Randomised trial, 1990
Does progesterone or behavior therapy work better than placebo for PMS?
No. Over half of women in all three groups improved, but there were no significant differences between progesterone, placebo pills, or behavior therapy.
What they did
76 women with PMS kept a diary for 2 months and had an initial assessment. They were randomly assigned to progesterone treatment, placebo pills, or behavior therapy. Progress was rated by independent assessors at 3 and 6 months.
What they found
More than half of the women showed some improvement in all groups. There were no significant differences between the three treatments. Women taking progesterone or placebo reported side effects, and many stopped treatment.
What it means for you
Neither progesterone nor behavior therapy was clearly better than placebo for PMS. Main limits: negative finding so a larger study might find a benefit, and poor compliance with drug treatments.
76
women enrolled
3
month follow-up
6
month follow-up
About the study
- Original title
- Comparison of progesterone, placebo and behavioral psychotherapy in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Roslyn Corney, Ruth Stanton, Robert Newell et al.
- Journal
- Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Year
- 1990
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- What was tested
- Progesterone treatment versus placebo pills versus behavior therapy
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3109/01674829009084416
Topics
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