Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): What You Need To Know About This More Severe Form of PMS

What are the risk factors for PMDD?

Certain women may be more prone to PMDD if they also have the following:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• A family history of mood disorders, PMS, or PMDD
• Past trauma

How do I treat PMDD?

In conventional medicine, PMDD is typically treated with medications to manage symptoms.

• SSRI Antidepressants: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are a type of antidepressant often prescribed to help manage your brain’s serotonin levels that are believed to be low in cases of PMDD.
• Hormonal birth control: These are one of the most commonly prescribed medications for rebalancing hormones like estrogen and progesterone.
• Over-the-counter pain medicine: Ibuprofen and Tylenol are recommended to alleviate chronic pain related to cramps, breast tenderness, and headaches.

While these medications can be beneficial for some people in the short-term, they ultimately are nothing more than a bandaid for your symptoms. Functional medicine, on the other hand, approaches PMDD differently by addressing the underlying dysfunctions happening underneath the surface to alleviate symptoms for more long-term, sustainable relief.

How to treat PMDD naturally

Thankfully, there are many ways to naturally mitigate PMDD symptoms if you are looking to avoid medication.  While more research needs to be done specifically in relation to PMDD - not just PMS - these are the natural remedies that have been clinically-backed by research the most.

1. Target your supplements

As a functional medicine practitioner, I believe that food is foundational when it comes to getting everything you need to thrive. However, when you are dealing with a chronic condition like PMDD, research has shown that certain dosages of particular supplements can ease symptoms common with PMS and PMDD.

• Calcium: Daily supplementation has been shown to reduce (2) both emotional and physical symptoms
• Magnesium: Studies have found that magnesium can greatly improve symptoms with the greatest reduction (3) in symptoms happening as a result of taking magnesium and Vitamin B6 together.
• Vitamin B6: Consistent supplementation has been shown to significantly improve PMS and PMDD symptoms, especially when taken alongside (4) calcium. In a recent study, (5) up to 60% of individuals completely alleviated their symptoms after just three cycles of taking Vitamin B6.

Instead of taking multiple different supplements, I personally formulated Protect with a blend of calcium glucarate and B vitamins to support your body’s natural ability to detox from hormone disrupting chemicals like xenoestrogens to help alleviate symptoms of PMS and PMDD.

2. Address any hormone imbalances

In functional medicine, the first step in overcoming hormone related health problems is by restoring any hormone imbalances. Considering PMDD is often correlated with imbalanced estrogen and progesterone levels, hormone labs will give you insight into whether or not these are a factor in your case of PMDD. If so, this information will give you and your doctor a clearer path toward the best way to address your symptoms.

3. Try herbal remedies

In addition to supplementing with micronutrients, herbal supplements have shown great promise for relieving PMDD symptoms - often without the side effects of commonly prescribed medications. 

Chaste tree berry, also known as vitex, is a tree that grows in the Mediterranean that has long been used for its health benefits, including aiding in symptoms associated (6) with PMDD and PMS. Another popular remedy for PMDD is St. John’s Wort. Research has found that supplementing with 900 mg per day provides (7) long-term relief from PMDD symptoms, making it a great alternative for those looking to treat their symptoms naturally or those who have experienced negative side effects from SSRIs. Just remember to talk with your doctor before taking these supplements if you are taking any sort of medication or are pregnant to avoid any potential reactions.

4. Take a warm bath

Not only can a warm bath offer relief from painful cramps and breast tenderness, it is also a great way to alleviate stress and anxiety that can be heighted in PMDD. You can pull double duty by adding in essential oils to your baths to take advantage of their vast aromatherapy benefits. Lavender essential oil in particular has even been shown (8) to decrease PMS-related emotional symptoms including depression.

The Takeaway

Whether you are diagnosed with PMDD officially or not, it is important to know that you are not alone when dealing with premenstrual symptoms. In functional medicine we take a comprehensive look at your health case to identify contributing factors to your condition in order to facilitate true, sustainable healing. Instead of living every month worrying about how you will feel, seek out the guidance of a functional medicine practitioner who can walk with you in alleviating your symptoms naturally.

If you are ready to take the next step in your hormonal healing journey, schedule a telehealth consultation today to learn more about how we can help you using functional medicine.

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe.