---
title: Can birth control pills be tailored to help PMS while reducing side effects?
description: Newer low-dose pills may reduce water retention and weight gain. The right choice depends on each woman's body type and symptoms.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/individualization-of-low-dose-oral-contraceptives-pharmacological-principles-and-2007/
---

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- Can birth control pills be tailored to help PMS while reducing side effects?

Review, 2007

# Can birth control pills be tailored to help PMS while reducing side effects?

Newer low-dose pills may reduce water retention and weight gain. The right choice depends on each woman's body type and symptoms.

 Early or limited evidence

Women considering oral contraceptives (review)

## What they did

Review of oral contraceptive pill options and how to choose them for individual women, focusing on newer low-dose formulations with 20 or 30 micrograms of estrogen and a newer hormone called drospirenone.

## What they found

Newer low-dose pills reduce side effects compared to older versions. Drospirenone opposes the sodium and water retention that estrogen can cause, potentially reducing weight gain and high blood pressure. Comparative studies found weight loss that stabilized after 6 months with drospirenone pills. Overweight women may benefit from pills with 20 micrograms of estrogen, underweight women from 30 micrograms or more. For acne, 30 microgram pills worked as well as higher-dose pills with cyproterone acetate.

## What it means for you

Different pill formulations may suit different women, and newer types may cause fewer bothersome side effects. Main limit: selective review, not a systematic comparison.

20 or 30

micrograms of estrogen in newer pills

6 months

time for weight loss to stabilize

2 mg

cyproterone acetate dose for acne comparison

## About the study

Original title [Individualization of low-dose oral contraceptives. Pharmacological principles and practical indications for oral contraceptives] Authors Cianci A, De Leo V Journal Minerva ginecologica Year 2007 Study design Review What was tested None Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17923832/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17923832/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[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.

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