--- title: Does a woman's alcohol consumption change during her menstrual cycle when she has premenstrual symptoms? description: No. While physical distress increased during the premenstrual and menstrual phases, alcohol consumption did not change with the cycle. Social factors such as url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/alcohol-consumption-and-menstrual-distress-in-women-at-higher-and-lower-risk-for-1990/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does a woman's alcohol consumption change during her menstrual cycle when she has premenstrual symptoms? Study, 1990 # Does a woman's alcohol consumption change during her menstrual cycle when she has premenstrual symptoms? No. While physical distress increased during the premenstrual and menstrual phases, alcohol consumption did not change with the cycle. Social factors such as spending time with others and the day of the week influenced drinking instead. Moderate study design 82 normally menstruating women: 52 at lower risk and 30 at higher risk for alcoholism based on family history ## What they did Eighty-two normally menstruating women (52 at lower risk and 30 at higher risk for alcoholism based on family history) recorded their daily alcohol intake, physical and emotional distress symptoms, and overall stress for two consecutive menstrual cycles. They did not know their menstrual cycles were being tracked. ## What they found Physical distress was significantly higher during the premenstrual and menstrual phases compared to other times. Negative emotions and overall stress did not change through the cycle. Women at higher risk for alcoholism drank more total alcohol overall. However, alcohol consumption was not related to the menstrual cycle, distress symptoms, or stress levels. Women reported drinking mainly for pleasure when with others, and drank more on weekends than weekdays. ## What it means for you Physical symptoms do increase during certain phases of the menstrual cycle, but this does not drive alcohol consumption. Social situations and habits control drinking patterns instead. This suggests the menstrual cycle itself does not cause increased drinking in young women. 82 Women studied: 52 at lower risk and 30 at higher risk for alcoholism 2 Consecutive menstrual cycles tracked ## About the study Original title Alcohol consumption and menstrual distress in women at higher and lower risk for alcoholism Authors Charette L, Tate DL, Wilson A Journal Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research Year 1990 Study design Study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.1990.tb00462.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.1990.tb00462.x) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[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, 2023 Is there a link between PMS symptoms and how the nervous system controls heart rate? Survey study, 2025 Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Review, 2025 How do stress hormone levels change during the menstrual cycle and how does this affect health? Systematic review, 2025 Does alcohol use affect menstrual health in teenage girls? Randomised trial, 2024 Does curcumin reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗