Cohort study, 2020
Do SSRIs help women with both PMS and depression?
Women with both PMS and depression who took SSRIs showed improvement over 6 months. However, the evidence is weak because this was a small study without a control group.
What they did
Observational longitudinal study of 31 women with both PMS and major depressive disorder. Women received SSRI antidepressant treatment for 6 months and were evaluated twice during treatment.
What they found
Before treatment, women reported moderate to severe mood swings, anxiety, fatigue, breast tenderness, palpitations, abdominal bloating and headache. After 6 months of SSRI treatment, these same symptoms were present but mildly expressed. Symptom improvement was greater at month 3 than at month 6. The conclusion notes that SSRIs alleviate both symptom types at month three and even further, although less pronouncedly at month six.
What it means for you
SSRIs may help reduce both mood and physical PMS symptoms in women who also have depression. The evidence is limited because this was a small observational study without a comparison group, and we do not know whether these results apply to women with PMS alone.
31
women in study
6
months of treatment
About the study
- Original title
- Clinical Characteristics of PMS Co-Morbid with MDD and Effectiveness of SSRIs in its Treatment
- Authors
- R. Yakimova, Maya Y. Stoimenova-Popova, Petranka G. Chumpalova et al.
- Journal
- Acta Medica Bulgarica
- Year
- 2020
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- SSRI antidepressant treatment for 6 months
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.2478/amb-2020-0041
Topics
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