Who the fuck needs Midol when you've got a 12 guage?

[KillerMuffin]

The StudMuffin and I got into it last night. He once again committed one of the most agregious errors known to mankind. He dared diagnose PMS. Hah! I most certainly do not have PMS. It's PMDD and that sounds far more scintillating to be saddled with than plain ol' PMS.

So I've decided. I will not take Midol at all. Not that I do anyway, clashes with the other stuff I take and doesn't sit well with the Mountain Dew. Not to mention that I'm much more fun when I have such a wealth of personality to share. I'm rich in the human condition. I'm well-stocked with the variety of emotional reaches. Why be normal?

The StudMuffin has gone fishing. He intends to come back next week.

Coward.

 

[MissTaken]

Does he, perchance, dismiss any negative emotion, gripe, complaint, teardrop to PMS? Then, render the emotion invalid!


I hate that! PMS or not---I might really be pissed, guys!

 

[ExLimey]

The StudMuffin and I got into it last night. He once again committed one of the most agregious errors known to mankind.

Phew! For a minute there I thought he left the toilet seat up again! LOL

 

[Problem Child]

What the hell is PMDD? I think you mean PMSD- Pre-menstrual Stress Disorder. And you misspelled gauge sweetie. Here's a hug....

 

[KillerMuffin]

*picks up the twelve gauge and fondly rubs the pumps action*

PreMenstural Dysphoric Disorder.

thanks for the hugs. Even the mutts are hiding from me today.

 

[StondTmplPilot]

what the fuck is dysphoric?

*picks up the twelve gauge and fondly rubs the pumps action*

PreMenstural Dysphoric Disorder.

thanks for the hugs. Even the mutts are hiding from me today.

Please forgive my density, but I have no idea what this means...please clarify?

 

[KillerMuffin]

A brief description:

"PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that causes impaired social and occupational functioning and affects interpersonal relationships.

PMDD is characterized by severe monthly mood swings, as well as physical symptoms, that interfere with everyday life, especially a woman's relationships with her family and friends. PMDD's symptoms go far beyond what are considered manageable or normal premenstrual symptoms, and occur the week before, and disappear a few days after, the onset of menstruation. PMDD is a combination of symptoms that may include irritability, depressed mood, anxiety, sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating, angry outbursts, breast tenderness and bloating. The diagnostic criteria emphasize symptoms of depressed mood, anxiety, mood swings or irritability."

Links:

http://www.womens-health.org/PMDD.html
http://www.drdonnica.com/display.asp?article=1086
http://www.usatoday.com/life/health/doctor/lhdoc094.htm

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

PMDD is a relatively recently elucidated syndrome found in some women with severe mood changes associated with the hormonal changes that occur prior to menstruation. I actually did a little work on some research that's ongoing on this disorder. One of the researchers at the medical center where I study is doing spinal taps of women with severe mood changes during certain parts of their cycle.

They're finding some rather significant differences in the spinal fluid of women with and without these symptoms (breakdown products of different neurotransmitters that modulate mood can be found in the spinal fluid and thus suggest a biological basis for this disorder).

PMDD is basically just a more severe form of "PMS" - it might be better understood as a kind of clinical depression that varies with the cycle since the neurotransmitter changes are similar to some of those in depression. Also, typical antidepressants like zoloft, prozac, etc. have been shown to be effective in treating it. The drug companies are marketing "seraphim" which is fluoxetine, the same drug that's in prozac for women who might be hesitant to take an antidepressant.

So take heart, Muffster - there's help. Now put down that shotgun.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Spinal tap my ass. I have Celexa. I'm happy. I'm very very happy doc, now put the needle away. I'm not putting this shotgun down until you put that needle away. I'm perfectly normal. No moodswings here. I'm not throwing things anymore. I actually see the sun all four weeks a month. Now put that needle away.

I can't have "seraphim." I'm Seraphically Disinclined. Whahahahahahahahah snort whahahahahahahahahaha

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

C'mon, Muff-n-stuff. You can still be part of the study as one of the control subjects.

Wait! Don't reach for the shotgun! I was just joshin' ya.

 

[jinnysub]

Some help...

Yeah, there's help...chemical...antidepressants...

And then you take them and find that everything sexual below the scalp and above the toenails is shut down...

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

It depends on the antidepressant, jinnysub...

Many antidepressants definitely do blunt the sex drive, but several don't (including Wellbutrin and Celexa, the one KM's on - I think it may have actually had an aphrodisiac effect on her. )

 

[jinnysub]

And let's not forget adding 15-20 pounds onto the worst parts of the old airframe.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Since getting on Celexa I've lost weight, evened out more, and I've been back to my old ways of humping the chair. The only problem is that I'm having trouble writing. But that's the Stud's fault, he won't leave me alone.

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

Antidepressants definitely have their share of unpleasant side effects, but weight gain's a not a usual one. Have you had a bad experience with antidepressants?

 

[jinnysub]

Your mileage may vary. Mine didn't.

Been there done just about all of them.

Prozac (which is really just serafem in its original manly alter ego), Paxil (the worst, IMHO, as much as it's being advertised these days for anxiety disorder, too), Wellbutrin, Trazodone, Celexa, Desipramine, Elavil, and a few others that my missing brain cells have forgotten.

 

[jinnysub]

Most of the AD's, if you read their tiny print literature, include weight gain and weight loss as common side effects.

 

[Georgia Girl]

Chemical assistance

Oh the joys of the monthly moodies.

As for the subject of chemical assistance, thanks but no thanks, been there done that -- OMG what a nightmare.

You finally stop crying long enough to feel tolerable, realize you have no concept of a sexual thought in your mind, decide to try masturbating to get you out of the funk you're in only to discover that you could go at it for hours on end and would never climax so there comes the tears and the depression and once more you are right back where you started and haven't accomplished a single fucking thing.

Just give me a good man who loves sex even then who will hold me when I cry.

 

[jinnysub]

Cynicism aside, if you have depression or PMDD, please don't let my bad experiences deter you from seeking help.

Both can be terminal diseases. As in suicide.

That's MY mileage, and yours may vary. I pray yours DOES vary.

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

That's probably true, but drug companies are notorious for overstating the side effect profile of their drugs in their literature with the idea of cutting off any possible legal liability resulting from someone blaming them for a particular outcome. I was involved in a study for an experimental diabetes drug a couple of years ago and the researchers decided to list every side effect that any of the people who got the experimental drug complained of - even if the people in the control group complained of the same side effect just as frequently. For example, in that study 8% of people who got the experimental drug complained of a headache. 9% who got a placebo complained of a headache too, but nevertheless the researchers decided to list headache as a side effect just to head off any lawsuits that might result from someone who used the drug and got a headache.

Anyway, it's amazing to see the "side effects" that come up in placebo groups. The mind is a powerful thing.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Attitude makes a big difference in getting chemical help. If you believe it's just another weight bloating-sex dropping thing, then you probably aren't going to get help. Then take the fact that a lot of people use alcohol while on these drugs and get themselves in serious side effect hell.

Everything has side effects. Eat too much liver and you'll die from it. Depression sucks and PMDD sucks worse.

Anyway, the stuff I have to take has worse side-effects than most anti-depressants ever considered.

 

[Oliver Clozoff]

You're absolutely right, KM

In my experience, people who come in with a deep mistrust of medicine are far more likely to complain of side effects. It may very well be that there's something in their constitution that has led to them having bad side effects from drugs in the past, but I can't help but think a lot of it is the result of a self-fulfilling prophecy - if a person thinks a drug will work there's a better chance that it will. Same goes for side effects.

In never ceases to amaze me that consistently around 30% of people treated by placebo treatments claim to be helped by the placebo. One's expectations have a huge effect on outcomes.

 

[seXieleXie]

every medication has some sort of side effect, the question is, which is worse, the depression/mania/etc or the side effects?

prozac scares me though. i did quite a bit of research on it and read some rather frightening reports that in a few cases of severe depression it can cause the patient to become more agitated and anxious. even with all the odds on my side i still wouldn't want to take that one.