Depression among women during their menstrual cycles is not uncommon. It is a symptom that women experience regularly during their menstruating years. One of these forms of depression is the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) related depression. However, the major difference between PMS depression and other forms of depression is the timing of the depression attacks and the forms of PMS Depression Treatment
What Are the Typical Symptoms of PMS?
PMS has a variety of symptoms, from mood swings to migraines to uncharacteristic fatigue. Nausea is another common symptom of PMS. And all these symptoms tend to occur 2 weeks before the start of menstruation. A severe form of PMS is the premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) which has symptoms that make women more irritable and emotional. Once the menstrual cycle is underway, women tend to be relieved of these horrific symptoms.
Although, PMS depression, being a form of depression, lasts for more than two weeks, and the start of the menstrual cycle has nothing to do with it. Depression can be caused due to a past history of depression, and can be associated with feelings of hopelessness, sadness and helplessness. During this time, the person tends to lose all interest in activities that they previously enjoyed doing, and may feel a severe lack of energy and motivation. When women encounter PMS depression, they might feel too embarrassed to talk about their condition with their doctor or healthcare provider.
That’s certainly not the way to go about it. It is essential that if you are feeling depressed, you talk and communicate with your doctor, try to recognize your symptoms, and gain treatment for your depression. Read on to find out a list of PMS depression treatments available so that you can finally shed those PMS blues and get on with your life:
Options for PMS Depression Treatment
There are plenty of options when it comes to treating PMS-related depression, ranging from medical to natural methods.
Medical Methods:
- Serotoninergic Antidepressants for extreme PMDD.
- Some over-the-counter drugs like Pamprin and Midol which help with the mood swings.
- Fluoxetine (Prozac), Sertraline (Zoloft) and Paroxetine (Paxil) are serotonin reuptake inhibitors and are generally used to treat depression.
- The hormones estradiol and danazol which can help to restore the balance of hormones that menstruation disturbs.
Natural Methods:
- Evening Primrose Oil: Eases symptoms of PMS depression by reducing production of prostaglandins. It can also relieve tension and anxiety.
- Black Cohosh: Native Americans use this herb to deal with clinical depression.
- St. John’s Wort: This is also a commonly used herbal remedy. It has to be taken 4 times a day for a number of weeks before you start to see the results.
Other Methods:
These methods of PMS Depression Treatment involve using vitamins and supplements to help with PMS depression. Some of the helpful vitamins are vitamin B complex, vitamin E and vitamin D. Other supplements include Calcium, Magnesium, Hydroxy Tryptophan (which is an amino acid, also called 6-HTP) and Zinc.
Medication is not the only way to rid yourself of depression. One way you can really fight it is to lead a healthy and active lifestyle, though daily exercising, eating right and avoiding eating things that are not good for your body. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle, you will find yourself leading a happier, non-depressing life.
