--- title: Do extended-cycle birth control pills reduce PMS symptoms compared to regular pills? description: Yes. Switching from regular birth control pills (21 days on, 7 days off) to extended-cycle pills (minimal pill-free time) significantly reduced PMS symptoms, url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/impact-of-a-theoretically-based-sex-education-programme-share-delivered-by-2007/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do extended-cycle birth control pills reduce PMS symptoms compared to regular pills? Randomised trial, 2007 # Do extended-cycle birth control pills reduce PMS symptoms compared to regular pills? Yes. Switching from regular birth control pills (21 days on, 7 days off) to extended-cycle pills (minimal pill-free time) significantly reduced PMS symptoms, especially in women with more symptoms to start with. Moderate study design 114 women using birth control pills (111 completed the standard regimen, 102 completed the extended regimen) ## What they did 114 women took regular birth control pills (21 days on, 7 days off) for two cycles. Their PMS symptoms were measured using three different questionnaires. They then switched to an extended-cycle pill containing drospirenone and ethinylestradiol, taken for 168 days (about 6 months), and symptoms were tracked again. ## What they found PMS symptoms peaked during the pill-free week in the regular regimen. When women switched to the extended-cycle pill, PMS symptoms significantly decreased, especially during the last 2 months. Of 111 women who completed the regular regimen, 102 (92%) completed the extended regimen. Switching to drospirenone also showed improvement. ## What it means for you Extended-cycle pills appear to help PMS symptoms better than regular pills, possibly because they reduce the number of pill-free weeks. The main limits are that this was not a randomized controlled trial, women weren't compared to placebo, and women had started on different pills. Improvement was most noticeable in women with more baseline symptoms. 111 Women completing standard 21/7 regimen 102 Women completing extended 168-day regimen 3 mg Drospirenone dose in extended pill ## About the study Original title Impact of a theoretically based sex education programme (SHARE) delivered by teachers on NHS registered conceptions and terminations: final results of cluster randomised trial Authors Pauline McGough Journal Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care Year 2007 Study design Randomised trial Participants 111 What was tested Switching from 21/7 birth control regimen to 168-day extended drospirenone/ethinylestradiol regimen Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1783/147118907780254132](https://doi.org/10.1783/147118907780254132) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/) 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 Randomised trial, 2024 Does estetrol/drospirenone birth control improve PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2024 What are the best treatments for PMDD and PMS? Review, 2024 What are the most effective treatments for PMDD? Systematic review, 2023 What hormonal treatments have been tested for PMDD, menstrual migraine, and catamenial epilepsy? Systematic review, 2023 How common are menstrual cycle problems and PMS or PMDD in female athletes? Guideline, 2023 How are GnRH agonists used to treat PMDD that doesn't respond to standard medications? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗