Randomised trial, 2005
Does clonidine help PMDD symptoms?
No. Clonidine showed no benefit compared to placebo for mood or PMDD symptoms in this small study and caused more side effects.
What they did
12 women with confirmed PMDD were randomly assigned in a double-blind crossover design to take either clonidine (0.3 mg per day) or loratadine as active placebo (10 mg per day) for 2 months each. Researchers measured symptom ratings, mood scales, and norepinephrine levels.
What they found
There were no significant differences between clonidine and placebo for mood scales or symptom ratings. Clonidine did suppress norepinephrine concentration and produced more side effects than placebo.
What it means for you
Clonidine does not help PMDD symptoms despite affecting norepinephrine levels. The main limitation is the very small sample (12 women), so findings need confirmation in larger studies.
12
women in study
2 months
duration per treatment in crossover
0.3 mg/day
clonidine dose tested
About the study
- Original title
- Lack of beneficial effects of clonidine in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder: results of a double-blind, randomized study
- Authors
- Bunevicius R, Hinderliter AL, Light KC et al.
- Journal
- Human psychopharmacology
- Year
- 2005
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- What was tested
- Clonidine 0.3 mg per day versus loratadine 10 mg per day
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1002/hup.652
Topics
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