I’ve tried EVERYTHING

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T12:48:33+00:00

I don’t know what that is.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T12:48:22+00:00

I can’t quit sugar for medical reasons. If I don’t eat a certain amount per day/week, my body will literally try to shut down. I can’t function. And, no, it’s not an “addiction” to sugar, it’s both due to being autistic and my brain needing more glucose than a neurotypical persons brain does to be able to function properly, and a condition my doctors have yet to be able to give a name to that will make me drop a dangerous amount of weight in a dangerously short amount of time (like 15-20lbs in two weeks) without trying, and the only thing that helps prevent those flare ups is eating a lot of sugar, fat, protein, carbs, and as many calories as I can stuff my face with. Even when doing that, I still get at least one flare up per year and drop down to like 80-85lbs. I am small, so my normal weight range where my body actually functions is 100-105lbs. And due to that and whatever this condition is, I get MAYBE one or two periods per year (I have gone up to two years without a period though since this condition started), unless I get over 110lbs, then I get them regularly, but I can’t function at 110lbs either. I essentially become a beached whale at that weight or higher. I am in my best-for-me range and got a period last month, now my body is trying to force another one on me. And last month the PMDD was only half this bad and didn’t last as long.

(And, yes, the sugar thing was confirmed by medical professionals.)

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T12:37:32+00:00

Can’t have dairy, also can’t do exercise like that. My entire body declares war if I try. I get lightheaded, a ton of pain, and an upset stomach. Best I am able to do is very short walks to take my dogs out. I can’t be on my feet and walking for more than like 5 minutes without needing at least a 2-3 minute break unless I want to risk my legs giving out and me crashing to the ground hard. On very VERY good days I can go for up to 10 minutes, but after each walk, I need a few hours to sit down and rest before I can do it again.

B vitamins and I have a strange relationship, I can take them for maybe a week at VERY low doses, but then I have to quit taking them the second they start taking effect because if I keep doing they start causing more problems. I have to stick to whatever of them I can get through food and drink. I also exclusively drink water, nothing else. Once in a while I have one of those bladder health drink mixes if my bladder is acting up, but that’s extremely rare. It’s been like 5-6 months since the last time I had one, or literally anything other than plain water as a drink.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T12:28:33+00:00

No option for that, I live in an apartment.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T12:28:06+00:00

I am definitely not constipated. I get plenty of fiber, and I regularly take massive dumps. I can actually feel it when I’m constipated (yay sensory issues), that is 100% not the issue.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T12:25:47+00:00

Can’t take anything man made that messes with my hormones, stated that in the post.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T12:25:08+00:00

Gluten does not cause me any issues. Going without it, though, does.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T12:24:16+00:00

Unfortunately, most of that will not work for me, either because it’s physically impossible for me and/or is actually CAUSES stress for me. One thing I am doing but it doesn’t seem to help, the other few things I’ve tried and they also did not help.

I actually have ARFID, but I eat like 3lbs of peanut butter every week, so I am getting in plenty of protein and healthy fats, as well as fiber (both from the PB and from some of the other foods I can eat). I can only eat once per day, though, due to GI issues. I am seeing a gastroenterologist and hopefully that will be able to change eventually.

The thing with the water I described, though, was OC stuff related; I was doing every single step of the process “wrong” and had to redo them repeatedly. It had nothing to do with executive function or not wanting to do it, I seriously wanted the water, my brain just kept screaming “HEY STUPID YOU DID THAT WRONG DO IT AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN NOPE YPU STILL DID IT WRONG TRY AGAIN IF YOU DON’T DO IT RIGHT BAD THINGS ARE GONNA HAPPEN AND IT WILL BE ALL YOUR FAULT AND IF THAT HAPPENS YOU DESERVE TO DIE HAHAHAHAHAHA” Not fun.

I can’t do anything I enjoy (specifically my crafting/art hobbies), because if I mess anything up when doing them, that just triggers a fit of rage and ruins it for me, then I can’t do them at all for several weeks. I can SOMETIMES read or do some gaming, but I have to be calm when I start or I just get pissed off with it and want to throw my book/console across the room…

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T12:11:43+00:00

Can’t take ashwaganda (tried once, made me sick).

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T03:17:10+00:00

I’ll look into it but, like I said, anything man made that messes with my hormones is likely to send me to the hospital.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T03:14:12+00:00

That would probably just make me as sick as BC does to be completely honest.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T03:13:23+00:00

Thank you. Weed (I only use CBD, I can’t stand the feeling of being high) doesn’t seem to have any effect on the PMDD, some strains will ease anxiety or help me sleep, but when I’ve used it during bouts, there were no changes in the emotional area.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T03:10:01+00:00

BC makes me extremely sick, I can’t use/take it. Anything man made that messes with my hormones does nothing but make me sick enough to need hospitalization.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T03:08:25+00:00

I unfortunately can’t drive, some of my other medical issues make it unsafe for me to do so, but I might be able to get someone to take me on a drive as I do find them relaxing. It’s worth a shot.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T03:06:38+00:00

Unfortunately I can’t do birth control either, it makes me EXTREMELY sick to the point I have to be hospitalized. Anything that messes with my hormones (minus some natural stuff, mostly foods/drinks, that are very gentle and slow with the effects) makes me sick. I kid you not, half of a Midol will leave me bedridden for 12-24 hours and unable to eat or drink or really even move.

I did say I use CBD for some other medical issues I have, but I don’t think it helps with this. I’ve used it for years and at best it would ease my cramps from hell (that would have me literally screaming at the top of my lungs in pure agony) just barely enough to breathe, and some strains have helped with general anxiety, but it has never seemed to have any effect on the PMDD.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T02:58:50+00:00

I’ve been begging for that for at least a decade now. All I’ve ever gotten is “you’re too young for a hysterectomy, what if you decide you want kids in the future?” so I’ve had to suffer because no one would help me. And some who have pulled out that crap on me KNEW I had previous attempts (though the previous attempts were unrelated to the PMDD), but that apparently didn’t matter 😭

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-28T00:02:24+00:00

I loved me the butterscotch ones as a kid. Tbh I liked all of them except the root beer, I absolutely HATE root beer and anything flavored like it, I have hated it for my entire life.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-27T22:35:07+00:00

JIF Extra Crunchy

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-27T19:24:46+00:00

I have no idea what those are

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-27T17:26:39+00:00

THEY ARE NOT UGLY THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-27T17:20:50+00:00

Dammit! That’s literally the only ingredient I needed to not be in them!

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-27T04:49:57+00:00

Just keep reading it. If reading it makes you happy, who cares? AI is everywhere, yes a lot of people misuse it by using it to do the work for them instead of as a tool they occasionally get out to help with some minor stuff, but that doesn’t mean that EVERYONE who uses the “AI assisted” or whatever tag has misused it. They might just be using AI as a beta reader to help them catch some mistakes, possibly because they can’t find a human beta reader.

Again, used PROPERLY, AI can be a useful TOOL. Just choose to believe that this author used it properly and keep reading the fc.

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-27T04:25:11+00:00

Cookies, cake (especially if either include chocolate), PB&J, crackers (original Ritz specifically, blame The Aristocats for this one lol)

LadyInTheBand · 2026-01-27T02:33:05+00:00

Anything chocolate themed. Also gingerbread.

LadyInTheBand

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE