Randomised trial, 1995
Do vaginal progesterone suppositories relieve PMS symptoms?
Overall PMS scores were not significantly better with progesterone than placebo, but a specific group of 'nervous' symptoms, tension, mood swings, irritability, anxiety and lack of control, did improve significantly.
What they did
Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 25 women with moderate to severe PMS; 17 completed 7 months of 200 mg progesterone vaginal suppositories (twice daily) or placebo. Symptoms were rated with the Spielberger, Beck and Hamilton scales, monthly psychiatrist interviews, ovulation charts and blood hormone tests.
What they found
Hormone levels (including beta endorphin, progesterone, FSH, LH, estradiol and prolactin) showed no differences between the treatment and placebo groups. Overall scores across all rating tools were not significantly different between groups. However, within the 'nervous symptoms' subcategory, there was a significant improvement in tension, mood swings, irritability, anxiety and lack of control with progesterone.
What it means for you
Progesterone metabolites may have a calming (anxiolytic) effect that helps specific anxiety-related PMS symptoms, even though it didn't improve PMS symptoms overall. The study was very small (only 17 of 25 enrolled women completed it), so results need confirming in larger trials, and it's unclear which women benefit most.
25
Women enrolled
17
Women who completed trial
7 months
Trial duration
About the study
- Original title
- Efficacy of progesterone vaginal suppositories in alleviation of nervous symptoms in patients with premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Baker ER, Best RG, Manfredi RL et al.
- Journal
- Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics
- Year
- 1995
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 25
- What was tested
- 200 mg progesterone vaginal suppositories, twice daily, versus placebo, for 7 months.
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/bf02211800
Topics
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