Randomised trial, 2020
Does N-acetylcysteine (NAC) work for PMDD as well as fluoxetine?
Yes. NAC worked about as well as fluoxetine for PMDD, and both worked better than placebo.
What they did
119 women were randomly assigned to take either 450 mg NAC twice daily, 10 mg fluoxetine twice daily, or placebo daily for 2 weeks of the menstrual cycle for 2 menstrual cycles. Symptom severity was measured with questionnaires.
What they found
All three groups improved significantly. NAC and fluoxetine worked equally well, with no statistical difference between them. Both NAC and fluoxetine were significantly better than placebo.
What it means for you
NAC might be a useful alternative to fluoxetine for PMDD. However, this was a relatively short study and researchers recommend larger studies with longer treatment to confirm these findings.
119
women studied
450 mg
NAC dose twice daily
2
menstrual cycles treated
About the study
- Original title
- Assessment of N-acetylcysteine as an Alternative for the Treatment of the Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Authors
- Fatemeh Rajabi, Monireh Haghanifar, Mohammad Javad Tarrahi
- Journal
- Journal of Pharmaceutical Care
- Year
- 2020
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 119
- What was tested
- N-acetylcysteine 450 mg twice daily versus fluoxetine 10 mg twice daily versus placebo, for 2 weeks per cycle for 2 menstrual cycles
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.18502/jpc.v7i4.2377
Topics
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