PMS: I Just Want To Be Myself Again

Premenstrual syndrome, orPMS, is something all women know. PMS is characterized by the presence of both physical and behavioral symptoms. The most common behavioral symptom is mood swings. Other frequent symptoms include irritability, anxiety, depression, and diminished interest in activities. The most common physical symptoms are bloating and extreme fatigue. Hot flashes, dizziness, and breast tenderness are not uncommon. PMS has been associated with decreased work productivity, increase in work absences, and increase in visits to the hospital.

I will often deny any PMS symptoms to my husband but when I’m completely honest with myself, I obviously can tell when it is that certain time of the month. As a physician and a woman, I feel extremely comfortable talking about the symptoms that many women might experience on an on-going monthly basis. There are varying degrees of severity from almost no symptoms at all to PMDD, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which is a severe form of PMS that can sometimes be debilitating.

In my personal experience, my PMS starts with the erratic mood swings. I’ll be completely fine and my upbeat self one minute and then with a flip of the switch, I can just feel extreme annoyance and even anger towards everyone and everything around me. I might start bursting out into tears when I see an especially touching commercial or if I forget to pack the right snack in my kid’s lunch box.

Next comes the crazy physical symptoms. Where to begin? There’s the breast tenderness and total lack of energy, of course. To add to the exhaustion are the sleepless nights. Then there are the throbbing headaches. My intestines don’t know what they are doing, swinging from one extreme to the other over the course of a few days. Then there is the bloating. You know it’s a bad day when you are having trouble squeezing into sweatpants. Then there is the not wanting to be touched at all or to do anything but lay in bed, stuffing my face, and not interacting with anyone.

Obviously, we all make it through every month but then my husband told me about the PMS IV infusion at StrIVeMD Wellness and Ketamine in the Chicago area. After being completely insulted, I thought to myself “Would it really be so bad to try it? If I could get relief of some of these symptoms, why not?” I looked into what was going to be included in the intravenous infusion and found there was a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory to help relieve all of my pain symptoms. It also included magnesium and a combination of B vitamins, which have been shown in studies to help relieve many symptoms of PMS, such as bloating, fatigue, pain, irritability and insomnia. So I decided to try it out when that time of month came. And here is my honest opinion about it.

A week or so later, I found myself cursing (internally of course) at every driver on the road and feeling so sad that I had apparently outgrown my favorite yoga pants. I knew it was now time to plan a trip to StrIVeMD Wellness and Ketamine. On the day that I had my appointment, I was exhausted. My uterus was declaring war on me. A headache had my temples pulsating in pain. I could not wait to get the IV infusion going.

In the clinic, I sat down in the enormous comfortable recliner and found my favorite show on Netflix. The IV went in without difficulty thanks to the physician’s expertise and then it was time to just sit back, relax and see what was going to happen, if anything.

As the bag containing the IV solution and vitamins started, things were going well. When the physician pushed the pain medication into my IV, I did notice a very slight burning sensation for about 1 to 2 minutes but then things were running smoothly again. In fact, things were going even better than I imagined because I then noticed that both my headache and cramps were fading away. Over the next 40 minutes, I found myself relaxing since I didn’t have the pounding headache anymore. I might have gotten a bit too relaxed as about 25 minutes into it, I started feeling a little woozy. Since I was just sitting and watching TV, I did not really worry about it and by the end of the infusion, I was like a new improved version of myself! Incredibly, the pain was completely gone!

That night I was able to get a good night’s sleep and the next day, I felt so energized! Typically during the week or so right before my actual period starts, my main complaint is just complete lack of energy but the morning after the infusion, I felt like I didn’t even need to have my morning large coffee, which is saying a ton, believe me! The increased energy lasted long enough to keep me going until my period was over. I also noticed that I wasn’t having as many cravings as I usually do during that time of the month.

I’m not saying the PMS IV is a miracle cure or that it is going to work the same for everyone but I was so happy that I was able to experience it firsthand so that I can share my experience with others who might be looking for an alternative way to deal with that dreaded time of the month. I’m not a needle person, but I will definitely do this again, given how good I felt afterwards.

Oh and in terms of my mood swings, I guess you should probably talk to my husband and kids about that! But I think they were pretty pleased with the results as well…

This PMS IV infusion really helped treat my symptoms of fatigue, headache, and cramping. Despite my skepticism, I almost felt like my non-menstruating normal self. It’s great having this treatment option of IV hydration and vitamin therapy for PMS orpremenstrual syndromein the surrounding Chicago area.

At StrIVeMD Wellness and Ketamine, we’re committed to helping you access nutrient IV treatments quickly and safely. We offer a range of different nutrient therapies to suit your needs – and we can often offer same day appointments or a discreet home visit.

If you’re looking for IV therapy for burnout in the Chicago area, make an appointment with StrIVeMD Wellness and Ketamine by calling847-213-0990or email ushere.

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