Mood Swings Affecting My Family

Sounds like you are experiencing an imbalance in your hormones. The symptoms you are describing are are not what I have ever heard as PMDD. PMDD is a life long illness that effects women each month just for a week or so.

A friend of mine was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder by her doc who sent her to a psychiatrist to get on meds. She eventually divorced her husband and once she married a different guy, better job, better insurance, and she got a different doc. That doc took her off all the psychiatric meds and put her on some hormone therapy.

The main thing she told the doc that told him right away that she did not have Bi-Polar was that before the psychiatric meds she had only been crazy 1 to 1 1/2 weeks out of the month. The rest of the time she was a good mom, calm, loving, peaceful, never raised her voice, happy, just normal. He looked at her and told her she was not crazy and he knew what was wrong with her.

She was a different person. She has to take her meds for years to come to help her with PMDD. I have seen this woman toss a bunk bed across the room because the sheet popped off the corner as she was trying to make the bed, I have seen her wipe a desktop completely off, computer and all, just because the page was taking to long to load, I have seen her sit and cry for hours because the commercial was sad...it was a puppy running and playing with a child. I had distanced myself from her just to stay safe. Once she started in with this other doc she has been the normal friend I once knew. She moved away years ago but I still keep in contact through FB and she is still normal. She takes her hormone meds every day as prescribed and she is good.

Since this has come on recently I think that is it not PMDD that would have been there all along, but probably you are having some hormone issues that a doc does need to address. I would see another doc and see what they say.

I hate hormones. It's like a monster lives deep inside me itches to come out and get to a few times a month (I'm bad when I'm ovulating and PMSing).

I have just been trying hard to exercise and go to bed early so that even if I wake at 3 with anxiety, I've gotten 5-6 hours of sleep.

I wish docs weren't so quick to prescribe antidepressants. Weight gain is not the only reason not to take them. It sounds like hormones are whacky so even if you did take an antidepressant and if it did work that would just be treating that one symptom and not the cause. I find it hard to believe that Mirena couldn't cause mood swings. I don't have experience with it. But in my life I have been on various different birth control pills, many of which did eventually cause mood swings. I don't take them anymore and am much happier.

Have you had your thyroid tested? That might be helpful. Low thyroid can cause, among other things, depression, tiredness, brain fog and anxiety. I had a lot of issues with anxiety at one point in my life and once my thyroid was adequately treated, those issues just went away. I also tend to not be able to get back to sleep when my thyroid is out of whack. Low thyroid will also cause cycle problems. Google hypothyroid for info. Other hormone imbalances can also cause various symptoms.

I'd probably find a different doc, this one sounds like she just wants a quick solution. Automatically offering antidepressants without even considering that the IUD you are using might be messing with things, is not good practice. I'd see a GP, family doc or someone like that. Marriage counseling, sure that is good if you are having issues, but if hormones are at the root of your problems while those things may help, they won't solve them.

It is absolutely your Mirena. Both my friend and I experienced the exact same thing. I had it for a few years, just like you, and was slowly realizing that I was not myself at all. I was depressed, withdrawn, bitchy to my husband and child. These were all things that I was thinking just came with the territory of being a mom, but was really not liking who I was. I was venting to my friend, and in passing said that I had the Mirena & she went on a rampage against it! She said she had been feeling all those things when she had it & brought it up to her dr. who said the same as yours, that it couldn't be that. Well, she found so much info about how it can affect certain women very adversely in the ways you are describing. She got it out & her symptoms reversed. I made an appt the next day & am very happy to say that I am back to myself. Some people love the Mirena, I thought I did at first too, but for certain women the effect is disastrous. I have been on the Nuva Ring ever since & I love it! My periods were a little heavier in the beginning, I, like you, had stopped having them with the Mirena. But now they are much lighter than what my normal was before kids, and only last 2-3 days. Trust me, and trust yourself. You know something is not right. It may take up to a few weeks for your body to even out, but you will be back to you!!

I don't think my symptoms are quite as severe as yours (and I don't have a Mirena), but I brought this up with my gyn at my last visit. My 'crazy' symptoms are usually limited to just a day or two right before my period starts--feeling depressed, crying, screaming at my husband, etc--but my crazy varies from month to month. Some months are fine. She told me that since my symptoms are limited to just a day or two, she wanted to try non-pharmacologic options first. She recommended drinking no alcohol during the time between ovulation and my period starting, taking two Tums a day (calcium), and vigorous exercise. I'm actually joining a gym for this reason, and I am NOT a gym person. So I'm starting there. She said that if these things don't help, then to call her and we'll talk about a low-dose pill or antidepressant. I hope not to have to go there.

Good luck to you. I know how awful it is to feel like you just can't cope with stuff. Even for the small amount of time I experience those feelings, I know I have to do something about it. Definitely seek help.