FML! And I mean Flax My Life!

Everything Else Didn’t work. For years, the two weeks before my period felt like a completely different life. I remember thinking “here we go again… two weeks of hell where my real self disappears and I become fully convinced I am the saddest, most underachieving failure ever to walk the earth”.

Not just irritability and body aches — but a deep, heavy depression that arrived on cue every month. The kind where even when you know it’s hormonal, you can’t rationally act or think differently.

PMDD Treatments that did not work:

I want clearly communicate my experience, because I know many women have gone through the laundry list of things.

St. John’s wort: no meaningful change / made me sleepy and fatigued.
Vitex / Chaste Tree: no change. Increased anxiety.
Omega-3s: supportive for general health, but not a fix
Magnesium: helpful overall, but didn’t touch PMDD
Calcium: moderately supportive when taken for 7 days before my period, but not the game changer
B vitamins: made me feel worse (anxious, overstimulated)

I got bloodwork done and all seemed normal, I worked with a naturopath who gave me a list of supplements that did nothing. My GP strongly suggested anti-depressents which I was dead-set against. I was told, implicitly or explicitly, that this was just something to manage.

And then — almost accidentally — I added ground, sprouted flaxseed to my diet daily.

And my PMDD… basically stopped.

What really convinced me this wasn’t a coincidence was how fast and how consistently things changed. The shift happened within one or two cycles — almost overnight in PMDD terms. And I didn’t just notice an improvement; I noticed the absence of something that had been crushing me every month.

To test myself, I stopped taking flax for about a month. The symptoms started creeping back. When I resumed it, they faded again. That kind of on–off pattern is hard to ignore. What used to be debilitating two weeks out of four became normal periods — maybe a touch of irritability in the few days before, a bit of sensitivity — but nothing that hijacked my life. No darkness. No losing myself. Just… normal.

For me, Flax Was a Miracle

This post isn’t about claiming flaxseed “cures” PMDD. It’s about sharing something that dramatically helped me when many other things didn’t — and hoping it helps just one more woman searching everywhere for an answer.

What is PMDD, and yes you can have it with “Normal” Hormones

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe, cyclical condition linked to the menstrual cycle that causes intense mood and nervous-system symptoms in the days or weeks before a period. Unlike typical PMS, PMDD can involve depression, irritability, anxiety, and a feeling of “not being yourself” — even when hormone levels are normal.

One of the most confusing parts of PMDD is that hormone tests often come back normal. Mine did. That’s because PMDD usually isn’t about how much estrogen or progesterone you have — it’s about how your brain and nervous system respond to normal hormonal changes.

Think of it less like a hormone deficiency and more like hormone sensitivity. Two people can have the same hormone levels. One feels fine. The other feels overwhelmed, depressed, irritable, or unlike themselves. That distinction matters.

Sensitive People Are More Affected by PMDD

I have a sensitive nervous system and always have. I’m more affected by noise, light, chaos, and overstimulation than the average person. It’s just how my system is wired — my grandma was the same. PMDD is increasingly understood as a condition of heightened nervous-system reactivity to normal hormonal shifts, not abnormal hormone levels.

What Flaxseed Does for PMDD

I started eating ground, sprouted flaxseed regularly — not as a supplement, just as food. I try to get 2tbsp per day.

1. Estrogen handling, not estrogen levels

Flax is rich in lignans, which help the body metabolize estrogen into less inflammatory forms and support its clearance through the gut. This doesn’t lower estrogen aggressively — it changes how it’s processed.

2. Gut–brain connection

Hormones are recycled in the gut. If estrogen isn’t cleared efficiently, it can be reabsorbed and amplify symptoms. Flax supports regular elimination and gut signalling.

3. Nervous system smoothing

PMDD is deeply tied to how the brain responds to hormonal shifts — especially during the transition into the luteal phase. Flax seems to reduce volatility rather than forcing hormones up or down. For someone like me — sensitive, responsive, reactive to strong supplements — this mattered.

Flax for PMDD Natural Treatment Protocol

2tbsp Ground flax per day (whole seeds pass right through)
Regular intake, 4–7 days per week
Giving it time (weeks, not days)

Yes it is that simple! And — very important — listening to your own body. If something makes you feel worse, that’s information, not failure.

This is the brand I use, it is sprouted which adds bioavailability, but I am sure any ground flax will work!

The Takeaway

What this experience taught me is that: “Normal labs” don’t mean “nothing is wrong”. PMDD is often about sensitivity, not deficiency. Gentle, food-based interventions can sometimes do what strong supplements can’t. You’re not imagining it And you’re not broken.

This is not medical advice — just my experience. If you’re struggling with PMDD, I hope this story helps you feel less alone — so you can get back to living your Zesty Life!!! If you’re curious about trying flax for your PMDD I would love to hear in the comments.

Flax Recipes

→ Cacaoabunga! Zesty Adventure Bars
→  Falling for You Breakfast Bowl
→  Chia up, it’s a beautiful day!