Randomised trial, 1997
Is fluoxetine an effective treatment for PMDD?
Yes. Fluoxetine significantly improved both emotional and physical symptoms, with 11 out of 17 women (65%) no longer meeting PMDD diagnostic criteria during treatment.
What they did
A double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial of fluoxetine in 17 women with confirmed PMS who also met criteria for PMDD. A subset of 10 women with PMDD and 10 controls also received a single m-CPP challenge during both follicular and luteal phases to see if acute response predicted treatment response.
What they found
Compared with baseline, fluoxetine significantly improved both emotional and physical symptoms while placebo did not. Eleven women (65%) were fluoxetine responders who no longer met PMDD criteria during fluoxetine but remained symptomatic during placebo. Seven of 10 women showed acute symptomatic improvement following m-CPP administration.
What it means for you
SSRIs like fluoxetine are an effective treatment for PMDD. A person's acute response to a serotonin-acting drug may help predict whether they will respond to fluoxetine treatment long term.
17
women with PMDD
11
responders to fluoxetine (65%)
7 of 10
improved with m-CPP in subset
About the study
- Original title
- Fluoxetine in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoria
- Authors
- Su TP, Schmidt PJ, Danaceau MA et al.
- Journal
- Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Year
- 1997
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 17
- What was tested
- Fluoxetine versus placebo (crossover trial); subset had m-CPP challenge
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0893-133x(96)00245-x
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