60% of women find some relief from SSRIs. Are you one of them?
I learned the hard way— through years of trial and error— that my PMDD did not respond to the first line treatment of PMDD. But many women do. Are you one of them?
What is an SSRI?
A Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) is a class of medications that work by blocking the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin in the brain, making more serotonin available in the synaptic space between neurons. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, emotion, sleep, and other functions. SSRIs are most commonly prescribed for depression and anxiety, but they have several other clinical uses — including PMDD.
What makes SSRIs unique in PMDD treatment is that they work unusually fast — often within days rather than the weeks it typically takes when treating depression.
Some Relief
Its important to note that SSRIs are not a cure and they may only offer partial relief. According to a 2012 study, SSRIs demonstrate modest to moderate efficacy in meta-analyses with improvement rates ranging from approximately 12% to 50%.
Pro-Tip: Skip the struggle and find out what SSRI works
Skip the struggle and find out what SSRI works for you or if they do at all by using a genetic testing service.
Here’s a service I used to find out how you will respond to different drugs: GeneInsight
The GeneSight Psychotropic test is a genetic test that shows your healthcare provider how your genes may affect medication outcomes. It will tell which medications to treat depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mental health conditions that require dose adjustments, are less likely to work, and have an increased risk of side effects based on your DNA.
Disclaimer: the test won’t tell you if a SSRI will be 100% effective in treating PMDD. However, it may give you a clue to which brand of SSRI may work if you do respond to them. I highly recommend this test either way. Depression is often a comorbidity of PMDD and this test will help you find a medication that will effectively treat it.
