Randomised trial, 1998
Which medication works best for severe PMS: fluoxetine, propranolol, alprazolam, or pyridoxine?
Fluoxetine at 10 mg reduced symptoms by 65.4%, the most of any drug tested. Propranolol reduced symptoms by 58.7%, alprazolam by 55.6%, and pyridoxine by 45.3%. Placebo also helped significantly, reducing symptoms by 39.4-46.1%.
What they did
120 women with severe PMS were divided into four groups of 30. Each woman received three months of placebo, then three months of one of four active drugs: pyridoxine (300 mg/day), alprazolam (0.75 mg/day), fluoxetine (10 mg/day), or propranolol (20-40 mg/day depending on whether she was menstruating).
What they found
Symptom reduction was: fluoxetine 65.4%, propranolol 58.7%, alprazolam 55.6%, pyridoxine 45.3%, and placebo 39.4-46.1%.
What it means for you
Fluoxetine was the most effective drug tested for severe PMS, but all treatments including placebo reduced symptoms. The strong placebo response (39-46% improvement) highlights how much a woman's expectations and belief in a treatment matter for PMS symptom relief.
120
women total
65.4
percent symptom reduction (fluoxetine)
39-46
percent symptom reduction (placebo)
About the study
- Original title
- A double-blind trial of four medications to treat severe premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Diegoli MS, da Fonseca AM, Diegoli CA et al.
- Journal
- International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
- Year
- 1998
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 30
- What was tested
- Pyridoxine 300 mg/day vs alprazolam 0.75 mg/day vs fluoxetine 10 mg/day vs propranolol 20-40 mg/day vs placebo
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0020-7292(98)00035-6
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