---
title: Is premenstrual dysphoria a variant of panic disorder? | Niyora
description: PMDD and panic disorder both trigger panic in lab tests, but scientists haven't identified the connection. This doesn't prove PMDD is a type of panic disorder
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/is-premenstrual-dysphoria-a-variant-of-panic-disorder-a-review-2004/
---

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- Is premenstrual dysphoria a variant of panic disorder?

Review, 2004

# Is premenstrual dysphoria a variant of panic disorder?

PMDD and panic disorder both trigger panic in lab tests, but scientists haven't identified the connection. This doesn't prove PMDD is a type of panic disorder.

 Moderate study design

Women with PMDD and people with panic disorder (review article)

## What they did

Reviewed findings from laboratory challenge studies in PMDD patients and theories connecting PMDD to panic disorder.

## What they found

Agents that trigger panic in people with panic disorder also trigger panic in women with PMDD. Scientists tested several biological theories including suffocation false alarm, GABA, noradrenergic, serotonergic, and cholecystokinin, but none yet fully explained the shared panic response. Psychological approaches like conditioning, catastrophic misinterpretation, and anxiety sensitivity haven't been applied to PMDD patients yet.

## What it means for you

PMDD and panic disorder appear to share something but researchers don't yet know what. The search for the cause might benefit from studying how women with PMDD interpret body sensations, not just their hormones. This is a review of existing research, not a study of new patients.

## About the study

Original title Is premenstrual dysphoria a variant of panic disorder? A review Authors Vickers K, McNally RJ Journal Clinical psychology review Year 2004 Study design Review What was tested None (review) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2004.08.001](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2004.08.001)

## Topics

[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)

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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