I have been given effexor to start for my severe pms symptoms. I don't want to go on an anti depressant and I have been researching about the Birth control pill, but which one ??? Any one have any ideas for me, would be much appreciated.....I am 40, and do not need to worry about getting pregnant as I have my tubes tied, this is strictly for PMS....HELP:confused:

Thanks.

Try Ovcon 35. The progestin is older (ie safer). After a couple of months, my pms went away.

thank you....I also have an appt with a natural path dr.
Thanks again.

I was put on Yaz to help with bad pms. The pms is deff. better. No more depression, mood swings, SEVER irritability.....I feel human again. Only bad side effect I have now is break through bleeding, and it is much better.

Hi
Yes, I read about Yaz.......my dr. chose and AD -effexor xr for me and i wont know how it's really working for my pms till next month.....crossing my fingers.
Not sure if this is the right route to take .I have read so much about the horror stories of coming of the med, I am trying stay positive and get through this and not think of coming off them at this time. I am finding I have little appetite right now and need to push myself to eat.......i may not have trouble with the weight gain of this AD........I hope not anyways.
thanks for your info.

You're 40 and actually WANT to go on the pill? Are you insane? I'm sorry, I don't mean that meanly. I just mean that at your age, I just don't think that taking a steroid hormone is a good idea.

Have you researched natural homeopathic stuff at all? Have you tried something like B Complex or Vitex or something? I would exhaust all other avenues if I were you before settling for anything hormonal or anti-depressant based, because ALL of that synthetic stuff is highly bad for you, expecially for a woman at your age.

I can't believe your doctor actually wants you to be on a pill. That's wrong on so many levels, it's not even funny.

when one is depserate you will try anything.......I have done mega B complex for a long time, salmon oils, HtP5
I have gotten myself in such a depressive state due to severe PMS/pmdd that an anti D is what I need to bring myself back right now.I thought of BC pill to level out my hormones. No, My Dr. did not want to go that route , I tried to push for it. Anyways this board is sure full of lots of info........thanks!

I'm sorry, I'm really not trying to be mean and I apologize if I came off that way. It's just that, all of the research I've been doing over the last 6 months has led me to a horrifying conclusion regarding hormonal birth control. Even though I'm off the pill now, I was on it for a very long time and I truly fear the damage I may have done that I haven't seen yet, which may come about later.

I'm just trying to be as informative as possible to help other women to prevent them from having to go through what I and so many other women went through.

If there is any way you can find something other than a hormonal pill to use, I would go for it. I guess anti-depressants may be your only option, but... Just proceed with caution and use with care. Be good to yourself and treat your body with respect. That's all I'm saying, I guess.

Thank you
An anti D was my last resort........I had gotten to place where I was terrified for my next period to come, ( The week before phase). It was like i became someone I didnt even know. I am hoping and praying that my next period I will feel somewhat sane the week before.
The side effects and all are such a drag and it makes me angry that with the stats of depression that something better isn't available. But for now I am trying to take control of my life again , I have missed out on so much. Staying positive is HUge huge and to be active.......I'm going to stay hopefull.

:wave: thanks again.

I have to jump in here about Effexor XR. There are so many other anti-depressants you could take instead of this one. It is a horrible medicine. Terrible to come off of. Additionally, all types of side effects occur such as night sweats, feelings of shock in the body, etc.... Please, please ask your doctor for another anti-D. Effexor is just terrible on the backend.

I am aware of the withdraw effects of an anti depressant . I am not going there right now. I am smiling and sleeping at night, and feeling happy again and I want to leave my house and be with people. Back to being in my garden, not yelling at my kids, I'm able to make decisions, I am not worried about what to wear or how I look or going grocerie shopping. .....so I am going to take my risks with the coming off this med and get the help I need to when it's time to come off. As far as night sweats I have ben having them for so long now with terrible PMS sweats. A person really has to look at what it's worth when it comes to quality of life. I can only hope this continues to work for me...........I pray it does,
I have had people tell me effexor xr is one of the gentler ones......they all have rough sides for coming off , I don't feel sedated and I don't feel like a zombie. i feel even keel.....calmer.

:angel:

If it is making you feel better, then it is worth it. My only advice is not to stop taking it on your own. If you decide you want to stop, please get Drs. help, the whole way. My mom was on lexapro for anti anxiety. She was on the lowest dose and weaned herself off. She did it fairly quickly and for a few months everything was fine. Then the anxiety attacks came back with a venegence. Twice as bad a before at least. Several times they were bad enought to land her in the ER. When she went to the Dr., He put her back on the Lexapro, a slightly higher dose, and told her if you stop the meds. like she did the symptoms will came back at least twice as bad as before. She had wanted to get control of her body with out having to use synthetic anything, she wanted all natural. After the year of he** she went through, she decided she would rather feel good, feel human, and take the meds.

my doc perscibed effexor, it was shocking to come of!!brain freeze,{if you can imagine!} mania,some body told me afterwards it was prescibed to people after car crashes! it was not good for me.iwouldnt have said it was gentle to come of with or with out help from docs:confused:

You'd do well to stay clear of Effexor. It is terrible to come off of. I took Effexor for 7 years. True, it helped a lot when I was suicidal but it basically made my emotions flat. No lows, but no highs either. And it gave me horrible dry mouth, headaches and totally dilated the pupils of my eyes. I looked like I was stoned all the time even though I wasn't. And boy, did I have night sweats!

Coming off Effexor was a nightmare. I had painful, scary muscle spasms all over my body and a weird feeling of my mind and body being dissociated from one another. It brought on a severe panic attack. I would not recommend Effexor to anyone. And even worse night sweats coming off. The sheets would be soaked.

I am aware of the withdraw effects of an anti depressant . I am not going there right now. I am smiling and sleeping at night, and feeling happy again and I want to leave my house and be with people. Back to being in my garden, not yelling at my kids, I'm able to make decisions, I am not worried about what to wear or how I look or going grocerie shopping. .....so I am going to take my risks with the coming off this med and get the help I need to when it's time to come off. As far as night sweats I have ben having them for so long now with terrible PMS sweats. A person really has to look at what it's worth when it comes to quality of life. I can only hope this continues to work for me...........I pray it does,
I have had people tell me effexor xr is one of the gentler ones......they all have rough sides for coming off , I don't feel sedated and I don't feel like a zombie. i feel even keel.....calmer.

:angel:





I took Effexor too with Yaz and ended up in the hospital for a week with a pulmonary embolism. I have contacted the FDA with my experience. I took Yaz for only 2 weeks and effexor for 1 1/2 months. Coming off the effexor was hard but thankfully I was in the hospital when I did withdrawl. All antidepressants have withdrawl symptoms. (I've taken Celexa too.) I am nervous about the next cycle because I have PMDD. I can be down right mean with PMS when I'm usually not. I will usually ask for a divorce 10 days before every period and then I am fine once it comes!! I found the effexor did effect me sexually. I like me without meds...I just need to minimize stress and give everyone a friendly "steer clear" for a few days every month. I don't know if I'll eventually have to go back on a birth control..maybe Wellbutrin next time??? Good luck. I can empathize with you. It sucks doesn't it?? People who don't have it can't truly understand what you are going through.

I am 39 years old, I have my tubes tied and have been suffering with PMS also, every month I get very sick on the first day of my period that I miss work, I throw up, severe cramps and bowel movements, My gyno has prescribed me pain medication which is not strong enough and the first ten days prior to my period my boyfriend is ready to leave me. I am on a antidepressant zoloft 25mg it helps a little bit but now my gyno wanted to put me on Yaz I have been on it for five days and I am ready to go off it, the first three days it was good, but now Im feeling tired ,having sweet cravings and my personality is flat, I'm also bloated and feel like a period is coming on, I know we all have different body chemistry but this is not for me, my gyno said her second choice was a IUD if this didnt work I heard that causes cramps too ?????????? I just wish there was some relief

I've been put on Yasmin for severe mood swings, anxiety and depression. Yasmin is suppose to work with your bodies natural hormones to help balance them back out during stages of PMS. It's worked for me in the past, with little to no negative side effects. (i stopped takeing it cause of money..) I've recently just started this brand again.. so it's really too soon for me to tell for sure if it will help again. But it is one brand that is specifically targeted at preventing mood swings and depression.

Good luck!

Also.. just remembered..

My roommate was on Effexor a few years ago and despised it. She went as far as talking to a lawyer about lawsuits. It was for depression..but the side effects were much much worse. She wanted to sleep all day, then would get angry at herself for being lazy. She was batteling with suicidal thoughts, then anxiety over getting mad at herself for having those thoughts. She gained alot of wieght, which she is still struggling to lose. She had to be put on another medication to ease of the anti-depressant. She still kicks herself in the butt for not having researched this medication before accepting her psychiatrist's perscription.

I've been put on Yasmin for severe mood swings, anxiety and depression. Yasmin is suppose to work with your bodies natural hormones to help balance them back out during stages of PMS. It's worked for me in the past, with little to no negative side effects. (i stopped takeing it cause of money..) I've recently just started this brand again.. so it's really too soon for me to tell for sure if it will help again. But it is one brand that is specifically targeted at preventing mood swings and depression.

Good luck!

hello there,
i was woundering how the yaz is going for u and how long have u been on it? do u have to take any other anti d. meds. with it? any info will be a greatly appreciated.
im starting the yaz tomorrow. i have been on cymbalta 60 mg. for 2 months and taking wellbutrin xl for sexual side effects...

I was put on Yaz to help with bad pms. The pms is deff. better. No more depression, mood swings, SEVER irritability.....I feel human again. Only bad side effect I have now is break through bleeding, and it is much better.

hello there,
i was woundering is the yaz still working for u? how long did it take before it started working? do u take any other anti d. meds with it? sorry for all the ???? any info will be greatly appreciated...
im starting the yaz tomorrow but i do take cymbalta 60 mg and have been on it for 2 months and i also take wellbutrin for sexual side effects... i guess im hoping that maybe i can only take the yaz and no cymbalta but i guess ill try im all for a while and if it works then go from there....

I have been given effexor to start for my severe pms symptoms. I don't want to go on an anti depressant and I have been researching about the Birth control pill, but which one ??? Any one have any ideas for me, would be much appreciated.....I am 40, and do not need to worry about getting pregnant as I have my tubes tied, this is strictly for PMS....HELP:confused:

Thanks.

I take seraphem and I love it. I only take it when I wake up and I know I'm off my rocker- It's really helped me a lot!

Hello I'm 45 and have severe PMDD - I have been on D meds for years and need the seratonin to my brain. Sex drive is not happening. I am terrified of the next phase too. I yell, I even tell my husband i'm not in love w/him.. I hate myself afterwards... I don't know who to see or for what either. I've done all the homopathic stuff herbs, colonics, internal cleansing, fasting, dieting w/no red meat or dairy... while circuit training???? come on what is with me here? Can you kind of give me a notion as to what to do? My kids probably will never speak to me again after they leave home. I'm so rude, I hate myself.