---
title: Does bromocriptine help premenstrual syndrome? | Niyora
description: Bromocriptine helped significantly with physical symptoms like abdominal tension, water retention, weight gain, and breast tenderness. It was less clear wheth
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/bromocriptine-bromergon-lek-in-the-management-of-premenstrual-syndrome-1992/
---

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- Does bromocriptine help premenstrual syndrome?

Randomised trial, 1992

# Does bromocriptine help premenstrual syndrome?

Bromocriptine helped significantly with physical symptoms like abdominal tension, water retention, weight gain, and breast tenderness. It was less clear whether it helped with mood symptoms like depression and irritability.

 Moderate study design

21 women with premenstrual syndrome

## What they did

Double-blind, randomized, crossover trial. 21 women with PMS took either bromocriptine 5 mg daily from cycle day 10 until menstruation for 2 cycles, then placebo for 2 cycles, or vice versa. Women completed a symptom scale every 3 days.

## What they found

Statistically significant improvement in physical symptoms: abdominal tension, edema (water retention), weight gain, and breast tenderness. For mood symptoms (depression and irritability), women's self-ratings showed improvement, but the formal scale scores and doctors' assessments did not show a difference between bromocriptine and placebo.

## What it means for you

Bromocriptine is better at treating the physical bloating and water retention side of PMS than the mood side. The conflicting results for mood symptoms mean we cannot be sure if it actually helps with depression and irritability or if the improvement was perceived only. The study is small.

21

women with PMS

5 mg

daily dose

score 20+

premenstrual symptom severity

## About the study

Original title Bromocriptine (Bromergon, Lek) in the management of premenstrual syndrome Authors Meden-Vrtovec H, Vujić D Journal Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology Year 1992 Study design Randomised trial Participants 21 What was tested Bromocriptine 5 mg daily from cycle day 10 to menstruation for 2 cycles Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1294345/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1294345/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Diuretics and other drugs](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diuretics-other-drugs/)

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