The symptoms are severe and debilitating and tend to appear the week before you start a period and last for a few days into the period. Symptoms of PMDD include:
Body Function:
tiredness or fatigue, muscle or joint pain, headaches
Hormonal:
hot flashes, tender breasts, bloating, cramps
Emotional:
change in appetite, sleep issues, a sense of despair or hopelessness, anxiety, depression, tension, intense anger or conflict with others, irritability, lack of concentration or mood swings. In severe cases, acute symptoms can lead to feelings of suicide.
PMDD is an endocrine disorder caused by hormonal changes in the body related to the menstrual cycle. Hormonal changes may cause a decrease in the brain chemical Seratonin. Studies have shown that low levels of Serotonin, used by the body to help transmit nerve signals, can cause changes to sleep, mood, attention and pain. It may also be caused by genetic variations.
As PMDD represents symptoms like other conditions, your doctor will need to rule-out other health conditions before a formal PMDD diagnosis can be made. This is because it could be any number of things.
Your doctor will therefore need to rule out gynaecological conditions like endometriosis, menopause, fibroids as well as other abdominal considerations and then go on to rule out mental health disorders like depression, anxiety or panic disorders which you might have independently of PMDD.
A straightforward way to identify if you have the physical symptoms of PMDD, is to ascertain if the symptoms arrive 7 to 10 days before your period and leave shortly after your period starts. You will likely have several of the symptoms mentioned above during this time and they will be repeated in subsequent menstrual cycles.
As well as seeking-out emotional support and more information about your condition, sufferers can take aspirin, ibuprofen and NSAIDs to counter the pain of bone aches, breast tenderness and headache. Diuretics can be useful to help with bloating and water retention.
For mental health and wellbeing symptoms, relaxing meditation, yoga, massage and reflexology can help minimise the effects.
If your condition is so severe that you are considering a hysterectomy, or leaving your employment, you will find the support links below helpful.
If you want to see us face to face, we run four employment law walk-ins each week at our offices in Leicester and Market Harborough and this initial meeting with you is FREE of charge. We’ll look at your paperwork and advise on the best course of action. We can also meet with you digitally on Teams if you’re in another part of the country, in fact, we advise individuals on their employment legal needs right across the UK.
From settlement agreements, to redundancy, dismissal and disability and other types of employment dispute situation, we’re on hand to support and advise you. Please get in touch as soon as you can, as deadlines might apply.
As the Equality Act 2010 provides protection from less favourable treatment against discrimination under the protected characteristic of Disability, it could be that you are afforded protection if you suffer poor treatment as a consequence or because of your PMDD. The Equality Act 2010 stipulates that either a physical or mental (or combined) impairment which substantially and adversely affects your ability to conduct every day activities which is or could be in existence for longer than 12 months, may constitute a Disability therefore if your condition fulfils these requirements it may be possible that your employer should afford you dispensation for your condition. This could be prevention from triggering disciplinary action for absences connected to your condition or making adjustments to your work, work station or pattern.
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