le sigh, volume 33, issue 100909990.4, stardate: fuck off.

[amand_r]

I am going to complain about some things. I'm just talking off the top of my head, and when I feel better, I'm sure I'll be more rational about most of them. Except the play doh one. That shit blows.

1. I hate snow.

2. I hate being tired.

3. I hate dry fucking play doh. Play doh, why are you dry? I just bought you!

4. I don't want to work on either of the things left that I said I would work on this month, fic-wise (secret project one or bodyswap), and lust is too easy for TW, so I'm not interested in it, except to do all seven deadly sins. So now I'm going through my open fics folder, looking for things to play with. I found something, but meh.

5. This morning like three things pissed me the fuck off. They were not big things. And yesterday with the chairs. So I'mma about to work something through here. The following exchange was had as I shoveled snow this afternoon and screamed at the kid for eating snow. (WTF she's a kid, me.).

Me: Jesus, I'm grumpy.
Self: I know! And it happens more often!
Me: It's as if every month, man, things that I would normally lol about set me off.
Self: I know! Every month...
Me: Oh.

I'm a bit of a moron in this venue, because I have been blessed for the most part by the menstruation gods. I never got any physical signs, but you could set your clock to it on a 32-day cycle. And I knew, I just knew the moment it started, and haven't had surprise!menstruation! issues ever. I might have had cramps, but that was because sometimes I aggravated myself with caffeine, and ibuprofen took care of it.

I thought it was having a kid, but apparently this happens to a lot of women in their thirties, this whole onset PMS thing. Sorry, five dudes on my flist, but my breasts get sore a week ahead of time now, or maybe 1 ½ weeks, and I get cramping on the second or third day. It never occurred to me to check my moods.

I don't like this being a prisoner to my brain and what it does. I know that everyone has tics and eccentricities, that's what makes us all different and bizarre, but this knowledge that my body is fucking with my head on a regular basis makes me cranky in a whole new way.

So, are there any things I can….take for it? I'll confess that when I was a pagan, I did a lot of research into herbalism, and I'm not the biggest fan of it, but I'll try to be all…enlightened and shit. I'm not using black kohosh, sorry. I really don't know what I'll do. I guess the best way to do it would to be to make a chart, a spreadsheet, a something.

And if you are one of the people who might have felt my teeth in the past few days, I am truly sorry.

6. Oh look, a Highlander/Torchwood I haven't finished. Hello, lover.

Comments

pagany stuff for cramps

[wynkat1313.livejournal.com]

so here's what I can pass on to you on the herbal / pagany side of the PMS and cramp equation:

Some people find oil of evening primrose, two to three times per day,d depending on the body's response to be very helpful in relieving assorted symptoms.

linky 2: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/evening-primrose-000242.htm

You can also try using Water Factors - a natural diuretic to help flush the excess fluid build up that is part of the pain issue for many people.

I cant do the mydol thing it fucks me up badly, so the above helps a lot. That and our good friend Ibuprofen for the muscle relaxing joy. - for that matter get yourself into a bath and or heat up a heating pad and apply to the points of pain.

On the "oh fuck that hurts, but is better when it stops" side of things... I had a massage therapist once who did uterine massages - hurt like a mofo... but wow it got things flowing and out of my system faster. Not my favorite way to go, but you know... sometimes its what you need.

Also if you do iPhone - there's a period tracking app that lets you add notes - you could keep information about mood issues in there as an option.

oh... and chocolate. lots and lots of chocolate.

and play doh that isnt dry!

Re: pagany stuff for cramps

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

I don't mind the physical things. They are still manageable with Aleve. I'm more worried about my crazy ass brain.

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

YES start with a chart.

Do you have an IPhone? I have an app that keeps track of this kind of shit. Sometimes just KNOWING that I'm a moody insane brain because of hormones help take the edge off.

Honestly, Midol is also the shit. GIve it a try.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

I do not have an iphone, but I can make a chart, and once I see a pattern I can start marking for possible ranges on my calendar.

[ophymirage.livejournal.com]

for those of us who have iPhones and are curious, what's the app?

[planejane.livejournal.com]

OK, my love, Fuck the herbal shit. My periods always creep up on me; I should know better. I'm 41! And now, of course, I get bad skin to boot (for the first time in my life).

So eat chocolate, take one of the over the counter period meds (I don't but have done once or twice; I don't remember the brand) and wank. Sorry to cut to the chase, but it works. I also apaologise to anyone who is squicked, but then they can't say they weren't warned by your post.

[planejane.livejournal.com]

Yes, Midol; that's what I used. It worked, but I work out at the gym a lot, and found that's better overall for easier periods.

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Oh god. That reminds me. I went to the store and forgot to buy some fucking chocolate.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

YOU ARE SCREWED.

CHECK YOUR BOX OF TAMPONS FOR ROLOS.

[azarias.livejournal.com]

I've always felt pretty awful the day before and the first day of my period. A lot of the cranky is being caused by hormone fluctuations, and there's probably sweet fuck all you can do about those aside from go on birth control, but some of it's caused by your body going "Oh fuck now I have to bleed for a week AND THEN get right back in shape to get knocked up JUST IN CASE you decide to go for it," and you can help reduce the impact of that with some basic nutrition.

I've found magnesium, manganese, and protein help me out a lot. Multivitamin for the first two, snack on peanut butter as soon as I start to feel crap for the last one. I also take iron or make a rare meal of cow, but that's because I bleed like a stuck pig.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

OMG LOL AT THAT LAST BIT. ILU.

[bk7brokemybrain.livejournal.com]

Accioslash had a whole post asking the flist if their hormones affect their writing, and I just had this conversation with asnowyowl 2 hours ago. I realized that I am limited (!!) by my hormones. I have different levels of energy and creativity depending on where I am in the month. When I'm ovulating I write kinky filth (usually Snarry and/or chan). When I'm crampin' I write lovely romance (Snupin). And the rest of the month, I'm usually under a black cloud and don't feel like writing anything, and if I do, it's kind of dark. I have come to accept that, and now have several open fics on my desktop just waiting their turn to be finished. Problem is, I have to wait for the right time to come. I accept that now, but deadlines don't care. I write as much as I can on each one until the mood passes. It's a ridiculous way to work, but I have accepted my limitations.

My sister had terrible PMS issues and loads of pain. She went on a low-glycemic index diet which found here eating loads of fish every day, and her system completely changed in one month. Whether it was from cutting out carbs, wheat, or other possible allergens, or if it was increasing her intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, we don't know. She was actually taken by surprise by her period, because she had zero symptoms to warn her and no pain. It's worth a try. If you hate eating fish, you could take Fish Oil capsules. I use NatureMade 1200 mg soft gels. I take 5 or 6 a day. The more you ingest, the better you are. Omega-3s help you make the hormones that regulate every other process in your bod.
Hope you feel better soon. If not, you can go outside and pummel a snowbank into submission.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

lol i write nonstop and I write whatever.

[mtgat]

Y'know, hearing that it's a 30s thing makes a lot of sense. That's kind of when I went from "I am annoyed" level of PMS to "oh, shit, I'm a gonna jump from a tall building into some nitroglycerin and TAKE ALL YOU FUCKERS WITH ME" level of PMS. Then I went on low-dose bc, and now I can control it with dark chocolate. Better living through biochemistry.

*tries not to picture 2 tampons -- how does that even work???*

Dry Play Doh sucks.

[bloodredroses1.livejournal.com]

You learn to make it work. Or just wear one & a super pad & maybe be ready to call Mom when the bus gets to school an hour and a half later.

[annemjw.livejournal.com]

I keep meaning to track mine, but it doesn't actually matter when I get it in my case, and seeing as I'm not on the pill it isn't regular anyway. Still, I'll track it when I end up needing to, I guess :D

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

haaaa, my mom taught me to mark my calendar with an asterish and a circle when I got it, then count ahead 28 days and mark that with an uncircled asterisk. that was the extent of my tracking.

[noveldevice.livejournal.com]

When I get cranky like that it's usually sub-threshold pain. I take a painkiller and usually feel a lot less cranky in short order. I'm not much for the herbal shit these days. I have no interest in fucking around, I just want to feel better. Also giving in to food cravings helps a lot.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not in pain. In fact, Unless I have a migraine I never take painkillers. I don't even take them for soreness or take anything when I have a cold.

[madder-rose.livejournal.com]

Oi vey, 2 tampons?! O.O NM, I do not want to know any more!

Do you work out? Aside from troygirl's advice, working out (weights) usually helps. Supposedly, it gets more oxygen flowing and eases pain and mood swings.

Says the person who is not only bipolar but a f***ing psychotic hoarder a week before. I turn into Beer Bad!Buffy. "Gimme all ya food and cake NOW OR DIE!" With possible actual murderous intent. It is not a funneh sight. Even the dog hides. The pain isn't actually bad as long as I take my 4 Ibuprofen during the first day, but I have yet to find anything that works for mood swings.

[phaetonschariot.livejournal.com]

I CAN TELL YOU EVERY TINY THING THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HELP MILD DEPRESSION EVER. BECAUSE EVERYONE ALWAYS TELLS ME THEM. AND I'M LIKE, THAT'S GREAT! I DON'T HAVE MILD DEPRESSION, FUCKHEAD.

idk if it works on PMS though. But yeah, exercise, fresh fruit, cleaning, pretending to be happy (no really), strict sleep schedule, etc, have all been suggested to me as magical cures.

[pocketmouse]

Ha ha, I can never tell if my 'I hate everyone DIAF stabstabstab' moods are PMS or not, because whatever I'm pissed off about is very justified. I don't really do much, though. I keep track of when my periods are, so I know when they're coming, generally, and I can judge whether my mood is probably that, or if people are just that stupid.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Ha ha, I can never tell if my 'I hate everyone DIAF stabstabstab' moods are PMS or not, because whatever I'm pissed off about is very justified.

That's it, most of the time at the time I feel justified, but in retrospect I'm not. At the time it always feels very sane, even if I'm pissed.

[kimuro.livejournal.com]

I know I'm PMSing when I out of the blue suffer an emotional breakdown and tearfully accuse my husband of not loving me. Unfortunately, it does not appear that the latest incident is due to PMS. Which means that maybe I'm really going crazy this time instead? Who knows? I don't.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

IT COULD BE. DON'T STOP BELIEVING!

[elainasaunt.livejournal.com]

Oh, ladies, ladies. There are many wonderful things about getting older, and the menopause is several of them. Thanks for this little trip down memory lane, which has reminded me to COUNT MY BLESSINGS.

[snufflesdbear.livejournal.com]

Was just thinking the same thing! Well, I had the plumbing yanked, but still, ALL GONE!! I have 1 malfunctioning ovary left is all. :-))

[aster-laevis.livejournal.com]

Boy. That sure seems familiar. Especially the monthly Me/Self conversation. Huh.

So, uh, if you find something that helps...

[phaetonschariot.livejournal.com]

I don't like this being a prisoner to my brain and what it does.

Dude, like, my life. I so hear you.

[curriejean.livejournal.com]

1. Likewise. "Me too" is probably better.
2. Agreed. Same thing here.
3. You could always make it, but then it's pastel-colours only, and it sucks.
4. I'm trying to do the least-easy character for Lust, because I want to do all seven too, but I'm also... meh.
5. God, agreed with the body-fucking-with-mind bit. I hate being regularly reminded I'm really all just an animal/body after all. I'd take something for it, but I always phobia-hypothesize that it'll make things even worse. The only good side is that if the cramps are bad enough to make my cry, I'm guaranteed to feel cathartic afterwards. But caffiene -> crampage? KILL ME. I'm going to pretend I didn't read that.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

hahahahah caffeine will fuck with your craps so bad. Thwe doctor told me that and I think I blinked and said, "That's why they make drugs, right?"

Dude, I don't take the pill because of my fear of anything that fucks with hormones. I mean, hurrah to everyone who does, and I'm glad that it aids people with horrible cycles, but I'll never touch the stuff.

[sthayashi.livejournal.com]

I, um... use Google calendar to track this sort of stuff. It's quick and easy, and you just hit the calendar link at the top of gmail to get to it. No need to log in or anything.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

I hate google calendar. I hate all of google things aside from email. I hate gdocs and buzz. I like paper a lot more. Tangible.

But I appreciate the suggestion. I just like...paper a lot.

[arsenicjade.livejournal.com]

Ugh, good luck. That's why I started the birth control again, but so far, no luck on that end.

[huesiemama.livejournal.com]

In agreement 100% on #'s 1-5. Not personally working on anything but stopping coughing, so can't relate to #6.

I have had the convo in #5 several times. For a while there I was using a remedy from Estroven for PMS that worked SUPER well, but the bastids STOPPED MAKING IT! Now they only make menopause remedies.

I have been trying a few different homeopathic PMS remedies. Yah know, so I don't maim and kill everyone in my path! They seem to work OK. I think I have a pulse point cream with evening primrose that takes the edge off. Makes me glad I have boychildren, there's enough estrogen in our house!

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

Don't they still make Remifemin? I was under the impression it worked like Estroven

[kin-you-bi.livejournal.com]

Endorphins are the best thing for PMS issues, imho (and I have some experience with PMS, since I've got every single symptom once a month since I was, like, 12). So you're looking either at getting yourself some a) sex or b) exercise. Also option c) chocolate often works in a pinch.

[sivatheminty.livejournal.com]

I went off the pill after being on it for 8 years, and I find that I am definatly bitchier than I was before. I don't think there's anything you can do but reconize why, and try and stop yourself before the crankyness raises it's ugly head :)

[tziporahrachel.livejournal.com]

Ask Arsenic, when I used to PMS the HULK used to come out to play. I was an absolute monster and I couldn't control myself. I switched birth controls and I had endometriosis and got laproscopic surgery to fix it and that took care of it. I would suggest looking into birth controls mainly. I feel your aggravation with knowing that you have no control over yourself.