--- title: Do women with premenstrual tension have too much water in their bodies? description: Women with premenstrual tension had normal total body water, but showed an imbalance between water and potassium during the late menstrual phase. Diuretics an url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/body-water-and-weight-in-patients-with-premenstrual-tension-1978/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with premenstrual tension have too much water in their bodies? Study, 1978 # Do women with premenstrual tension have too much water in their bodies? Women with premenstrual tension had normal total body water, but showed an imbalance between water and potassium during the late menstrual phase. Diuretics and bromocriptine did not help. Moderate study design 20 women with severe premenstrual tension and 20 control women without symptoms ## What they did 20 women with severe premenstrual tension and 20 control women without symptoms were studied. Doctors measured total body water, body potassium, and weight during different parts of the menstrual cycle. Some women with tension were also given a diuretic (bumetanide) or bromocriptine to test if these helped. ## What they found Total body water and potassium levels were similar in both groups on average. However, during the late menstrual phase (luteal phase), the water-to-potassium ratio was considerably higher in women with premenstrual tension compared to control women. Water and weight changed more between cycle phases in women with tension. Treatment with bumetanide or bromocriptine did not affect these measurements. ## What it means for you The issue in premenstrual tension may be related to how the body handles the balance of water and potassium during part of the cycle, not just having more total water. Diuretics and bromocriptine did not help correct this. The main limitations are the small groups (20 and 20) and only one type of ratio was measured differently. 20 women with tension 20 control women ## About the study Original title Body water and weight in patients with premenstrual tension Authors Andersch B, Hahn L, Andersson M et al. Journal British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Year 1978 Study design Study Participants 20 Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/567064/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/567064/) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Diuretics and other drugs](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diuretics-other-drugs/) 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 Systematic review, 2008 What treatments work best for PMS and PMDD? Randomised trial, 2025 How do leptin levels and combined medical treatments affect premenstrual symptoms in obese women? Randomised trial, 2024 Do hormonal changes in obese women cause worse PMS, and can medications help? Randomised trial, 2007 Does bromocriptine or pyridoxine help reduce PMS symptoms? Randomised trial, 2006 Do different types of PMS symptoms respond better to different medicines? Randomised trial, 1992 Does bromocriptine help premenstrual syndrome? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗