Study, 1997
What medications work best for treating PMS?
SSRIs like fluoxetine and benzodiazepines like alprazolam have clear benefits for PMS. GnRH agonists also work well but cause too many side effects for routine use, and other drugs can treat specific symptoms like headaches or fluid retention.
What they did
Reviewed research on medications used to treat PMS.
What they found
Three main classes of medications help PMS. GnRH agonists (leuprolide acetate, nafarelin acetate, goserelin acetate) are highly effective in select cases but their side effects limit use to women who don't respond to other treatments. SSRIs (especially fluoxetine) and benzodiazepines (like alprazolam) have proven benefits and are more widely used. Danazol helps premenstrual headaches and spironolactone helps fluid retention.
What it means for you
Women with PMS have multiple medication options. SSRIs and benzodiazepines are preferred first because they work well with manageable side effects. If these don't help, stronger options like GnRH agonists are available, though their side effects limit regular use.
3
Classes of medications shown to help PMS
About the study
- Original title
- From GnRH to SSRIs and Beyond: Weighing the Options for Drug Therapy in Premenstrual Syndrome
- Authors
- Mortola JF
- Journal
- Medscape women's health
- Year
- 1997
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- Multiple medications: SSRIs, benzodiazepines, GnRH agonists, and symptom-specific drugs
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9746708/
Topics
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