Helen Flanagan has revealed that she was left bed bound for days by a 'debilitating' disorder until a £1 'female Viagra' pill saved her from the 'dramatic lows' in her mood.

The former Corrie star, 35, suffers from PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) which is a a severe mood disorder that involves intense emotional and physical symptoms, such as extreme irritability, depression, anxiety, and physical pain.

Helen told how the disorder 'rules her life' and significantly impacts her relationships but that she has now found a cheap pill that helps her massively with her symptoms.

Dubbed the 'female Viagra', Helen now takes the 'Golden Pill' supplement made by Elle Sera, which costs just £1.66 a day. 

While it is made to boost the libido, she says it has also helped to stabilise her hormones when she takes it regularly.

It has been so successful for her that when she forgot to take it this past month the results were significant and she suffered with extreme anxiety and dark thoughts.

She told The Sun: 'In September, I had it terribly, I actually went to bed for two days, and I never actually do that.

'I had lots going on in my life that I can't talk about, because obviously life is very, very stressful for all of us, we've all got different stresses going on, but how I deal with stress and life's challenges is just crazy.'

She added of when she does take the pill: 'I've always had a good sex drive. But I think it's just made me feel stronger, more level, more balanced out. I haven't felt the dramatic lows before my period.' 

One of the treatments for dealing with PMDD is a hysterectomy but Helen has said she thinks that option is too drastic at her age. 

She added that while she is currently single, the disorder makes it hard to be in a relationship as some men 'don't understand how you're feeling.'

The candid interview comes after the mother-of-three issued a cryptic warning as she prepares to release a tell-all book.

Helen shot to fame as Rosie in the Cobbles in 2000 and has never left the limelight since.

In 2022, she had a very public split from her ex-fiancé Scott Sinclair, with whom she shares three children. 

She has also faced struggles with her mental health and suffered a psychotic breakdown due to a bad reaction to medication.

Now, Helen has vowed to reveal everything with no 'airbrushing' of what has really happened during her life, in one of the latest book releases from the Mirror.

Speaking ahead of its release in January, Helen told the publication: 'I was going to have to revisit painful times, digging deep into experiences I'd have much rather left buried in the past.'

She added: I've made mistakes, I've been hurt and I've had to rebuild from rock bottom, but I've also learned, grown and come out the other side a better, stronger person.

'Telling my truth meant no hiding – no glossing over or airbrushing.'

Helen and Scott split in 2022 after being together for 13 years and at the time Helen said 'I don't see it as a break-up, I see it as a divorce' due to having been together for so long, and having children together.

Looking back Helen admitted that she did not process her emotions properly and focused on work whilst navigating 'survival mode'.

Helen concluded: 'When you're 19 you can go out in Manchester and come home with a boyfriend a few days later, but I'm 35 now, I'm not really going to go on a night out am I, really?'

Last month, the beauty suffered a 'breakdown' and claimed she 'f***ing hates co-parenting' in an emotional Instagram post.

While sobbing into the camera, Helen said: 'I really, really struggle. I really struggle when they go away and I only like them going away if I'm doing something... I'm suffering really badly with anxiety at the moment'.

Earlier this year, her friends also confirmed that the actress had broken off her relationship with Robbie Talbot in May after experiencing a change of heart.

The couple met while appearing on Celebs Go Dating.

A source told The Sun: 'They want different things in life. She has just landed a new acting job and is trying to juggle work projects with the kids.

'She sat him down two weeks ago and said, ''This isn't working''... She just wants to be on her own for a while although she still has feelings for him.'

Weeks earlier, Helen admitted she was no longer living with the Liverpudlian after he briefly moved into her home, claiming it wasn't helpful for her children who 'miss' their dad. 

She told The Sun: 'I'd asked him to stay for a while, because I often get quite scared in the house on my own and feel safer with a man there.

'But Matilda is very sensitive and a proper daddy's girl, and she struggles with not seeing Scott as often as she'd like.

'I always think about how she feels when she misses her dad, and having my boyfriend there maybe doesn't help her.'

Also this year, Helen was forced to slash the price on her £1.5million family house as she put the home up for sale in May, before reducing it to £1.195million a month later.

Now, the detached, six-bedroom, 5,000sq ft home is up for £995,00.