EmpowHer: Dr. Dunnewold, talk to me about the symptoms a woman might be experiencing that would be a red flag or a warning sign that she might have PMDD.
Dr. Dunnewold: Often a lot of irritability, low mood or actual
depression, a lot of anxiety and worry, sleep disturbance is extremely
common and craving for different foods.
EmpowHer: I come from a family with all women. I am the only boy,
so one of the things I noticed is women often get severe pains that go
along, I mean not just cramps but in other parts of the body like in
the spine or migraines in the head, how about some of those symptoms?
Dr. Dunnewold: Well there are a lot of physical symptoms that way
depending on the individual. Many women have just the emotional
symptoms which I have mentioned before but lots of women do get achey
joints, backaches and particularly headaches like you said.
EmpowHer: So let us talk about treatments for a moment. What is
the most common PMDD treatment? Is it drugs or is it other natural
alternatives? Share some ideas with me.
Dr. Dunnewold: Well, it just kind of depends on the way that a
woman wants to go. I think revising diet and exercise and that sort of
thing is often the best place to start and often very effective. Calcium supplements are helpful, magnesium supplements, B vitamins,
essential fatty acids in the form of fish oil or flax oil, eliminating
caffeine and exercise. Those are all the self-help things that often a
physician will want a woman to try first before trying antidepressants.
EmpowHer: Everyday I take my fish oils, my Bs, and my flax so I should be covered?
Dr. Dunnewold: Yeah, you are good Todd; we do not need to worry about this for you.
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