr. Llinos Roberts, a general practitioner, attributes this to insufficient research.
“The available treatment options are quite restricted, and I believe this underscores the historical shortage of research focused specifically on health problems that predominantly affect women,” stated Dr. Roberts.
We can consider using contraception methods, as they help alleviate the symptoms of PMDD. Additionally, addressing the specific symptoms through cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and antidepressants is another option available to you.
For Marianne, who hopes to have children someday, the thought of stopping her medication and having her symptoms come back is too overwhelming.
“There’s no guarantee that you’ll become pregnant, and you can’t predict how long it might take. Therefore, I desire to have a child while maintaining my sanity,” she stated.
I’m too frightened to stop taking my pill at this point.
Corinne Sinclair, who is 30 years old and hails from Cardiff, received a diagnosis of PMDD about two months ago and is presently attempting to conceive a child.
The antidepressants represent her sole therapeutic choice; however, medical professionals have informed her that should she become pregnant, she would need to reconsider continuing this medication regimen.
Corrine suggested that further studies on PMDD might provide additional choices for women beyond simply opting for birth control pills.
Frankly, it feels like a evasion, and I think they often resort to this when dealing with many women’s issues.
Corinne also suffers from endometriosis, a condition that can complicate the process of getting pregnant.
She mentioned that the anxiety over this issue, along with the possible recurrence of her PMDD symptoms—characterized by gloomy thoughts and difficulty finding the energy to leave bed—caused her significant distress.
“When you’re attempting to have a baby, it’s meant to be an exhilarating and joyous period, which it truly is; however, despite my remaining optimistic and eagerly anticipating the outcome, there persists this nagging concern lurking in the back of my mind,” she stated.
Will I struggle with my mental health after having the baby?
Am I likely to experience significant mental health issues during my pregnancy?
No silver bullet
Dr. Roberts mentioned that PMDD can pose challenges for diagnosis since it is frequently misidentified as depression or anxiety.
She recommended that women who suspect they have PMDD maintain a comprehensive journal of their symptoms, noting when these appear and disappear, and then share this documentation with their general practitioner.
She mentioned that there wasn’t a single solution for women with PMDD who were looking to start a family.
“This can be extremely difficult for women who wish to get pregnant but understand that stopping their contraception will probably worsen their PMDD symptoms,” she stated.
If someone experiences severe PMDD symptoms, it involves weighing the advantages and disadvantages of discontinuing birth control.
The Welsh government stated that their Women’s Health Plan for Wales detailed their commitment to enhancing the detection, care, and recognition of health issues impacting women.
A representative stated that premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is encompassed within the menstrual health focus area of the plan.
£3 million in funding will be utilized to implement the measures outlined in the plan.
Additional contribution by Dani Thomas.
- Study reveals how premenstrual disorders affect relationships
- ‘I feel suicidal during my periods.’
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