--- title: Does alcohol affect anxiety differently in women versus men, and does menstrual cycle phase matter? description: Yes. For women at the premenstruum, expecting alcohol increased reported anxiety, but actual alcohol appeared to reduce tension. Men showed increased physical url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/acute-alcohol-intoxication-negative-affect-and-autonomic-arousal-in-women-and-1982/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does alcohol affect anxiety differently in women versus men, and does menstrual cycle phase matter? Non-randomised trial, 1982 # Does alcohol affect anxiety differently in women versus men, and does menstrual cycle phase matter? Yes. For women at the premenstruum, expecting alcohol increased reported anxiety, but actual alcohol appeared to reduce tension. Men showed increased physical stress responses but no reduction in negative emotions. The study suggests menstrual cycle phase may influence how women respond to alcohol. Early or limited evidence 64 moderately drinking adults (women and men); menstrual cycle phase tracked in women not using oral contraceptives ## What they did 64 moderately drinking women and men completed a balanced placebo study. Participants received either alcohol or a placebo drink that looked identical. Researchers measured self-reported negative emotions and physical stress responses (heart rate and skin conductance). Menstrual cycle phase was tracked in women not using oral contraceptives. ## What they found For women at the premenstruum, expectation of alcohol was associated with higher self-reported anxiety, whereas actual alcohol seemed related to tension reduction. Alcohol tended to increase autonomic arousal in men, with no significant changes in negative affect. Moderate intoxication increased heart rate regardless of gender. Alcohol expectancy increased skin conductance in both men and women. ## What it means for you Women's emotional response to alcohol may depend on their menstrual cycle phase, particularly at the premenstruum. What a woman expects from alcohol may matter as much as what alcohol actually does. The study was small and used a balanced placebo design, which has limitations in what it can show about real alcohol use. 64 participants premenstruum menstrual phase with strongest findings moderate level of intoxication ## About the study Original title Acute alcohol intoxication, negative affect, and autonomic arousal in women and men Authors Sutker PB, Allain AN, Brantley PJ et al. Journal Addictive behaviors Year 1982 Study design Non-randomised trial Participants 64 What was tested Balanced placebo design with acute moderate alcohol versus placebo Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0306-4603(82)90020-x](https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4603(82)90020-x) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Alcohol, smoking and substance use](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-substance-use/) 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 Survey study, 1988 How do birth control methods and smoking affect menstrual periods? Review, 2018 Which women are most likely to experience hot flashes during menopause? Survey study, 2011 Is premenstrual syndrome related to major depression? Randomised trial, 1999 Does calcium reduce PMS symptoms? Cohort study, 1993 How common are premenstrual and menstrual symptoms in women? Survey study, 2025 Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗