Decoding Women’s Health with Dr. Elizabeth Poynor Decoding PMS and PMDD with Dr. Ruta Nonacs

What happens to a woman’s mental health when she experiences a major hormonal shift and what can she actually do about it? Dr. Ruta Nonacs is a reproductive psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Her work sits at the intersection of hormonal health and women’s mental well being. 

We break down how changes across a woman’s reproductive life—from PMS and PMDD to perimenopause and beyond—can affect mood, anxiety, and emotional health. Dr. Nonacs also walks us through treatment options, and when to seek help.

Links to resources mentioned in this episode:

Dr. Ruta Nonacs: https://researchers.mgh.harvard.edu/profile/14143654/Ruta-Nonacs

So Glad You Asked with Dr. Ruta Nonacs and Allie Hales: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/so-glad-you-asked-with-dr-ruta-nonacs-and-allie-hales/id1802653992

Essential Reads:  Ovarian Suppression for the Treatment of Severe PMDD: https://womensmentalhealth.org/posts/essential-reads-ovarian-suppression-for-the-treatment-of-severe-pmdd/

Chasteberry: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chasteberry

Co-administration of St. John’s wort and hormonal contraceptives: a systematic review: https://www.contraceptionjournal.org/article/S0010-7824(16)30164-0/abstract

Note: In this show, we use “women” as shorthand for people with XX chromosomes. We understand sex and gender are more complex, and acknowledge the experiences we describe reach beyond that word.