u/Emily-Persephone

For people who have taken Orlissa, how long did it take you to adjust and settle, emotionally?

I took my first dose last night and woke up super anxious. It may just be that my luteal phase should be starting right around now (I don't have a uterus so it's hard to estimate).

This time last week I was generally anxious/depressed but didn't feel hopefully or have such bad anxiety that I was shutting down and I actually got a lot done.

I have some very significant life stressors going on so my anxiety about my future housing and financial independence are definitely contributing but last week I at least felt like I can do this, and today I definitely don't. 🤣😭

It's probably a combo of my luteal phase, the medication, and my general life stressors happening.

I know everyone is different but I guess it helps to here how long it took others to adjust and that the medication did in fact help you get your life back? Because I definitely feel like I haven't even started my life yet and have been trying to do so now but I'm starting from where I should have at 17 so it's scary and anxiety inducing and hormones are making it worse. 🤣😭😅

It gets better, right?? 🤣

So, I've struggled with pmdd for a long time and used to take 20mg Lexapro for it and severe depression, but a few years ago I started developing paradoxal reactions from the Lexapro. It rook almost 3 years to figure out it was the potential cause (some other meds have triggered the same thing and none or my doctors know why or what's happening specifically).

The paradoxal reactions instantly would just happen when I'd have any caffeine or take my adderall but they started happening randomly. My muscles get really weak, my heart rate speeds up, I become a zombie but also feel really sad and nothing matters anymore. My life fell apart and I just gave up.

So I went off the lexapro accidentally and realized it wasn't happening anymore.

But them after a 2 months off it my pmdd came back full force. Sobbing nonstop for 2 weeks, feeling completely hopeless.

I'm already on the max doses of welbutrin, buspar, and lamictal. (I've got pretty severe depression and anxiety in general)

(EDIT to add: I've been on the estradiol cream since January 3rd)

My psychiatrist has had me try a few different ssris and snris over the last 6 months and everything has triggered it.

I had a hysterectomy and an ovarian resectioning in June 2025 and not much of my ovaries are left. I have been having mild hot flashes, dryness, and the worsened pmdd but we don't know if the worsening pmdd is perimenopause or just because I'm not on any ssri or birth control (was on deppo from age 14 to 22) for the first time in over a decade (give or take a year and a half when I lost my insurance).

So, since an ssri isn't an option my gyno wanted to try norethindrone to see if it evened out my cycle and helped with the mood swings.

I've taken it for 4 nights now and the last 3 nights I've had awful anxiety, trouble sleeping, and my headt rate has increased. I was confused about the anxiety because my luteal phase just ended and this is the rough time when I feel best. And I have, mostly, through the days, but have also had moments where life stressors trigger more significant mood swings than they typically would at this time.

I was browsing various reddit posts and it looks like these are common side effects of norethindrone and that it can make pmdd worse. Part of me wants to keep taking it to see if these side effects fade and part of me is so sick of feeling soul crushing hopelessness.

My doctor had said that the next step would be a medication to just shut down my ovaries so they can't fluctuate, and put me into full menopause.

I already run really hot and have hyperhydrosis that I take oral medication and use antiperspirant on a lot of my body for. So I know that full menopause will be absolutely miserable, especially since I'll be starting physical therapy for back stuff soon and am already really embaressed by how sweaty I always am.

But I feel like I'd rather be sweaty and alive than hopeless and homeless because I can't function and have no hope to get my life on track.

Has anyone else had issues with medication limitations and gone the full menopause route? Did it help?

I miss the person I used to be, when I actually felt like life was worth living, instead of this hollow shell just going through the motions and watching everything burn down around me. I want my life back.