The name of this not-so-terribly-rare anomaly from "depressive MER" to "dysphoric MER", which implies shorter duration and a wider range of just-plain-no-fun feelings.  But it's still D-MER, and the website that a D-MER mother put together, www.d-mer.org, is getting better all the time.  For those who missed it before, there are some women who experience any oxytocin surge not as a pleasure but as a stomach-sinking feeling - guilt, homesickness, helplessness, hopelessness, sometimes even anger.  It seems to begin with the release of oxytocin in the brain, and disappears completely once the surge is over, reliable and unavoidable as a knee jerk.  

But we're still in a quandary about what causes it and what to do about it.  It sure seems that it's some combination of dopamine and prolactin, as well as oxytocin (as if any rise in oxytocin tips some balance that's already precarious).

It's been suggested that we seek the help of a neuropsychophysiologist, but those are a little scarce on the ground in the towns where she and I live.  Any thoughts?

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  Ithaca, NY  USA
www.normalfed.com

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