Autism and PMS (pre and post menstrual syndrome)

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Hi I’m newly diagnosed autistic at 40. Since my mid-30s my pre-menstrual and post-menstrual syndrome ie mood swings, depression and anxiety has been managed with anti-depressants. Sometimes they don’t seem to work or I forget to take them. It leaves me on tenterhooks and finding it difficult to function. I worry about being difficult to live with and unwittingly upsetting people (which I always fear to some extent being autistic).

Has anyone else experienced this and learnt how to manage it more effectively?

I’m thinking of speaking to my doctor again but I’m worried they’ll change my meds and I’ll experience side effects.

(moved to Women's Discussion)

I’ve sometimes found that eating plenty of green, leafy vegetables, drinking lots of water, and taking supplements that help with mood dysregulation and energy levels (ie magnesium or vitamin B12) can help with the psychological symptoms in addition to the physical symptoms. This may not work for everyone necessarily; I’m very physiologically sensitive, so often times the foods I eat around my period can influence my anxiety and depression levels. I’d recommend consulting a professional if you are able to and seeing if adding certain foods or supplements to your routine might help. They also may not make much of a difference, it’s different from person to person.

Either way, best of luck in finding ways to regulate your PMS symptoms; the accompanying anxiety and depression really can suck.

Thank you I’ll look into it

If your depression symptoms include awful physical fatigue, you may also be temporarily anemic. My doctor told me to take ibuprofen and a multivitamin with iron the last few days before it starts to help prevent that...seems to help a bit. And the pain relief "side effect" helps me manage my other symptoms...getting the physical issues in check allows me to better focus on the mental ones. Definitely check with a doctor first though!

It also helps me to have a cycle tracking app so I can see "ah yes, this is menstrual depression...it sucks, but should let up by Tuesday!" Having an end-date to focus on helps. Having an app like that could also help you set alarms to take your meds on the critical days of the month.

I also seem to feel better when I have lots of cocoa powder and nuts in my diet...maybe the magnesium, like the other poster mentioned?

That’s really helpful thank you