---
title: Does PMDD change how women respond to alcohol during their menstrual cycle?
description: Yes, women with PMDD show reduced sensitivity to alcohol in the late luteal phase of their cycle, while women without PMDD do not show this change.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/altered-sensitivity-to-alcohol-in-the-late-luteal-phase-among-patients-with-2004/
---

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- Does PMDD change how women respond to alcohol during their menstrual cycle?

Randomised trial, 2004

# Does PMDD change how women respond to alcohol during their menstrual cycle?

Yes, women with PMDD show reduced sensitivity to alcohol in the late luteal phase of their cycle, while women without PMDD do not show this change.

 Early or limited evidence

12 women with PMDD and 12 women without PMDD

## What they did

12 women with PMDD and 12 women without PMDD received a low dose of alcohol through an intravenous infusion on two separate days: once during the mid-follicular phase and once during the late luteal phase. Researchers measured eye movement responses to the alcohol and asked women to rate how intoxicated they felt.

## What they found

Women with PMDD showed significantly blunted eye movement responses to alcohol in the late luteal phase compared to the follicular phase (p<0.01 for both measures). Women without PMDD showed no difference in their eye movement responses between cycle phases.

## What it means for you

Women with PMDD may process or respond to alcohol differently in the late luteal phase. This could explain higher alcohol vulnerability during this time. However, this is a very small laboratory study using eye movement as a measure of intoxication.

12

women with PMDD

12

women without PMDD

p<0.01

significance of eye movement differences

## About the study

Original title Altered sensitivity to alcohol in the late luteal phase among patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder Authors Nyberg S, Wahlström G, Bäckström T et al. Journal Psychoneuroendocrinology Year 2004 Study design Randomised trial Participants 12 What was tested Low-dose IV alcohol, tested in mid-follicular and late luteal menstrual cycle phases Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0306-4530(03)00121-5](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0306-4530(03)00121-5)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Alcohol, smoking and substance use](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-substance-use/)

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