Most women will experience PMS symptoms around the time of their menstrual cycle. However, some women will experience a more severe form of PMS known as PMDD. Women who experience PMDD often look for treatments that will give them relief and birth control is a common and effective treatment.
What is PMDD?
PMDD or premenstrual dysphoric disorder is an elevated form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Women with PMDD will have symptoms about a week before their menstrual cycle. These symptoms include a wide variety. You may have changes in emotions including increased anger or irritability, anxiety attacks, depressed mood, or loss of interest in certain activities. Physical symptoms include trouble sleeping, fatigue, trouble concentrating, appetite changes, weight gain, headaches, and body aches. To be diagnosed with PMDD, women will typically need to have 5 to 11 symptoms. Their diagnosis is also based off of an evaluation and discussion with their physician.
Reasons to Use Birth Control
There are many ways PMDD symptoms can be addressed. For example, you can take over the counter pain medications to manage the aches, pains, and other physical symptoms that come with PMDD. One effective treatment that addresses a majority of the symptoms is taking oral contraceptives of birth control. Birth control pills contain varying levels of hormones that can help to balance hormone levels in the body and alleviate PMDD symptoms. In particular, it’s beneficial to take birth control that contains ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone. Both of these are an essential part of addressing both mood and physical symptoms.
Risks and Possible Side Effects
As with any other treatment or medication, there are some risks and side effects that you should be aware of. When taking birth control, some symptoms may only last for a few days or a few weeks. If they persist, you may need to speak with your doctor. Unfortunately, some of the side effects of birth control are similar to PMDD symptoms. These include irritability, depressed mood, headache, weight gain, breast tenderness, and spotting/bleeding between periods. Some women may also experience blood clotting, high blood pressure, and problems with your heart rhythm. Some women could also experience problems with their liver or gallbladder. If you have a history of heart issues, liver problems, high cholesterol, serious migraines, and even diabetes, birth control may not be your best option.
Talk with Your Physician
When addressing your PMDD symptoms, you should begin by talking with your physician. They can help you determine if you have PMDD and how serious your symptoms are. Typically, they will be the one to give you a diagnosis. When talking with your physician, make sure you talk through a variety of treatment options. Again, birth control is an effective treatment but it isn’t for everyone. Ask your physician if they think birth control will be appropriate for you. There are several different types of birth control, so they can help you find the option that best applies to you. If you have any problems with your birth control or are experiencing severe symptoms, make sure you discuss this with your physician. They can help address any immediate health concerns and provide you with a different treatment option.
Birth control is a treatment that is helpful for a variety of medical conditions, and it has been shown to be effective for reducing many PMDD symptoms. If you are looking for relief, then maybe this treatment will be effective for you.
Talking to a physician about your PMDD symptoms can help you find the treatment you need. Click here to find a physician in Utah County.
