u/Peachy_nPuzzled

I know there are so many different causes for migraines and this won’t work for everyone.

But I’ve been exploring the possibility of having MCAS for the past couple of months and since I’ve been taking antihistamines a bit more regularly my migraines have reduced.

I first started taking antihistamines because I had a cold and needed them and at that time I noticed that my PMDD symptoms improved.

I had heard that sometimes PMDD symptoms are misdiagnosed when someone actually has MCAS. I actually have some of the symptoms of MCAS too such as eczema/ rashes which flare up at times. Gastro symptoms. Brain fog. Fatigue.

Anyways, I’ve continued to take antihistamines at different phases of my menstrual cycle because apparently MCAS can worsen during ovulation and when your period comes. And I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence… but I’ve also not had any migraines since managing my PMDD in this way. My brain fog, mood and motivation have all improved a lot too.

Hope someone finds this interesting or helpful.

For context, I’ve been getting migraines since I was about 14. Frequency has varied but in recent years it’s been about continuous to 2 x per week (during bad periods) to 2 x per month (during better periods)

Btw I’m not doing this alone, I’ve been talking to my doctor about it as well who was also curious about MCAS.

Has the Fitbit ai coach previous stopped for now? It disappeared from my app.

It was really cool while it was working for about 3 days.

I found it very motivating to have personalised feedback and suggestions!

Hey guys,

I’ve been a bit of a lurker here and in and out because my doctors have not been sure whether my experiences would make sense for MCAS.

As many of you, it’s been a long and confusing process, seeing doctors, going for tests etc with no certain answers…

I also lurk a PMDD sub because I noticed a correlation between my symptoms and different phases of my menstrual cycle. I didn’t think it could be PMDD either though because I was under the impression that the symptoms would only be present right before and during your period… well I recently learnt that symptoms can spike during ovulation as well. Since tracking my cycle, I realised that ovulation and right before my period is when I usually feel the most shit.

ANYWAYS, in the lead up to my last period I got a cold and runny nose, so I was taking antihistamines almost daily for about a week. AND, I didn’t get the PMDD symptoms I usually do. It was so chill in fact that I reduced my SSRI that week (I didn’t realise my period was coming so soon, it was a few days early) because of how calm I felt. My doctor had been encouraging me to reduce the dose for a while because they thought I was stabilising (and I felt unsure but those last few weeks I began to think maybe I WAS stabilising)

I was shocked that cycle I had virtually no PMDD symptoms. And when I realised the timing of my antihistamine use I began to get curious about MCAS again… and people in the PMDD sub mentioned there’s a lot of misdiagnosis of MCAS for PMDD.

Fast forward to today, the day after my ovulation (roughly) and my mood got SO BAD. My energy was low too. I’m talking zero motivation and veeeery low low depressed mood.

I decided to take a nap and thought, what the heck I may as well take an antihistamine and see how I feel. Well, after about 30 mins, my mood has improved significantly and I was able to execute a few tasks on my to do list. I no longer feel a sense of dread and self-hate.

I don’t know if it’s a coincidence. I will continue to test my theory and ask my doctors what they think as well. Just wanted to share here. Does anyone else notice improvements to mood from the antihistamines?

I grew up with cats and dogs. Loved having pets. Especially my cats. They gave great cuddles. They had hilarious personalities. We were close but also it wasn’t too much. They kinda had their own lives as well.

As an adult, I haven’t had any pets due to life circumstances. However, I am beginning to consider the possibility of getting a cat. And the more I think about it, the more I wonder whether it would really improve my emotional wellbeing. Particularly the anxiety I feel when I’m by myself.

The snuggles, the warmth, the companionship. For context, I do have a child and a husband who are awesome. But I feel like I have even more love to give.

Am I just recalling the good things about having a cat? Those who do have pets, do you notice any impact on your mental wellbeing?

It’s a huge decision of course and I won’t jump into it lightly. Thankfully my husband is really good at grounding me and helping me to pause before doing something like this… but yes. Right now, I just feel like it would be an awesome choice to get a cat.

We already cat sit from time to time and have loved it. I think there are some shelters we could go to foster or adopt from too.

If you wanna share your experience with having a pet please do. I’d love to hear it :) not just cats.

Hey ya’ll

I’ve been on Zoloft for around 2.5 years 50mg

It’s been great and so helpful. Despite years of therapy it was the first thing to really help with my anxiety. Although therapy has been super helpful in other regards.

I’ve been stable for ages now and my psychiatrist has encouraged me to reduce my dose for like a year but I kept delaying it as I was afraid my anxiety would come back.

Then a few weeks ago it just felt like the right time. I was feeling so stable. So calm. It’s been 3 weeks half-dose so now I’m taking it every second day until I run out of meds.

I guess I just wanted to hear from others who have come off Zoloft what their experiences were? For now I have no side effects except some pretty intense dreams. I’m afraid my anxiety will come back. Is that others experience?

I do a lot of self care, exercise and thought management now so I’m hopeful that will make a difference. Haha I guess I am feeling anxious about my anxiety returning.

Thank you for reading and sharing your perspective!

I posted a little while ago how I go through periods of high productivity and burnout (like many or even all of us? Haha)

And I have felt so clueless as how to effectively pace myself such that I don’t get so overwhelmed and head into burnout or some serious health event.

Around when I made that post I had a holiday planned for 3 weeks. And anyway, the holiday itself wasn’t completely relaxing, as I needed to see a lot of people and travelling in itself can be a bit overstimulating. But it seems like it was still overall restful because I’ve returned home feeling calm and at peace.

It’s so rare to feel this way so I really want to take in these feelings for as long as I can.

Aside from going on holiday, when I returned home my work has been very quiet and I’m just focusing on my kid and running the house.

I’m beginning to think that at least for now, that’s maybe just my max capacity? Looking after my kid, the house and reduced work hours… not sure if I can sustain part-time work for long. But I wish I could.

It got me thinking about the way society is set up today. Parents working full time. Needing to run households and raise kids in ways which are sufficient. Such a strange transition, we went from raising kids in communities with multiple caregivers and leaning on each other for different things, to putting all the responsibilities on parents (and particularly women). Living alone with their kids. Not only do you need to work, run your house well but you also need to keep your kids engaged in activities and sufficiently stimulated/ socialised etc. No screen time. But also, make sure you’re preparing healthy meals and keeping on top of housework. The more I think about it the more insane it sounds.

Is this achievable for anyone? I digressed a bit here from what I was originally posting about. But yeah, keen to hear what others think about this whole thing or anything else you want to share.

Thank you for reading

Hello, one of my friend’s ex is going through pretty brutal cancer treatment. I’m looking for books and resources which are developmentally appropriate for a 3 year old which will help them understand a bit more about what’s going on, why they are unable to visit their parent for prolonged periods during treatment. The parents are separated so something which doesn’t focus too heavily on the parents relationship would be helpful. Thank you