About a week ago Snoopy and Lisa suggested Puls 6C for my chronic discomforts (I reproduced the list here below my signature). Many of these have to do with female hormones/reproductive system/perimenopause, and Snoopy noted Puls has a lot of applicability to this area.

It happens I've been experiencing an especially bad spell of premenstrual syndrome since starting that thread. The main symptoms of PMS with me, when severe, are extreme drowsiness, gloom and "brain fog." I had obtained some Puls 6C and last night around 9 pm decided it was time to give it a whirl. I dissolved 5 pellets in my mouth under the tongue. Interestingly, right after doing so I experienced a fairly sharp increase in mental clarity for about half an hour. Then I went back to being rather groggy, but it seemed to me that some of the secondary physical symptoms were slightly less (these include exacerbations of both palpitations and irritable bowel, and various muscle/joint aches and pains).

This morning I put 5 of the pellets in a bottle of water (I forgot Snoopy had specified one pellet in another thread, but it doesn't really matter that I used 5, does it?). I succussed 10 times, and drank about 2 ounces of this. Well, I thought I was going to fall asleep at the wheel driving to work, which is fairly unusual nowadays. And all day I was in a ghastly mood... I felt like everyone was against me and the battle of life was hardly worth fighting. Yet physically, I thought I was still a bit better, and my concentration and mental clarity were decent, considering that in typical PMS, the symptoms steadily worsen until menses begins.

I don't know what to think about how the Puls is affecting me. Should I continue with it?

I should perhaps mention that there could be a bit of postviral syndrome affecting me this week. I recently was ill with the worst influenza I've had in about 25 years (fever 102.5-104 for several days with all the other typical influenza symptoms, beginning Jan. 27). The "hangover" of bronchitis from this episode has been just about gone for almost two weeks now, but there is still a slight trace of it and I still have a persistent tinnitus (ringing in the ears) that seemed to come along with the flu. (Anyone know a specific remedy for that? I'm getting really sick of it...)

Thanks in advance for any thoughts and suggestions! See below if you didn't read my original post or would like to review my list.

Avalon

1=Past 3 to 4 years
(I lost an 8-year job that I liked, due to a new boss who didn't like me, in '98 and my boyfriend of 4 years moved to Europe in '99. I also began to show signs of very early perimenopause in '99 or '00.)

2=Past 10 years
(My mother died rather suddenly of stroke at age 66 in 1992, traumatic for me as an only child; I had sort of a codependent relationship with her)

3=Always, or at least since young adulthood

1 Extreme sensitivity to noise of all kinds
1 Anhedonia (little joy or interest in things)
1 Palpitations, chest tightness when lying down
1 Mood usually either angry, melancholy or grieving
1 Poor concentration
1 Plantar fasciitis of right foot for past 6-9 months (Rhus tox. helps a little)
1 Prone to compulsive shopping and hoarding behavior
1 Feels that life is over; fearful of future
1 Nausea and/or transient nasal stuffiness when tense
1 Perimenopausal
1 Tendency to dry eyes
1 Always "playing catch-up"
1 Cannot tolerate clutter
1 Often drowsy/weary
1 Loves to walk (but hips, lower legs and feet, especially right foot, hurt after a while; knees are OK)
1 Can't find time/energy/motivation to exercise any more (due partly to longer commute beginning 3/01)
1 Strongly torn between city and country
1 Cannot sleep more than 5 hours
1 Typically goes to bed at 2 a.m. but sometimes naps between 9 and 12
1 Former drinker (quit March 2001)
2 Former smoker (quit 1992)
2 Cannot bear to contemplate suffering or conflict, human or animal; cries easily
2 Irritability and resentment override desire to be gracious and courteous to others
2 Intermittent soreness of tongue and mouth
3 Extremely uncomfortable in closed spaces with no air moving; craves fresh air
3 Obsessive
3 Alternately suspicious/pessimistic and gullible
3 Feels outcast; no social confidence
3 Cannot resist urge to complain at risk of annoying others
3 Moderately nearsighted in one eye; vision impairment/eye strain worse some days than others
3 Haunted by childhood vacation spot, still returns every year
3 Irritable bowel (alternating constipation and diarrhea, gassy)
3 Acid reflux esophagitis
3 Lower abdomen tender to pressure, painful to stretch (this for many years)
3 Uterine fibroids and endometriosis

Circumstances: Lives alone (except for 3 cats), never married, childless, professional, works in office as staff editor/writer at computer all day

Physical: 5'2", 135 lb, 49 years old, medium build, light skin w/some freckles and red undertone, brown eyes, brown hair with a lot of gray in front, soft nails, fairly youthful appearance

Favorite foods: cheeses (strong like Romano or sweet/rich like ricotta/mozzarella), whole wheat pasta, red meat, squid, beans, good dark chocolate, chicken broth, deep green vegetables, honey, potato chips, dairy treats (ice cream, pudding, yogurt) that are not too sweet

[ 22 February 2002, 01:40: Message edited by: Avalon ]