Mom of twins Emily Blout, 42, from Washington, D.C., told Newsweek: 'My upbeat personality turns sad, angry and unfocused.'
A woman whose mood and personality dramatically change for nearly half of every month has shared what it's like living with premenstrual dysphoric disorder .
Emily Blout, from Washington, D.C. , has lived with the severe hormone-related mood disorder since she started menstruating at 15. The 42-year-old told"My upbeat personality turns sad, angry and unfocused. I erupt into tears for no reason, snap at my husband and 11-year-old twin sons, and sit in front of my computer for hours in a total daze.
"Symptoms occur in the days before a period and usually disappear shortly after menstruation begins, as the brain reacts to normal fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels. "I experience an incredibly intense anger," she said. "Once, during a trip to London, I was so consumed by anger toward my husband that I booked myself a separate $2,000 flight home. ""The reaction feels completely out of proportion," Blout said.
At other times, she experiences a deeper sadness that makes it difficult to get out of bed and is often accompanied by"Last year, I was driving my minivan to work. I ran a red light because I was so spaced out, spun around and totaled my car," she said.misdiagnosis, Blout sought further treatment around 10 months ago and began taking Lupron , a prescription hormone therapy that suppresses the production of sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.
"I have never understood until now what it's like to have a regular life—all of a sudden, I have time and clarity back," Blout said. "Everything has changed for the better. The boys have their mother back.
"My kids are getting older and they have noticed that something is wrong with me. They are aware and see it every day.
""Over the years, I have exhausted all options," she said. "I have tried antidepressants, birth control and talk therapy. "I have been to see a surgeon to discuss removing my ovaries and fallopian tubes, but I am determined not to get surgery if I don't have to. "has previously shown that women who have their ovaries removed before menopause may face an increased risk of memory problems or dementia, which is why Blout is reluctant to undergo the procedure.
"Women with PMDD are basically experimenting on ourselves," she said. "The system hasn't deemed PMDD important enough to dedicate research funding to finding an effective treatment—let alone a cure. "
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