--- title: Does chasteberry (Vitex agnus castus) work as well as fluoxetine for PMDD? description: Both treatments worked in similar numbers of women (68.4% for fluoxetine, 57.9% for Vitex), with no significant difference. Fluoxetine worked better for emoti url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/fluoxetine-versus-vitex-agnus-castus-extract-in-the-treatment-of-premenstrual-2003/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does chasteberry (Vitex agnus castus) work as well as fluoxetine for PMDD? Randomised trial, 2003 # Does chasteberry (Vitex agnus castus) work as well as fluoxetine for PMDD? Both treatments worked in similar numbers of women (68.4% for fluoxetine, 57.9% for Vitex), with no significant difference. Fluoxetine worked better for emotional symptoms while Vitex worked better for physical symptoms. Early or limited evidence 41 women with PMDD (13 completed treatment with fluoxetine, 11 with Vitex) ## What they did A single-blind, rater-blind randomized trial with 41 women with PMDD. After 2 months of screening, women were randomly assigned to receive either fluoxetine or Vitex agnus castus extract for 2 months of treatment. Symptoms were measured using several rating scales. ## What they found 68.4% of women (13 people) responded to fluoxetine and 57.9% (11 people) responded to Vitex, with no statistically significant difference between groups. Fluoxetine was more effective for psychological symptoms while the Vitex extract reduced physical symptoms. ## What it means for you Vitex may be a natural alternative to fluoxetine for PMDD with similar overall effectiveness but different benefits. Fluoxetine helps more with mood and anxiety while Vitex helps more with physical symptoms like bloating or breast tenderness. This was a very small pilot study, so the findings are preliminary and need confirmation in a larger study. 68.4% vs 57.9% women who responded to treatment (fluoxetine vs Vitex) 2 months treatment duration 41 women with PMDD enrolled ## About the study Original title Fluoxetine versus Vitex agnus castus extract in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder Authors Atmaca M, Kumru S, Tezcan E Journal Human psychopharmacology Year 2003 Study design Randomised trial Participants 13 What was tested Fluoxetine versus Vitex agnus castus extract for 2 months Read the paper [doi.org/10.1002/hup.470](https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.470) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Vitex agnus-castus (chasteberry)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-vitex/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Review, 2015 What do we know about PMS and PMDD and how are they treated? Systematic review, 2013 Does Vitex (chaste tree) help PMS and PMDD symptoms? Review, 2001 What is the best treatment approach for PMS and PMDD? Survey study, 2025 Which Kampo medicines do Japanese doctors use for PMS and PMDD? Randomised trial, 2013 What treatments work for PMDD? Randomised trial, 2011 Is Vitex agnus castus effective for premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗