This has been written by one of my clients. She gives her experience of PMS/PMDD and how acupuncture and herbal medicine helped her become symptom free. This was a simple case of Liver Qi Stagnation which responded well to acupuncture and the herbal medicine formula I prescribed for her. It is important to note that no two cases are the same as even though the illness and symptoms are the same, the people suffering are different. Note that treatment is completed and acupuncture is no longer necessary but she enjoys it so attends once a month.

Over the past few years, my PMS got worse to become severe, PMS. It was debilitating! two days every month I was unable to leave the house. Getting out of bed was a struggle and trying to stop crying was even harder! The panic attacks were increasingly worse. Then a few days later, when my period started, I would be my normal, happy self again and I would feel great for two weeks. Then like clockwork, I would start to feel the worrying and overthinking creeping in which would progressively get worse until I was due my period again and back to the impossible tasks of trying to stop crying, house bound self with numerous panic attacks.

I had no life as I started to spend my two good weeks worrying about what the later part of my cycle would bring. I worried about work as I was unable to face it for two days a month. It was a horrible routine my body was stuck in. I worried about my family and partner, they had to deal with me, they tried so hard in those horrible days to help me get through it.

Even with going to the doctor numerous times, they just kept handing me antidepressants and reiterating “we can’t refer you on for further investigations until you try the antidepressants”. They wanted me to take them continuously, then decided for me to take them only for my two bad weeks, stop them for my two good weeks, then back on them for two weeks... and so on for 3 months to see how I go on.

Even with me continuously telling them I am fine 2 weeks of a month; I feel my normal self and could deal with anything. Then bang, my two weeks downhill would hit. Also, I couldn’t risk the bad weeks to get any worse because I had already hit my lowest low during that time.

With this in mind, my head strong “I know I’m not depressed” attitude, my sister (who is a nurse) and myself did our own investigations. I knew it had to be hormone related as I was fine until ovulation hit.

My sister then found out about PMDD and my symptoms matched exactly.

A friend then recommended Maria to me, and what a life changing recommendation this was! From my first treatment with Maria, I felt more in control of my body and emotions. I had my last panic attack over lunch, the day after I was with Maria, but I noticed something different, I was able to gather myself together and go back into work. Something which I was never able to do! Previously I would have been inconsolable and just had to go home!

That was in June!

Now, thanks to treatments by Maria, taking the herbal medicine she prescribed and following her advice, I have been able to get my like back.

Now when it is around my period I just have minimal PMS symptoms, such as slight cramping and bit more tired, which I couldn’t be happier about.

Thanks to Maria, I have learnt more about my body and cycle than I ever thought I would. My cycle is healthy and I feel in control of my body. I will continue with monthly acupuncture with Maria to make sure I do keep in check with myself and to keep body in order, but I see these treatments as “me time” which I thoroughly look forward to.