Survey study, 2012

Do women with PMS drink alcohol differently than other women?

Women with PMS mood patterns reported higher hard alcohol use and felt less negative when drinking than women with other mood patterns. The link may relate to how hormones affect brain chemistry and alcohol's mood effects.

Early or limited evidence 161 college-aged women

What they did

College women (161) who had previously tracked their daily mood for two full menstrual cycles were later asked to report their typical alcohol use and how they felt emotionally when drinking.

What they found

Women with PMS mood patterns reported significantly higher hard alcohol use, less negative affective response to alcohol, and lower sleep disruption after drinking compared to women with mid-cycle mood patterns.

What it means for you

Women whose mood dips before their period may be more likely to drink heavily, possibly because alcohol affects their mood differently during their cycle. The main limitation is that women were asked to remember and report past drinking, which is less accurate than directly tracking use.

161

College women studied

Full menstrual cycles tracked by each woman

About the study

Original title: Affective response to the menstrual cycle as a predictor of self-reported affective response to alcohol and alcohol use
Authors: Kiesner J
Journal: Archives of women's mental health
Year: 2012
Study design: Survey study
Participants: 213
What was tested: None (observational study using past mood tracking)
Read the paper: doi.org/10.1007/s00737-012-0303-1

Topics

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)Menstrual cycle and mood Sleep and insomnia Alcohol, smoking and substance use

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