Randomised trial, 1990
Does fluoxetine help severe PMS?
Yes, fluoxetine at 20 mg/day helped severe PMS. Eight of 9 women improved on fluoxetine compared to only 1 of 6 on placebo, and all women on fluoxetine chose to continue it after the study.
What they did
Women with severe PMS were first given placebo for one menstrual cycle to confirm their diagnosis. Those who still met PMS criteria were then randomly assigned to receive either fluoxetine (20 mg/day) or placebo for two more menstrual cycles.
What they found
Eight of the 9 women receiving fluoxetine responded to treatment. Only 1 of the 6 women receiving placebo responded. All 9 women on fluoxetine chose to continue with the treatment after the study ended.
What it means for you
Fluoxetine appears to effectively treat severe PMS. However, this study was very small (15 women total), so larger studies are needed to confirm these results.
15
women in study
20
fluoxetine dose (mg/day)
8 of 9
responded to fluoxetine
About the study
- Original title
- Fluoxetine in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Stone AB, Pearlstein TB, Brown WA
- Journal
- Psychopharmacology bulletin
- Year
- 1990
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 9
- What was tested
- Fluoxetine 20 mg/day vs placebo for two menstrual cycles
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2274633/
Topics
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