--- title: Which birth control pill ingredient works better for PMS, desogestrel or drospirenone? description: Both pills reduced PMS symptoms, but drospirenone worked better and faster, showing significant improvements by the 3rd cycle while desogestrel only improved url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/a-comparative-efficacy-of-low-dose-combined-oral-contraceptives-containing-2013/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Which birth control pill ingredient works better for PMS, desogestrel or drospirenone? Randomised trial, 2013 # Which birth control pill ingredient works better for PMS, desogestrel or drospirenone? Both pills reduced PMS symptoms, but drospirenone worked better and faster, showing significant improvements by the 3rd cycle while desogestrel only improved after 6 cycles. Moderate study design 90 women with premenstrual syndrome who required birth control pills ## What they did In a randomized controlled trial, 90 women with PMS were divided equally into two groups. One group took 20 micrograms ethinyl estradiol with 150 micrograms desogestrel, the other took 20 micrograms ethinyl estradiol with 3 milligrams drospirenone for 6 cycles. ## What they found At the end of the 3rd and 6th cycles, drospirenone group had significantly lower symptom scores than the desogestrel group across all three phases (premenstrual, menstrual, postmenstrual). The desogestrel group only showed significant improvement in premenstrual and menstrual phases after 6 cycles. ## What it means for you Drospirenone appears to be a more effective birth control ingredient for PMS than desogestrel, with faster results. Side effects were similar between the two. This was a controlled trial with a reasonable sample size. 90 women 6 cycles of treatment 3 cycles for visible difference ## About the study Original title A comparative efficacy of low-dose combined oral contraceptives containing desogestrel and drospirenone in premenstrual symptoms Authors Wichianpitaya J, Taneepanichskul S Journal Obstetrics and gynecology international Year 2013 Study design Randomised trial Participants 90 What was tested Low-dose combined oral contraceptive pills with either desogestrel or drospirenone for 6 cycles Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1155/2013/487143](https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/487143) Original abstract Objective. To compare the efficacy of low-dose COC containing desogestrel (DSG) with drospirenone (DRSP) in the changes of premenstrual symptoms. Methods. In an open-label randomized controlled trial, 90 women with premenstrual syndrome who required COC were randomly recruited and allocated equally to receive either 6 cycles of 20 micrograms ethinyl estradiol (EE)/150 micrograms DSG (DSG group) or 20 micrograms EE/3 mg DRSP (DRSP group) in 24/4 extended regimen. Analysis of covariance and repeated analysis of variance were used to determine the difference of mean Women's Health Assessment Questionnaire (WHAQ) scores changes between groups, within group, and in premenstrual, menstrual, and postmenstrual phases. Results. Baseline characteristics and WHAQ scores were comparable. At the ends of the 3rd and the 6th cycles, mean WHAQ scores of all the 3 phases in DRSP group showed significant reduction and were significantly lower than those in DSG group. DSG group showed significant reduction in both premenstrual and menstrual phases after the 6th cycle. Adverse effects were comparable in both groups. In conclusion, low-dose COC containing either DSG or DRSP reduced premenstrual symptoms, but the latter showed greater efficacy and earlier reduction. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Randomised trial, 2024 Does estetrol/drospirenone birth control improve PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2024 What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS? Review, 2024 What are the most effective treatments for PMDD? Systematic review, 2023 What hormonal treatments have been tested for PMDD, menstrual migraine, and catamenial epilepsy? Systematic review, 2023 How common are menstrual cycle problems and PMS or PMDD in female athletes? Guideline, 2023 How are GnRH agonists used to treat PMDD that doesn't respond to standard medications? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗