Premenstrual Exacerbation (PME): PMDD or Something Else?
From The Sirona Health Podcast: PMDD, Hormones & Mental Health · 17:53
Show by Dr Georgina Standen
Does your depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder get worse in the week or two before your period? You may be describing premenstrual exacerbation (PME), and it isn’t the same as PMDD. In this episode, Dr Georgina Standen, GP and founder of Sirona Health, explains the difference, why it’s so often missed, and what can help.PME is increasingly described as the third menstrual-cycle-related mental health condition, alongside PMS and PMDD. In PMDD, symptoms come and go with the cycle and you get a symptom-free window after your period starts. In PME, an existing condition is always there, but it gets worse premenstrually and settles back to a baseline that is still not well.In this episode:How PME differs from PMDD and premenstrual breakthrough, and why the line between them is blurrier than it looksWhat a large Swedish study found about how often premenstrual disorders and psychiatric conditions occur togetherWhy memory isn’t a reliable guide, and how daily symptom tracking and the C-PASS scoring system help tell the patterns apartHow common PME is across depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, OCD, PTSD and psychosis, and where the evidence is firmer or weakerWhy this might happen, and what we do and don’t know about itWhat helps: treating the underlying condition well, adjusting medication across the cycle, cautious use of hormonal treatments, and psychological supportA note on safety if things get much worse before your periodIf you have a mental health condition and suspect your cycle is part of the picture, tracking your symptoms daily for two cycles is a good place to start, and the chart is worth taking to whoever treats you.The Sirona Health Podcast is hosted by Dr Georgina Standen, GP and founder of Sirona Health, a specialist women's health practice. Further information: sironahealth.co.uk This podcast is for general information only and doesn't replace individual medical advice — please speak to your GP or a specialist about your own symptoms. If you're struggling, please reach out for support.
More episodes of The Sirona Health Podcast: PMDD, Hormones & Mental Health
More episodes
- Therapy for PMDD: Does CBT, DBT or ACT Actually Help?
- How SSRIs, SNRIs and Quetiapine Fit Into PMDD Treatment
- PMDD treatment: GnRH analogues
- Hormonal treatments for PMDD: Beyond the combined contraceptive pill
- The Pill for PMDD: What It Actually Is, and Which One Has the Evidence
- PMS vs PMDD: Understanding the Key Differences
- The Numbers and the Picture: How Common Are PMS and PMDD, and What Do They Actually Look Like
- Diagnosing PMS vs PMDD and Getting a Diagnosis: How PMS and PMDD Are Actually Diagnosed, and What Cycle Mapping Adds
- PMDD Diagnosis: Why It Takes So Long, and Who Can Actually Help
- PMDD: It's Not Your Hormone Levels, It's Your Brain
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