For the Ladies of PCS
 

I was wondering do your symptoms get worse on that certain time of month?I know mine do I was just wondering about others.:grouphug:

Yes.

I notice the headache is way worse and of course the emotional aspect is truly bordering on hysterical depression if there is such a thing.

Have only had four cycles since injury and they keep getting worse.

I was just thinking of asking you all about this.

I've had very late (10 days plus) periods, and for those on time, they were very intense.

Headaches would flare into migraines very easily. Yes! Irritability and inability to modulate emotions.

I also notice more fogginess, fatigue, and lack of motivation. These were not an issue before.

How do you all cope?

Yes, my symptoms are much worse during that time. For the first few months it seemed unbearable. I would have migraines from a few days before until the end with lingering dizziness and fatigue.

My OB-GYN is wonderful and worked with me to find a BC that would first shorten my period, now she is helping me knock it out so I only have a period every 3 months. It has helped a lot.

Coping
 

I am on antidepressants and it seems not to work as well during that week.Usually I end up taking a lot of HOT showers to wake up and get a little motivation.A hot shower to calm my nerves in middle of day, and one in the eve that includes getting head wet for calming down to sleep.Otherwise a lot of Lavender scents around the house and just go threw all the emotions.Mine has became shorter but first few days are like clots, then it's really nothing after that.....Does anyone else have suggestions for the raise in PCS symptoms?:grouphug:

Hormones can be a big problem with PCS. We used to mention it more. Most gynos don't understand the fine balance needed by PCS sufferers. I have had my hormones checked and need hormone supplements. I take DHEA daily and would take testosterone if it did not give me acne. The brain signals the body to produce hormones. It is easy to understand how they can get messed up.

I have a deep understanding of the struggles women can go through. It is amazing the difference in my wife's life with her hormones in balance. She is better in all areas since she found a good hormone specialist. She is using bio-identical hormones checked once a year. Her DHEA was reduced this past check-up.

A source of a hormone specialist referral is at https://www.womensinternational.com/..._referral.html

The testing can be expensive and is not usually covered by insurance unless you can get your doctor to do some fancy justifying of the need.

For the last couple of months, I have been using progesterone and estriol creams to treat symptoms of perimenopause. It was difficult enough to deal with the symptoms of PCS without adding perimenopause to the mix. I felt like I was in a perpetual state of PMS. Since starting on the bioidentical hormone, my mood has been brighter, my anxiety and irritability have decreased, I have fewer headaches, my sleep patterns have improved, and I have more energy. Progesterone is known to act as a natural antidepressant. It also has a calming effect. Estrogen alters brain chemistry, and can increase levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Both hormones seem to have a neuroprotective effect. Some interesting studies are being done on the use of progesterone cream to treat TBI. Also, some women with relapsing and remitting MS have reported a remission of their MS symptoms after commencing estriol therapy. For the treatment of PMS, I believe the recommended dosage of progesterone cream is 1/4 tsp, applied to thin areas of the skin, once daily during the last two weeks of a woman's cycle. For the women who decide to try this treatment, it would be interesting to see if there is an improvement in their PCS symptoms as well.

Walking the tightrope
 

Hi Everybody,
I also have an extreme reaction when I have my period. I am truly walking such a fine line of balance that anything throws me off the edge. I often describe it in this way to my doctor. Of walking a tightrope that is thinner than fishing line.
My periods are not "normal" anymore. As far as the number of days is less but they are more severe. Almost like hemmorage (too much blood at once) then nothing. They completely incapacitate me. I have begged for a historectomy.
I don't even dare try the supplement plan of Marks or take any vitamins. That is how unstable the balance is. And I do not like it when I fall off the edge. It sucks.
Brain :grouphug: