Showing PMDD The Finger
CAN CBD HELP ALLEVIATE THE SYMPTOMS OF PMDD?
The menstrual cycle. Most of us have experienced its ups and downs, am I right? But what if the usual ebbs and flows are heightened and get in the way of our daily lives? Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is widely talked about, yet PMDD doesn’t get as much press and still gives us plenty to complain about.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (or PMDD among friends) is a severe type of PMS with a list of emotional and physical symptoms. These can hit every month, causing havoc in our daily routine, relationships, and mental well-being.
We can all agree that no one wants that, so how can we manage those symptoms and feel all-around better each cycle? Lifestyle changes and a holistic approach can hold some answers, as well as CBD, which already shows promise in alleviating some associated PMDD symptoms. We explore the basics of PMDD, the remedies, and how there’s a growing belief that CBD can slot into your treatment.
What Causes PMDD?
We know that PMDD is a health issue like PMS, but what does that look like in terms of its impact? Just like PMS, PMDD can cause irritability and depression. These tend to rear their head about a week or two before your period starts, and gradually lessen two or three days after your period begins. Although it’s worth noting, these timescales just like the symptoms themselves vary for everyone.
Although researchers don’t know the exact causes of PMDD, they are thought to be linked to hormonal changes in the body, with PMDD affecting 5% of women of childbearing age. The main symptoms are this prolonged sense of irritability, depression, or anxiety, which can feel off-kilter from your usual state of being. Other symptoms of PMDD include:
- Panic attacks – dizziness, shaking, sweating and feeling out of control are all common symptoms of panic attacks. These physical sensations can last anywhere between minutes to half an hour, which is frightening to be sure, but not physically dangerous. Often associated with PMDD, these attacks can seemingly come out of nowhere.
- Trouble focusing on everyday tasks – feeling a general malaise is also linked to PMDD, resulting in trouble concentrating on your work or daily tasks. This can make the days leading up to your period feel like more of a struggle than usual.
- Fatigue and low energy – coupled with difficulty in concentrating, fatigue and a lack of energy also often come along for the ride with PMDD. This can exacerbate the sensation of wading through treacle each day, and getting jobs done.
- Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep – whether it’s getting to sleep, staying asleep or a combination, sleep issues are a common symptom of PMDD. These can form a predictable pattern over the monthly cycle and add to the difficulty in concentrating and low energy.
- Food cravings or binge eating – feeling like you want to eat the entire earth at points and craving certain foods (often carbs and high-sugar foods) is another intense symptom of PMDD. Often compulsive, these are a direct result of hormone surges and level off in a few days. Conversely, some people also experience nausea during this phase.
- Physical symptoms – we’re listing intense cramps, increased bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, or muscle pain here with people experiencing a combination of any of these. Again, not so different to PMS, but the intensity of the sensations is often heightened.
- Acne and skin issues – just before our period our bodies experience a flood of progesterone right before it drops off sharply. This stimulates our sebum production, and an excessive amount of sebum clogs pores, leading to those unwanted spots and breakouts.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s worth noting that the most sensible approach is to contact your health provider, stat. This is your trusted point of contact to talk through your symptoms and get medical advice and a formal diagnosis. From there, you can discuss the ways to manage your PMDD each month and explore all the options open to you.
The good news is that one route for managing PMDD is all-natural, promising effective results regardless of your age. Lifestyle changes and paying attention to your diet, self-care routine, and exercise can all provide natural relief. From easing anxiety and stress to alleviating physical discomfort and pain, the right lifestyle strategies really can provide answers.
A low-carb diet that’s rich in protein is often recommended for PMDD. Minimizing sugar, caffeine, and alcohol may also prove beneficial for helping with PMDD symptoms along with providing other benefits for your overall health. Making sure you include healthy fats in your diet is also crucial for supporting natural hormone production.
It can be hard for some overachievers to forego working out around their cycle. It’s best to listen to your body and take part in movement that honors it during this time. Some options to research include yoga, walking, and dynamic stretching, but ultimately, finding what works for you is a personal thing.
From meditation to taking a warm bath, there are countless self-care supports you can lean into for PMDD relief. Think aromatherapy, heating pads, acupuncture, and trying a menstrual cup. Just make sure to keep a note of where you are in your cycle, and plan for some soothing, self-care activities when your period is drawing close.
A healthy lifestyle is step one for managing PMDD, like any health issue, but there are additional holistic treatments to explore too. Working CBD into your routine may help with your PMDD symptoms, with CBD showing potential in the arena of stress and anxiety relief, panic, and pain.
The key to this is how CBD interacts with our endocannabinoid system (or ECS).
As we know, PMDD is caused by hormonal fluctuations, with symptoms hitting right before your period starts. As the ECS regulates mood and anxiety levels, the menstrual cycle and hormones produced can have a direct knock-on effect.
To make things worse, sometimes our bodies simply don’t produce enough endocannabinoids, which means our ECS isn’t running as effectively as it should. The interesting bit is that CBD may help to regulate your ECS network and get it back on track. Hey presto, in turn, the modulated ECS may help to alleviate your PMDD symptoms.
CBD for PMDD
It’s safe to say that the way CBD could support our ECS is sparking interest among researchers. With potential therapeutic benefits, it may help with the kinds of symptoms that come along with PMS and PMDD. These run from anxiety to sleep support, skin and pain relief. Here’s how.
Depression, anxiety, and irritability can all present themselves during PMDD. With issues like these being directly linked to serotonin levels among others, CBD shows promise. As it acts on serotonin receptors, it may help alleviate mood symptoms and create balance. Studies also link positive results in CBD for panic attacks.
Tip: Try our BALANCE Everyday Full-Spectrum CBD Tincture every day to help mood symptoms.
Sleep escaping you? We feel that, but there are some effective strategies to help you get that back on track. Creating a soothing bedtime routine, limiting blue light before you go to sleep, and exercising are all effective strategies for sleep issues. CBD may also help as part of this, with studies showing that it may ease sleep issues in the short term, along with anxiety.
Tip: Place a couple of drops of DREAM Full-Spectrum CBD Night Tincture before bed and ease into a restful slumber.
Boo to skin issues like spots and acne, as they always seem to appear when we need them the least. Everyone’s skin is different, so there are no hard and fast rules to managing this. Safe to say, nailing a skincare routine that works for you is a smart move, especially if that is based on non-toxic skincare products. CBD may also play a part, as it naturally regulates sebum production, and it can minimize the risk of breakouts during the critical phases of your cycle.
Tip: Smooth RESTORE Deep Relief Full-Spectrum CBD Cream into your skin before bed and allow the CBD and natural ingredients to work their magic.
Bloating, nausea, food cravings, and binge eating, all of these are common with PMDD. Although it may be hard, trying to maintain healthy eating habits will help you ride it out, as will exercise. If you’d like to add some therapeutic strategies, CBD could present solutions. Studies amongst cancer sufferers have shown promising results for CBD and reduced nausea, and due to its potential natural anti-inflammatory properties, it may also help with bloating and other digestive issues.
Tip: Discover the soothing properties of SIP Harmonizing CBD Bloom Tea with a natural blend of herbs, botanicals, and CBD isolate.
Physical pain and cramping can be one of the most debilitating aspects of PMDD. Strategies like gentle movement and warm baths can deliver some much-needed relief, along with heat packs if you’re on the go. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, introducing some CBD into your routine can empower actions like this further, giving you additional support when you need it.
Tip: Take time for a warm bath with SOAK Indulgent CBD Bath Salts and allow the physical cramping to melt away.
PMDD is a complex condition that often requires a comprehensive plan of action that incorporates multiple lifestyle supports and potentially professional treatment. Always remember that CBD should never be the only tool in your toolbox for this or any other condition. If you’re interested in trying CBD, you may want to consider an ingestible and topical product. Some individuals find one more beneficial than the other while many utilize both CBD product types for optimal relief.
Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before trying CBD since it can pose potential drug interactions. Like any supplementation, it’s best to introduce one product at a time and journal the process to discover if its actually beneficial for you or not.
Press Pause CBD for PMDD
Finding the right CBD products is key to adding to your PMDD support strategies. Trusted, high-quality CBD allow for optimum results, without including any toxic ingredients. The Press Pause specialty range of CBD wellness products is created around these promises, with the highest quality CBD and clinically backed formulations. To see how we can help, speak to our team for more information or browse our shop.
