Severe PMS/Bi-Polar/ or PTSD?

[David66]

My wife and I went to see our Therapist again last week. After relaying to him again the difficulties again with my wife for "the" two weeks of the month, he suggested to her that she has issues other than her PTSD/depression. He wants her to try harmone Replacement Therapy, and if that doesn't work, he feels that she has a "mood disorder".

What do y'all think? I am hesitant because so much falls under PTSD I don't know what is a symptom and what is the cause.

I will say though, that once a month a bomb is lit in my house and I am powerless in keeping it from going off.

All thoughts welcome.

 

[becvan]

Why does she need HRT again? Is she in menopause? If she isn't.. then there is no need for that.

I think it's rather unreal to have a doc go, well let's put her on this.. and if that doesn't work.. we'll slam here with another "label." Poor doctoring if you ask me.

Now many women on here can testify that their PTSD symptoms get worse around that "time of the month." That's normal.

PTSD and mood swings go hand in hand..

Personaly (well this is all my opinion) this doc doesn't have a bloody clue. What does your wife think of this?


bec

 

[David66]

Thank you for your help

 

[mac]

Has anyone heard of PMDD?

 

[Deleted member 93]

I have heard of it... but IMO it is another reason to get you to take another pill. I mean women already have a bad rap for having bad cases of PMS. Some get it worse than others. I read up on it and it is just what I was taught was my normal PMS, just it seems not all women get it this bad which surprised me. It sucks and men normally take cover, so nothing new except what they call it this week. I have had some so bad that I truly understood how a woman could use it as a reason/excuse for murder. I saw it used once. But who was it that did it so way back then ... hundreds of years ago? I think it was in Rome (could be mistaken but think it was Rome) the women went off for days and worshiped some God (my brain is not having a good day so maybe someone will have a better grasp on history) drank a lot of wine. The whole ritual was because she was "possessed" or something like that and went to invite it by this other God instead? Apparently us being very bitchy and evil creatures that scared the men is not new! Just we don't get sent out to go on a binge for a few days until we get over it LOL.

 

[David66]

I had a reply typed, but it got lost and my thank you came through. I will start again. After a few visits to the Doc, he started asking my wife to record daily on a calender how she felt that day. After a couple of months, it became very clear that she felt terrible for two weeks a month, every month. In the last 6 cycles (which last 2 weeks now), she has attempted suicide twice, and the other times became:

Became emotionally abusive to me AND our kids.
(her words) Lost control of myself emotionally
Spent hours whaling at the top of her lungs, followed by more hours of crying.
Becomes very agressive, and looks for someone to "feel her pain" Unfortunately, it is mostly herself.

We have been together for 15 years, and married over 13. Her period is MUCH MUCH MUCH worse than ever before. I would say 10 times worse. I found this web site as I tried to understand what she was going through so that I could help. My intent is not to blame any problems on her.

Based upon all the above, the Doc suggested that he feels that she try hormone replacement for 3 months, and see if it makes a difference. He also said he felt that he would like to change her medication (Prozac), because he felt that she did not have depression, but a "mood disorder". He did not want to change the medicine until she tried the HRT.

He suggested that if HRT did not work (and he said he thought it probably wouldn't), that he would change the Prozac to a medicine that would treat a "mood disorder". My wife asked what one of the drugs might be, and the Doc replied their are so many different ones he couldn't even recomend one yet.

I post this because as I educate myself on PTSD (she was diagnosed years ago with this, which I found out after the first time she took a bunch of pills), I have been cautioned that many PTSD issues get misdiagnosed as other things. Based upon this, I wanted to ask the members of this forum for thier feelings, as I have gotten more insight here into PTSD as anyplace, and people have been kind in sharing their experiences.

I cannot get my wife to read this forum. Two weeks a month she is on such a high she doesn't feel she needs it. Two weeks a month, she is so low and disconnected she won't/can't.

As always, I post repectfully and with respect.

 

[anthony]

If you visit an acupuncturist who specializes in traditional chinese medicine, they can make a herbal mix which DOES fix hormonal imbalance within women, regardless of age or any other factor, I have seen it work every single time with every female that has done it. Not one failure have I seen yet from them. They must be TCM qualified though, not just an acupuncturist.

Added: Not all TCM's are created equally either. There is a difference to just off the shelf herbal remedies compared to them mixing the things themselves too actual TCM specifications and taking into account the dynamics of the female themselves, being they are mixed to suit their body size, characteristics, strength of period, etc... not just off the shelf nonsense from a lazy TCM.

 

[cookie]

i tried hrt, too, as things got worse as the cycle came and went. didn't do squat. i take an herbal thing now that helps somewhat with other stuff, but i still have a major battle with depression to fight.
i hope she finds the help she needs.
cathy

 

[David66]

cookie and Anthony,

Thank you for your replys. Niether replied if this a second affliction, or part of the PTSD?

Any thoughts?

 

[cookie]

sorry, david, i am certainly not qualified to even make a guess at that. anthony may be able to help you there.
cathy

 

[anthony]

Some women simply have periods worse than others... hence why tampons come in different methods depending on how much a person bleeds, ie. light or heavy during their period cycle. The mood swings are much the same... yes, the symptoms produced by PTSD can most certainly affect their mood, but thats not PTSD itself. For example, if you heal all your trauma, thus your symptoms will also disappear, then PTSD by itself being present doesn't alter the mood of the female during menstral cycle. It is more that the symptoms of anxiety and depression are present, so that just kind off puts the iceing on the cake so to speak.

 

[David66]

Ok, This is tough.

My wife has attempted suicide twice in the last six weeks. I find out after the first that she was diagnosed 10 years ago with PTSD. She has never sought consistant help with the PTSD. She would see a therapist once or twice a year, never more than a half dozen times. She was Raped by her Dad, and a High School Sweetheart.

Secondarily, her self esteem comes from a scale ever morning.

Our relationship has gotten so that I agree to see a therapist with her together. At therapy, she agrees that 90 % of the issues are hers to deal with, and she feels terrible about what she is doing to me, and our kids, and accepting that her behavior (based upon what my Dr is saying, her Dr is saying, and is spot on with with Anthony's secondary PTSD diagnosis).

They now want to "medicate her more", where I feel she is overmedicated to begin with. They feel that she has BiPolar disorder, or maybe severe PMS.

They want to stat her on HRT immediatly, I am cautious os to the cancer risks. They expect HRT to fail, and I think the next step is Lithium, which scares me even more. I am an Actuary, and would like to take things one step at a time.

I love my wife to death. I want to support her, and will. I have also learned that I cannot help her unless I am whole myself. As part of this therapy, I do not respond to her in the same ways, as I have learned that I cannot always heal her, and should not try to. I find that she has sought comfort from our kids more, and has become more hostile, which I wont allow also.... What to do?

I am being forced to pick (don't worry, I wil pick my kids always), thinking my wife will "come around". This is so tough. Our Dr's have all but said they think she is Bi-Polar.

I am full of self pity tonight. Al I ever wanted was a woman to love, for her to love me, and us to have a family. Now I feel I am forced to choose.....

It just sucks. I will have a drugged wife, and normal kids. I could leave my wife, and have dysfuntional kids, and a wife I am sure will kill herself, which i can't fix, or live with as I can make a difference.

I wish their was a normalcy pill.