My MS mostly messes with my head. I have some pain, etc., but am sooooooo lucky. I've had severe (emotional) PMS since my early 20s. Also suffer severe depression and currently take high doses of anti depressants. When PMS hits, the MS goes straight to my head with confusion, forgetfulness, delightful moodiness. And now something new: anxiety and crying. I cry several times throughout the day, over basically nothing. Now that my period is past, I feel fine, though I am still very anxious.

I can't tell where my crying jags start. I know there's a hormonal componant, as well as my depression, but I could not work at all last week, due to such awful inability to stop from crying.

Saw my gyn today: she says I should try acupuncture, but doesn't think my crying spells have anything to do with my hormone levels.

I thought I might try my neuro. I saw one stat that Emotional Lability effects less than 10% of the MS population, but then saw something indicating it was much more common.

A show of hands...do I just need some valium for one week out of the month?

Actually I believe, although I'm no doctor, that mood swings can be related to everything you mentioned. Having experienced all myself, major depression, crying, etc., etc., it seems to go with the territory. Aren't we lucky!? NOT!!! Good luck finding what solution works best for you.

What is PBA, please?

Pseudobulbar affect - emotional lability, labile affect or emotional incontinence refers to a neurologic disorder characterized by involuntary crying or uncontrollable episodes of laughing.

So, Judy, do your sx come and go, like others? For me anyway, there is no denying there is a hormonal componant, So far this has only happened in the week or so before my period, but any moment of any day I can burst into tears.

My docs say the average age for menopause is 52-53. I'm 50 and have been having perimenopause sx for 10 years. I have also heard the years between 50-53 are the worst years of perimenopause! Ya-fricking-hoo. Do I just have to wait for menopause before I get relief? My gyn suggested acupuncture. I know some people swear by it.

Since it is happening around your period, I would definitely say it has a hormonal component. I find that hormones do effect my MS. I always have old MS symptoms reappear around my period. Being emotional around that time is a new thing for me and I am finding that I have more anxiety around that time than any other time. Anxiety is new to me too but from what I have read, it is common during the peri years as well as menopausal years. Oh joy!

This past flare really did a number on me. Of course, some major life changes/stressors as well as just entering the peri phase of my life isn't helping any. I've been trying to find solutions, other than more meds, to help me. Anyhow, these are somethings that I have found to help me.

Lately, I have been doing a lot of reading on magnesium. Apparently, it helps with peri, anxiety, and MS symptoms. I made up my own magnesium cream with Epsom salt and have been using it every day and am finding quite a bit of relief in my MS symptoms (spasms) and thus, have less pain related anxiety. I've been doing it for a week now. MrsD has a great thread in the Supplement forum on here about magnesium. Lots of great information. While I get most of my magnesium through my diet, I find that I need more than the 320 mg required. I have also read some studies that magnesium transdermal is better absorbed than oral supplements and the benefit is, you don't get the laxative effects that oral supplementation can cause.

Additionally, I altered my diet some and started tracking it more closely. I have seen much improvement since balancing my diet more and eating more calories. There is a free website that you can use to do this. DD19 was studying to be a nutritionist and showed me this site that they used in her nutrition class. It's helping me keep on target. I found that I was not eating enough calories and there are a few vitamins/minerals that I am not getting enough of. This has been helpful as I now know what I need to supplement.

Blood sugar levels can effect so many things including anxiety. And, hormonal fluctuations can effect our blood sugar. Anxiety/nervousness causes us to burn more calories. So, I decided if I was going to be an anxious nervous person now, I need to up my calories as the anxiety/nervousness is burning them off too quickly. I am finding that on the days I have lower calories, I feel worse that day and I am more anxious the next day. But, if I keep between 1800 and 2000 calories a day, I do much better.

This is the site: http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/Default.aspx?Module=3 You put in the food that you eat and the amounts and it calculates it's nutritional value, calories, etc. It tracks it over time as well.

I hope some of this is helpful. Hang in there!

Oh Oh OH! I just read today about PBA. There is a website PBAinfo.com I hope it helps.

hi catch,

as far as i know your dr can tell if you have a hormonal problem by doing lab tests to check your blood levels. i started early menopause in my 30's and went thru several tx's. finally my dr did blood work and dx'd me with early menopause. it was genetic and ran in the family. my ovaries were just shutting down. then i got the right tx and was able to deal with life in a better way.

however, this also sounds like the MS lability sx. keep pushing your drs to come up with the right dx's. you might even be dealing with more than 1.

hope you do better soon.

I keep hearing about that, but my drs insist, at least in my case (?) the tests are unnecessary and don't divulge much info. There's no test they can do that can tell me when I will reach menopause. Plus I have had women tell me that after menopause you still have mood swings. That's when I started to look into PBA.

I see my GP next week, and am trying to find an acupuncturist, and a new shrink (mine quit me about a year ago).

good luck to all, and thanks for the input

I bought a book called "The hormone diet" Natash Turner M.D. from half.com (part of Ebay)
Might be something you'd like to take a look at.
Its mostly about weight loss, but the component is balancing our hormones for total wellness.
Half.com is very affordable and you can find books in varying conditions for a fraction of what they cost new.

Sounds like it may well be worth a try for you.

Wouldn't a daily birth control pill fix it & protect you in the ways birth control does?
When I don't take my 4mg estriol & 4mg (i want 50mg) progesterone, i go through menopause the following day. Sad, can't sleep, hot flashes & I'm a guy!
It's not helping my MS which is why i'd like to stop spending $/month on it. One of these days i'll start splitting the pill for 2 days till i wean off it.