Declare Your Independence from PMDD - Nutrition Matters

Today we offer a two-for-one post, with a guest segment from Julie, a woman who, like me, has taken the responsibility for management of her PMDD symptoms into her own hands.  Read on to find out how and why. 

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. ~Hippocrates, founder of the Hippocratic School of Medicine

Julie starts:  Over a decade ago, I sat down with a doctor and burst into tears. Literally within moments, I had a prescription for an antidepressant.

I left feeling ashamed and deficient somehow. The drug didn't help at all and I was cycled through various others to see if one would finally work for me. When I decided to quit the search, I was tapered off of everything and felt like bolts of lightning were jolting through my body for weeks.

Nobody ever asked about my diet.

I've had three idiopathic blood clots. That means doctors can't identify what caused them. But now I take an anticoagulant for the rest of my life. For years, I've had to be careful about which foods I ate because certain foods could interfere with the medicine.

I even saw a gastroenterologist who wrote me a prescription for an anti-anxiety drug before printing me a list of foods that might be the culprit behind my constantly upset belly. There was no real plan, no follow-through. Just a drug to treat the symptoms.

I was told that my symptoms were all in my head and just manifesting themselves in my gut. I felt broken and shamed again.

Yoga was my first step in recovering from depression. I'm now a registered yoga teacher and practice almost daily. I meditate and take long walks to soothe my nervous anxiety. I have been gluten-free for years and until recently ate what I thought to be a fairly healthy diet. I don't drink or smoke or even drink caffeine. Most people who know me would probably consider me somewhat of a health nut.

One day it occurred to me that I would never just "open my medicine cabinet and start swallowing random handfuls of drugs." I don't even take Tylenol without checking to see if it's safe with anything else I have to take. But I do this with food. I open the refrigerator and...

I [finally realized that I] paid more attention to the appetizing picture on the package than to what was actually in the package. I finally understood that FOOD IS MEDICINE and that literally every single cell in my body was made of the food I chose to eat.

For the past several weeks, I've been eating nothing but clean food. I've removed all dairy, grains, legumes, soy, and sugar from my diet. I have piled my plate with veggies, fruit, and protein. Everything has been delicious and satisfying. I've definitely lost weight, and I've never felt deprived or gone to bed hungry.

But I've also gained strength and endurance. My sleep has improved. My skin is happy. And my resting heart rate has dropped steadily.

And this happened after only two weeks!

I'm much happier these days than I was a decade ago. I've fought for my own happiness. I now know who I am and what I need to feel like me. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs are helpful to many and there's no shame in taking them—none—but they've become so stigmatized that we sometimes get defensive about them instead of fairly examining the whole picture.

None of the doctors I met ever asked me about my diet. I was told that my symptoms were all in my head. Who cares that my head happens to be connected to the rest of my body?

What we eat matters and affects our entire being, not just our physical body.

Did you know that body fat secretes hormones? It works like an organ. If any other organ were enlarged and throwing the rest of your system out of whack, you'd probably consider that a problem.

Food is comforting. These past weeks have been emotionally exhausting. I got a call from the vet who has been treating our beloved dog for his leukemia. When they diagnosed him, they said he had 7-60 days left. He fought for more than six months! Even so, the vet confirmed that we had to say goodbye. He suggested euthanasia was the most compassionate response. It was gut-wrenching. I was standing in Target sobbing and calling around looking for someone to come to the house that night to help my dog transition in peace.

During that situation and other, equally stressful situations, I found myself face to face with the reality that I use food to comfort myself. I longed for sugar, cream, grains... Cookies, basically. I stared at the brightly colored bags of treats and imagined what it would be like to eat them. To feel their crunch and sweetness and melting chocolate. I felt alarms going off in my head like an addict fighting to stay clean amid temptation. I pushed my cart through the store with eyes red from crying and left with my commitment to a clean diet intact.

Once at home, I made myself a bowl of chia seed pudding with coconut milk and cream, bananas, blueberries, and love. It satisfied and comforted me. It nourished me instead of making me feel sick and sad.

It's okay and good and right to feel comforted by your food. Food is medicine. Food is one of the truest joys in life. Learning to see food for what it really is has been an intense and eye-opening experience.

If you're looking to learn more about all of this, please go find a copy of the book, It Starts with Food. Written by a certified sports nutritionist, it's an absolutely fascinating and inspiring read.

Liana adds:  So make today the day you declare your independence from PMDD.  In addition to whatever treatment plan you are following, take a good, hard look at your food habits.  What you eat, when you eat, where you eat, and why you eat.  Read up on food and nutrition and how it all works to support and sustain your brain and body.  Do what you can to eat clean(er)—and feel the difference for yourself.  Become more body aware as you start to feel healthier. 

Make changes in small increments if that's the only way you can stick to a plan.  Baby steps. 

That's the way I did it, and, like Julie, my symptoms have eased to barely worth mentioning in the year and a half  I have been eating cleaner.  So much so that I haven't needed to take anything for anger, irritability, depression, mood swings or anxiety other than an extra 100mg of progesterone as needed.  (I wear an estrogen patch (.75.mg) and take 100 mg progesterone capsule at bedtime daily.  I take an added dose of progesterone (either via a second 100 mg capsule or a dime-size dollop of progesterone cream) on days when I feel symptomatic.)

Nutrition matters.  And you deserve to be nourished, not pacified.  So give cleaning up your diet a sincere effort, like Julie and I have.  There's nobody out there who can or even will do it for you.  It has to come from you.

Then, once you, too, feel stronger and have more stamina and energy—mentally, emotionally, and physically—you may be able, with the supervision of your medical practitioner, to be weaned from any substances (or situations) you have determined are making you feel worse...instead of better. 

And wouldn't that be something to celebrate?

Readers can find Julie on Instagram @hideadollar and can reach Liana either through posting a comment here or by emailing her at info (at) livingwithpmdd (dot) com.

PMDD, Prostaglandins, Pain, and YOU

How do our bodies experience pain?  Through chemical messenger hormones called prostaglandins that exist throughout the body (but do not physically move around in the body—despite being called messenger hormones).  Prostaglandins pass messages of pain to the brain.  Basically, they take care of their own little backyards, and do their work, good or bad, without straying too far from the cells that created them.  

So...If you could find a way to cut these "chemical messengers of pain" off at the pass, your brain would not register your pain. 

Sounds simple, right?  It is.

Even better, if you can keep your prostaglandin production in positive balance, there won't be any menstrual pain messages for your body to send. 

First, some important background:  Just like with cholesterol, there are two main types of prostaglandins in our bodies.  (Actually, there are three, but let's keep it simple.)  And just like with cholesterol, there are good and bad prostaglandins.  Sort of like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a reference every woman with PMDD understands.

The short version is:  Series 1 (and 3) are the Good Guys, Series 2 are the Bad Guys. 

The Bad Guys are also called antagonistic prostaglandins.  Think of it this way: They antagonize your body, making it, and you, feel uncomfortable. 

Antagonistic prostaglandins are made from a fatty acid that comes from ANIMAL products.  We're talking meat and dairy here.  These bad-for-you prostaglandins can also be found in corn oil, soybean oil, and other light vegetable oils.  (At least one of which is in most, if not all, processed baked goods.  I point this out, because PMDD women tend to flock to baked goods (aka carbs) when having an episode.)

So what are these prostaglandins anyway, and why do we need them?

Have you ever touched a hot pan?  It's prostaglandins that let you feel that pain.  Have you ever burnt or cut yourself and then stared at your hand for a split second, knowing you did something painful, but it hasn't kicked in yet?  And then it does...like wildfire?? 

That's your prostaglandins rushing to the rescue, while telling your brain to make sure you move away from the danger, and starting clotting procedures to save the burnt/cut/bruised part of your body.

This is a good thing.  Something we all need for survival.

Prostaglandins are a subset of a larger family of substances called eicosanoids.  Eicosanoids are hormones that help with regulating different body processes.  As a side note, eicosanoids are found in chocolate.  Could this be why we reach for chocolate to dim our pain?  Is it possible that in craving chocolate, we subconsciously seek a way to create some good prostaglandins?

Prostaglandins help with many things, such as:

Blood vessel dilation

Muscle contractions

Inhibition and promotion of blood clotting

Regulation of secretions, including digestive hormones

Cell division and growth

Body temperature regulation

Lowering (or raising) blood pressure

Immune system responses

PMDD women are mostly concerned with the first few on the list above.  In addition to those, we need prostaglandins for several more reasons, including ovulation, ending our monthly menstrual cycle, sperm motility and fertility issues, immune system interactions, and uterus contractions in childbirth and when we menstruate.

For instance, there's a normal surge of prostaglandins at the end of your menstrual cycle, which causes your period to come.  And those painful contractions and cramps you get during your period?  The ones that radiate down your legs into your thighs, knees, calves, and even into your feet?  The kind that make you want to vomit, they're so intense?  That's your prostaglandins in action, as well. 

So why do our uterine muscles even have to contract? To help us shed our uterine lining during menstruation.  The problem is, some women release more Series 2 prostaglandins than other women.  These higher levels of Bad Guy prostaglandins create more cramps and PAIN.  And yes, unruly prostaglandins can even cause constipation, diarrhea, and/or a fever at that time of the month. The first two because prostaglandins can affect the muscular movements of your intestines and the third because of prostaglandins' connection to fighting infections and regulating your body temperature.

Tell me something good about prostaglandins, then.

Well, prostaglandins metabolize quickly.  So your body can not store prostaglandins, but instead creates them as needed.

The good news is you DO have a say in what kind are created, Series 1 or Series 2, by your food and nutrition choices.

Since we want the good guys to win, we'll start with the bad.

 Series 2 Prostaglandins (the Bad Guys)

These are produced by trans fatty acids, or trans fats, found in hydrogenated oils, meats, fried foods, junk foods, and dairy products.  There is a special enzyme in our bodies that helps to create Series 1 prostaglandins.  High stress, too much sugar and flour (baked goods) slow this special enzyme down, so that the Series 1 prostaglandins aren't made fast enough, which allows the Bad Guy Series 2 prostaglandins to get the upper hand.

Trans fats are also bad for the structure of your nerve and brain cells, areas in which PMDD women need to be particularly protective.  Trans fats also hamper our ability to create Good Guy Series 1 prostaglandins.

There is much hope though: Series 2 prostaglandins are formed at a slower rate than Series 1 prostaglandins.  So if you eat the right foods and avoid the wrong ones, you can easily tip the scales in your favor and avoid much of your monthly influx of pain and inflammation.

Series 1 Prostaglandins  (Our Heroes)

Series 1 prostaglandins are made from a fatty acid primarily found in fish and fish oils, known as EPA. (The most critical of the Omega-3 essential fatty acids).  This EPA is the ONLY material that our body uses to make the Series 1 prostaglandins that reduce pain and inflammation.  

Our bodies need three types of Omega-3 fatty acids to stay healthy:

ALA - which comes from green plants, and provides the building blocks for EPA

EPA - which comes from marine plants and fish, and provides the building blocks for DHA

and

DHA - which comes from marine algae plankton, fish and mammals, and are especially helpful for maintaining healthy eye and brain tissue (something I am especially delighted to hear).

And here's more good news:  The essential fatty acids found in olive oil and nut oils, while they don't make/create Series 1 prostaglandins, they do block the paths of your Series 2 Bad Guy prostaglandins.

 

Here are some more items you can stock up on to help combat your Bad Guy prostaglandins:

(and I'm not talking about any heat-processed stuff you get off the shelf...be sure to read your labels!)

evening primrose oil

naturally fermented fish oil

flaxseed oil

borage oil

starflower oil

a high quality Vitamin B-complex vitamin (B vitamins are essential for creating Series 1 prostaglandins)

with an extra dose of Vitamin B-6 on the side for your PMDD

Most of these you have heard of before as being beneficial during an episode of PMDD.  Now you know why they have been suggested.  And get this: painful menstrual cramps are not considered to be a symptom of PMDD, but rather PMS.  You can indeed have both PMS and PMDD at the same time.  You can also reduce your symptoms of PMDD until all you have left is PMS.  But cramps?  That's pure PMS.

Other ways to combat Bad Guy Prostaglandins:

Aspirin and other NSAIDs do block prostaglandins produced in inflamed or injured parts of our bodies.  These NSAIDs also act on prostaglandin sites in the central nervous system involved in transmitting messages of pain.  This is why ibuprofen is usually the drug of choice when the cramps begin.   

However:  The enzyme bromelain from the stem of the pineapple has been proven to inhibit the Series 2 prostaglandins and reduce pain at a much higher rate than that provided by painkillers. 

This is great news, especially because of how toxic NSAIDs are to your gastrointestinal tract.  At a minimum, NSAIDs can cause erosion of the stomach lining and ulcers, and at a maximum, death by gastrointestinal bleeding without warning.  PMDD women bleed enough.  God knows we don't need to bleed any more.  NSAIDs can also raise your blood pressure and push you along the path to heart disease, the number one killer of women.  More on NSAIDs in another post.

Why this Prostaglandin and NSAIDs information is important to you, outside of your PMDD

If your body is not in balance, and you have too many Series 2 prostaglandins, you can be susceptible to diseases linked to excessive inflammation (such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's) and/or developing blood clots, which can also lead to strokes and death.  The latter connection is especially dangerous for women taking birth control pills for your PMDD, or HRT for perimenopause.

So, to recap:

Your prostaglandins will do the job they were meant to do.  What type of prostaglandins your body creates is entirely up to you.  The fuel (or fatty acids) your body uses to create prostaglandins (as needed) builds up in your body over time...so you want to make sure you have the right fuel on hand when the time comes.

Series 1 prostaglandins have the opposite effect of Series 2 prostaglandins.  Series 1 prostaglandins reduce inflammation, dilate blood vessels, and inhibit blood clotting.  They help us to recover from injuries by reducing pain, swelling, and redness.  They are part of our natural defenses against infection. 

Series 2 prostaglandins are created in response to trauma or stress, including trauma or stress on the body created by our food and drink choices.  Series 2 prostaglandins supply blood to the traumatized area, which in turn causes inflammation and pain.  On one level this is a necessary protective measure for injury to the body, but on the other, such as when the Series 2 prostaglandins supply more blood to your uterus, swelling it up and aggravating your cramps, this process works against you.  However, if you have more Series 1 prostaglandins in your system than Series 2, your period can be pain free. 

Basically, your cramps are letting you know your prostaglandins are out of balance. 

What, specifically can you do to put things back in balance? 

Well this is the part nobody wants to hear, so if you want to keep on having cramps, stop reading now. 

Otherwise, to cut down on the amount of Series 2 pain-producing prostaglandins only you can create in your body through your food and drink choices...

Avoid these top ten culprits.

1.  Sugar

2.  Wheat

3.  Caffeine

4.  Soy

5.  Alcohol (which also depletes your vitamin B levels)

6.  Dairy products, especially milk and cheese. 

7.  Red meat (plus that steak you so love may well contain growth hormones that include estrogen, another big problem area for women)

8.  Saturated fats and oils - palm oil, butter, margarine, lard, and fried foods (especially when eating out, where you have no idea what kind of oil they used.)

9.  Refined carbs - white bread, pasta, flour, pastry, and cakes. Stick with whole grain breads and pastas, etc.

10.  Food additives and preservatives  -  Virtually anything processed, frozen, and or pre-packaged for your convenience.

You don't have to give these up, but if you don't, the cramps will continue to come. It's that simple.

At least now you will understand what causes cramps, and understand that the key to making your period a lot less painful depends entirely on YOU.  

One Woman's Dreams Sidelined by her Birth Control -- How About You?

One U.S. skater you didn’t see in the Olympics this year was Megan Henry: Her 2012 training was disrupted by pulmonary embolisms in both lungs, caused by her birth control device.  She had to see five different doctors before one of them made the connection between multiple blood clots in both lungs and her choice of birth control. She's now participating with 3800 people in a multi-district lawsuit against the manufacturer of the device, who has announced it is willing to pay $100 million to resolve the lawsuit, but 95 percent of those who filed must accept a deal first.

Ladies, please think about what you are putting inside your body. Is it really worth your life?

Taking Yaz or Yasmin for Your PMDD?

How many women know Yaz Flex, Yaz, Yasmin and Beyaz are 99% similar in composition? ~Holly Grigg-Spall, author of the Sweetening the Pill blog and book.

If you are taking Yaz or Yasmin for your PMDD symptoms, you need to read this.  So many of you have written to tell me you are being told the PMDD symptoms you experience are "all in your head."  Well, if you are experiencing any of these reported mental, physical, or emotional side effects for Yaz or Yasmin, don't let anyone tell you they are "all in your head." 

If you choose to take these drugs, then do so knowing the risks.  Don't be taken by surprise.

Another quote from Holly: Monash University in Australia is one of the few facilities to have undertaken research into the correlation between birth control pills and depression. Professor Jayashri Kulkarni found that women on the pill were twice as likely to experience depression, anxiety, and mental numbness.

Sound familiar?  If so, you have a choice to make. 

But at least it's an informed choice.