Randomised trial, 2002
Does the hormone allopregnanolone relate to how well antidepressants work for severe PMS?
Women whose PMS improved on antidepressants had significantly lower allopregnanolone levels than those who didn't improve. This is preliminary evidence but suggests allopregnanolone may play a role in treatment response.
What they did
Researchers gave 46 women with severe PMS either sertraline, desipramine, or placebo in a double-blind study for 2 to 3 months. They measured blood allopregnanolone levels before and after treatment and tracked symptom changes daily.
What they found
Women who improved had significantly lower allopregnanolone levels after treatment compared to those who didn't improve. The improvement was strongest for depression and appetite changes. These findings remained significant even after adjusting for which drug they took, cycle day, and other factors.
What it means for you
This is the first controlled study suggesting allopregnanolone may be involved in how antidepressants help PMS. The main limitation is the small sample size and that results are preliminary.
46
women studied
27 of 46
women improved
2-3 months
treatment duration
About the study
- Original title
- Allopregnanolone levels and symptom improvement in severe premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Freeman EW, Frye CA, Rickels K et al.
- Journal
- Journal of clinical psychopharmacology
- Year
- 2002
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 46
- What was tested
- Sertraline, desipramine, or placebo for 2 to 3 months
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1097/00004714-200210000-00013
Topics
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