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#19 PMDD - Am I insane or is it just my hormones?
26 Plays25 days ago
The Bean Talk - Episode 19: PMDD - Am I insane or is it just my hormones?
This week, Riannon and Jeremy dive into the often-misunderstood condition of PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder). If your cycle feels like an emotional rollercoaster, with extreme mood swings, anxiety, or depression before your period, you are not alone – and there are reasons behind it.
They break down the key contributors, including neurotransmitter imbalances, hormonal shifts, and stress, while sharing practical strategies to help manage symptoms naturally. From key nutrients and herbal support to lifestyle shifts and testing options, they cover everything you need to know about getting your cycle back on track.
Riannon and Jeremy also chat about life behind the scenes, balancing work, kids, and their latest health and wellness discoveries.
Connect with Riannon and Jeremy on Instagram @mungbean_health or visit mungbeanhealth.com for expert support.
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Transcript
Introduction to Hosts and Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to The Bean Talk with me, Rhiannon, your fertility fairy godmother, joined by my trusted partner in life and in the mission of Mungbean Health, Jeremy.
00:00:24
Speaker
Hi guys and welcome back to another episode of the Bean Talk with Rhiannon and Jeremy. We love having you guys here. Hopefully you love it as much as us.
00:00:36
Speaker
We enjoy being here and spreading good education. Absolutely. Trying to slowly
Continuous Learning in Naturopathy
00:00:42
Speaker
educate. That is honestly one of the biggest parts of naturopathy is continuing to educate people because still so many people have no idea what naturopathy and natural health is.
00:00:52
Speaker
Yep, I'm still learning a lot. Honestly, ah there's things I'm still learning. There's things that the research is only just showing now. So it's a forever learning thing. So it's good for us, good for everybody.
00:01:03
Speaker
Honestly, when you get down to the nitty-gritty of the human body and there's still things we don't know, there's still so much information we're learning about the different microbiomes in the different parts of your body. Like you've got your skin, you've got your gut microbiome, you've got vaginal microbiome, penile microbiome.
00:01:17
Speaker
Nice. Everywhere has got its own little thing going on. So... Yeah. Nice.
Personal Health Practices
00:01:24
Speaker
Anyway, let's talk about our little bean and big bean. So my little bean would be I've been drinking more water, which is so important.
00:01:31
Speaker
It is important, especially while breastfeeding. But, yeah, definitely getting in heaps more. It is warming up, which is easier. And on that note, I'm going to add some water at home. What about you? What's your little bean? Yeah, exercising more with this warm weather and be getting in the backyard. I was doing the fit as with you, but I started doing my own little weight routine. Yeah, Jeremy wants to do a bit more weight and stuff, which is fine.
00:01:54
Speaker
Yeah, i just feel it's a bit better with my body. Yeah. Instead just doing, yeah. I'll get there. I love weighted exercise. I think it's so important for everyone to do. But obviously going in after having baby, I'm just trying to build up my strength again. And I think it's important to build up your resistance, your own body weighted exercises.
00:02:14
Speaker
If you're struggling with that, then I don't think you should be doing weighted. yeah Get yourself comfortable with that first and then move into the weighted. But definitely I'll get there. We've got some free weights, but they're so heavy. Jeremy's only got the big ones, big boy ones. Yeah.
00:02:28
Speaker
And I don't want to have weights everywhere. Yeah, know. You need like another room. Yeah, a full gym set up. God. You just need that, I don't know, 24-bedroom house or something where you can have toy room, games room, gym.
00:02:41
Speaker
God, living the life. Not yet. Just dreaming. As Amy says, dreams are free. Yeah. But dreams are absolutely free. Was that the little bit? Yeah, my big bean is exercise that I've been really getting into like a good routine after having baby.
00:02:58
Speaker
Because I think with Rome, which I've mentioned before, i was a little bit more lax with it. I wasn't, didn't have a routine. we were just going to walks and stuff. We're also very busy, but it's no excuse.
00:03:09
Speaker
So now I've just been trying to get that real nice exercise regime and I'm doing three to five times a week. So it's good. It's good. Good stuff. Yep. What was your big bean?
00:03:20
Speaker
Big bean. Trying to go to bed earlier. Yeah, ba that is a big one for you. Just trying to some more rest, yeah. That's a big one for Jeremy. You're more of a night owl and a morning rest.
00:03:32
Speaker
Yeah. But, yes, that's amazing.
Historical Medical Role-Play
00:03:35
Speaker
I've got a little – want to set the scene for you, okay? Jeremy, I want you to pretend that we are in ancient Greek times, the Middle Ages or the 19th century. So talking a long time ago, you're my doctor.
00:03:50
Speaker
Okay, you're going to be my doctor. can do that. Role play. We need role play. Absolutely. it's fun. And I come to you and tell you that I've been struggling with really low moods and fatigue, irritability, and lots of fluid retention for about two weeks before my bleed starts every single month.
00:04:10
Speaker
Alongside, I have pain and cramping with my period. I also tell you that I'm scared for my safety around that time, and I just don't know what's going on. So as my doctor, what would you tell me?
00:04:22
Speaker
ah would tell you you need to get married and have some more intercourse. but It sounds about right for ancient Greek times. i If that didn't work, I'd be like, you're a witch, lock her up, burn her at a stake maybe. Honestly, claiming that one, I love that witchy energy. So I prefer that one. they're a witch, just burn them.
00:04:44
Speaker
Honestly, would have definitely been locked up as a witch. my My name Rhiannon or the name Rhiannon means Welsh witch, which is so funny. And obviously I love dabbling in herbs. Yep. Anyway, sidetrack. Keep going. What else would you maybe say to me?
00:04:58
Speaker
I would suggest psych ward. Actually. Yep. it up.
00:05:06
Speaker
And maybe do some intense therapy in there. I would probably be later on if we move forward a couple ah centuries. Yeah, 19th century. I would recommend electrotherapy or maybe a lobotomy. I don't know, something like that. Just go for it, honestly.
00:05:21
Speaker
That is just honestly crazy and honestly, it's great. Thank you. I'm healed. I feel fabulous now until next month when it comes back around again. Shocker again. and Actually, it's so bad. Like we joke about it now, but these poor women, actually when what they were absolutely going through, so bad.
00:05:40
Speaker
And can you believe that it wasn't until the 20th century that the medical system started to consider if ah hysteria was a correct diagnosis?
History of 'Hysteria' Diagnosis
00:05:49
Speaker
Because that's what they'd say, hysteria, like you're just a psycho.
00:05:52
Speaker
In fact, the diagnosis was only removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health, the DSM, in the 1980s. They only removed hysteria, which is all around that cycle, essentially, as a diagnosis in nineteen eighty That's insane.
00:06:12
Speaker
Luckily, nowadays, we really are starting to take more consideration into understanding the female body and the nervous system and how it's all linked and how our cycle can make us a little bit cray.
00:06:24
Speaker
But obviously, there's lots we can do to avoid that from happening. So what was typically diagnosed as hysteria would now be diagnosed as anxiety, depression,
00:06:35
Speaker
or schizophrenia, PMS, or PMDD.
Understanding PMDD: Symptoms and Differences
00:06:40
Speaker
And on today's episode, we're going to take a closer look at premenstrual diasporic disorder, which is PMDD.
00:06:47
Speaker
So what is PMDD? It's a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, as everyone knows it as, that involves intense emotional and physical symptoms during the luteal phase.
00:07:01
Speaker
So that's before our bleed. It is thought to stem from how the brain responds to hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle. Therefore, the key difference between PMDD and other diagnosis in the severity of symptoms, typically the severity of neurological symptoms, as well as the timing of the symptoms.
00:07:23
Speaker
It's not only in the lid till phase though, or outside of, it can be outside of this as well. If outside, we want to consider other differential diagnoses like anxiety, depression, OCD, et cetera.
00:07:38
Speaker
Symptoms can include severe mood swings, which is a huge one. Depression or feeling hopelessness, and that's huge in the lead up to the bleed with a lot of PMDD clients.
00:07:50
Speaker
Irritability and anger, anxiety and tension, like nervous tension, difficulty concentrating, and changes in sleep and eating habits as well.
Factors Contributing to PMDD
00:08:02
Speaker
So some of the causes. The exact cause is not well understood, but we know that there are clinically proven risk factors or contributing factors. Things like past trauma, cigarette smoking, and obesity all play a role.
00:08:16
Speaker
We know that certain neurotransmitters are also responsible in different ways, and they do play a bit of a role. So women with PMS or PMDD have a typical serotonergic transmission and a lower density of serotonin transporter receptors than typical women.
00:08:32
Speaker
Higher levels of serotonergic responsiveness in the follicular rather than in the luteal phase, in the different phases, which is different from that observed in women without PMS or without PMDD.
00:08:49
Speaker
Inhibitory neurotransmitters and some imaging studies suggest the possible role of GABA, which is that calming neurotransmitter in the pathophysiology of PMS and PMDD based on the fact that some progesterone metabolites interact with GABA.
00:09:08
Speaker
And also women with PMDD have lower levels of cortisol and better endorphins during both the follicular and luteal phase. And that's better as in BETA, the better not BETTER endorphins.
00:09:25
Speaker
bit of a word play there for you that GABA is good to have you want GABA yeah we want those happy um neurotransmitters and happy amount of GABA okay that calming lacking from yeah having that yeah and how it's playing with our neurotransmitters in the way of like progesterone metabolites as well right progesterone being one of feel-good hormones as well okay Yeah, so all plays a bit of a role there.
Seeking Professional Advice for PMDD
00:09:48
Speaker
ah So what to do if you suspect you might have PMDD? Definitely seek out professional advice from either your naturopath, your GP or other professional healthcare providers.
00:10:00
Speaker
Obviously going to say naturopath first, but you do you. Your diagnosis must be correct and certain criteria must be met to get a diagnosis with PMDD.
00:10:12
Speaker
So receiving the correct diagnosis is the best way to get support because then we know what's going on and we can treat that accordingly. However, as naturopaths, there's still so much we can do to just help you rebalance and feel better and support your nervous system.
00:10:26
Speaker
But we want to find out, is it a hormonal issue? Is it neurological? hormonal issue? this will greatly impact how you respond to different treatments. Okay. Typical naturopathic support. So before we go on, I just want to add a little disclaimer here.
00:10:43
Speaker
This is general advice only, which should be taken into consideration. Please um seek out professional support before self-diagnosing or prescribing.
Naturopathic Treatments for PMDD
00:10:54
Speaker
PMDD is no joke. I have clients that over the years that have been like, I can't get out of bed for two weeks before my bleed. I'm so depressed. Some of them are like, seriously, I want to kill my husband. I'm losing it. That's no joke. So it's important to make sure you are actually under the guidance of a practitioner.
00:11:13
Speaker
So we're just going to touch on some ways that we can support you, but just don't go and self-prescribe because sometimes you can make things worse worse by self-prescribing, which we see all the time clinic, people coming to fix up their problems.
00:11:27
Speaker
So some nutrients that are important, things like calcium, but again, the forms of calcium that you're taking. yeah Magnesium, B6, omega-3 fatty acids, very important, strong link with omegas and that brain support and and mood support.
00:11:46
Speaker
Oops. St. John's wort. Yep, that's such a good one. Natural antidepressant. Yep. Methania is one of our, top yeah top used herbs we use so much a beautiful adaptogen helps you adapt to stresses yeah saffron so good again working on lower mood and especially before that cycle carver carver you have to be a lot of these you have to be really careful of same as the saffron but carver you have to be careful of with a lot of medication same as with saffron and breastfeeding and pregnancy you've got to be very careful but they work like carver works so well at calming you and
00:12:24
Speaker
It's all about helping to calm you down in certain ways. all them islanders can't be wrong, hey? Seriously, they're so chill. Yeah, most chillest people. They're so chill drinking. And what about another one? I could be wrong. Passionflower?
00:12:34
Speaker
Passionflower works as like an anti-anxiety. Okay. So if you've got anxiety that's high there, absolutely. Okay. It's going to be beautiful. We use a lot of passionflower in clinic as well. Yeah. So depending on what the person in front of us is doing, have they got more depressive or more anxiety? And then we...
00:12:52
Speaker
We'll go accordingly. yeah Some other things that you can do alongside this is mindfulness and meditation. so stress exacerbates PMDD symptoms and mindfulness techniques can reduce emotional reactivity and anxiety.
00:13:06
Speaker
Practices like meditation, deep breathing exercises and yoga help to be build resilience to stresses. So definitely getting in some mindfulness and meditation.
00:13:18
Speaker
exercise, which we were talking a little bit about before, but regular physical exercise. So for me, I don't care if you're doing five minutes a day, five times a week or one hour once a week. I'd prefer you to do it consistently. That's what I'm trying to say.
00:13:35
Speaker
I don't care if you're just doing five minutes a day, but you're doing it consistently. I don't want you to do one hour once a month of exercise because that's not going to do anything. So five minutes a day of some type of exercise, whether it's walking, it's gardening, it's go to the beach, it's whatever.
00:13:50
Speaker
Play with the kids but be actually really active with them running races or whatever. Whatever it looks like,
00:14:07
Speaker
Just try and do something more regularly. This is a great way to release endorphins.
00:14:31
Speaker
Moderate, not excessive. Sleep hygiene. It's a good one. Absolutely. PMDD can disrupt sleep patterns. So focusing on quality sleep is critical. Creating a bedtime routine is the biggest one.
00:14:45
Speaker
Absolutely. limiting the screen time before bed. That blue light is just going to keep you awake. So bad. And create your circadian rhythm. Absolutely. It's so bad.
00:14:57
Speaker
So managing the light exposure can support better sleep quality. Absolutely. can support that sleep. Also psychology. So cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT.
00:15:32
Speaker
That's good. Bloody amazing, I don't say so myself. So overall, just a bit of recap there. PMDD, you don't want to muck around with that.
00:15:49
Speaker
You don't have to live where it's like, oh gosh, my cycle's coming or we're going on holidays. no, I'm going to have my bleed then. It's going to be horrible. I'm not going have fun or planning your life around your cycle.
00:16:06
Speaker
Yep, cool. And then it's gone. Like it's non-eventful. It shouldn't be this big event throughout the month.
00:16:20
Speaker
Not good. Yeah, and then it also affects everyone in your life. It affects your relationships.
00:16:35
Speaker
then you don't want to have to feel like you're battling everyone throughout the month. Yeah. Yeah. So there's heaps we can do.
00:16:52
Speaker
This is something I've suffered with my whole life. So... There's hope. There's heaps you can do. PMS we can help with as well.
Encouragement and Health Support
00:17:17
Speaker
Maybe they put you on the pill and antidepressants, that's okay. We can support you alongside that. And if that's what worked for you, that's amazing. It's all about making that person in front of us healthy.
00:17:43
Speaker
Then it's okay. Let's get you onto some beautiful herbs and nutrients. Yeah. Best thing you could do. Absolutely. For everyone, including yourself. Yes, absolutely. Please reach out to us if you need, if you tick any of these boxes.
00:18:03
Speaker
saliva test is also super sensitive and accurate.
00:18:12
Speaker
And an overhaul as well to see if nutrient deficiencies and everything else is out, we can do via bloods. We like to do a lot of testing. Test, not guess, but with your, where was I going with that?
00:18:24
Speaker
Oh, with the saliva testing? Yeah, saliva testing, yeah. We can test your hormones to see exactly what's going on.
Staying Connected with Mungbean Health
00:18:35
Speaker
Yeah, if you want to visit us on www.mungbeanhealth.com.
00:18:47
Speaker
And DMs are always open. Yep. Thanks for tuning in. Thanks for listening, guys. See you next
00:18:59
Speaker
time. Bye. And that's a wrap on today's Dose of Wellness. I'm Rhiannon, your fertility fairy godmother. Thank you for joining us. Stay connected with us on Instagram at mungbin underscore health.