PMS: an unscientific experiment

Wednesday, September 18, 2013


I took a break from PMS (premenstrual syndrome) from 2008 to 2012. That blessed season gave me a free pass from experiencing the side effects of PMS. Now that we're back in 'business,' I am really looking for some relief from this unpleasant side effects.

According to the Mayo Clinic's website, "Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) has a wide variety of symptoms, including mood swings, tender breasts, food cravings, fatigue, irritability and depression. An estimated 3 of every 4 menstruating women experience some form of premenstrual syndrome. These problems tend to peak during your late 20s and early 30s. Symptoms tend to recur in a predictable pattern. Yet the physical and emotional changes you experience with premenstrual syndrome may be particularly intense in some months and only slightly noticeable in others."

I noticed a lot of women talking about Raspberry Leaf Tea online so I made it my goal to find this thing and do a bit of an unscientific experiment on myself. The first conclusion: it did NOT make my dishes disappear.

Is this a wonder solution?
For this entire month I will be having a cup of day and I will report the results to you. I hate to admit this but Zeke is in whether he likes it or not and he will make the big conclusion if this thing worked or not.

No one likes me during PMS: I get angry, irritable, etc. I don't really feel like myself. I knew this thing was bad when I did everything I was supposed to do (eating well, running double digits, etc) and I was not improving. Outsiders don't really notice my PMS mishaps unless I tell them what's going on. The people that live at my house suffer because no one is moving out once a month til this thing is over.

I decided to look at my heart and see what was going on there. I asked two sisters in Christ for prayer and that helped a lot. I also recognized that stress, tiredness and anxiety were not helping at all. I became more mindful of my behavior towards my family as I continued to ask them for help.

A couple of months ago I heard this Podcast where this man would actually map out his wife's PMS dates and he would be extra sweet to her. He'd buy her flowers, give her whatever made her feel better. I know most people are not like that at all. I do believe that it's important to have open communication about this season and to know what are hormone's boundaries. What I mean is that lashing out in anger for hormone's sake is not cool at all.

I hope this Raspberry Leaf stuff helps. As I explained this experiment to my husband I was feeling pretty confident that it will help. I'm not putting all my trust in a box of caffeine-free tea but I am hoping that this solution coupled with a more balanced life will offer some relief.

QUESTION: Do you suffer from symptoms of PMS? What has helped you in your journey?
LifenotesEncouragement said...

This is me...to the outside world I'm fine, in the house I'm a holy terror.

So what works - pray, writing, letting alot of things go.
I started juicing religiously maybe a year ago and I notice that I dont have those feelings of fatigue on a monthly basis - its more like every 6-8 months now. Fatigue for me leads to anger, irritability, etc. I tried progesterone over the counter; it was recommended by my gynecologist. It helped a little bit but I didnt like that it could be cancer causing.
Believe it or not, taking care of yourself helps. I run and that has been a lifesaver. I'm a tea drinker and I even have a tea here called PMS tea - can't say that I've seen a noticeable difference.

hugs!