--- title: Can a chemical called lactate trigger panic attacks in women with PMS? description: Yes. In this study, infusing lactate triggered panic attacks much more often in women with PMS than in women without PMS, suggesting people with PMS may be mo url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/lactate-infusion-induces-panic-attacks-in-patients-with-premenstrual-syndrome-1992/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Can a chemical called lactate trigger panic attacks in women with PMS? Study, 1992 # Can a chemical called lactate trigger panic attacks in women with PMS? Yes. In this study, infusing lactate triggered panic attacks much more often in women with PMS than in women without PMS, suggesting people with PMS may be more sensitive to this trigger, though this extra sensitivity was not mainly explained by also having panic disorder. Early or limited evidence 35 women with confirmed PMS and 16 women without PMS, tested during the premenstrual phase. ## What they did 35 women with confirmed PMS and 16 women without PMS (controls) were given a sodium lactate infusion during the premenstrual phase to see if it would bring on a panic attack. The women with PMS were also interviewed using a structured clinical tool to check for anxiety or mood disorders alongside their PMS. ## What they found Only 31% of the women with PMS had no depressive or anxiety disorder at all. Nine women met criteria for panic disorder, and 15 others had some anxiety and/or mood disorder. The lactate infusion caused panic attacks in 22 of the women with PMS (62.9%), compared with two of the controls (12.5%). Panic attacks happened about equally often whether or not the woman with PMS also had another anxiety or mood disorder. Heart and blood vessel responses to lactate were similar across the PMS group, but cortisol levels and panic and mood scores during the test were higher in those who also had panic disorder. ## What it means for you This suggests PMS itself, not just a co-existing panic disorder, may involve heightened sensitivity to this kind of chemical trigger. The study was small and only looked at this one test, so it cannot show whether this sensitivity directly explains PMS symptoms in daily life. 62.9% Women with PMS who had a panic attack after lactate 12.5% Controls who had a panic attack after lactate 31% Women with PMS free of any depressive/anxiety disorder ## About the study Original title Lactate infusion induces panic attacks in patients with premenstrual syndrome Authors Facchinetti F, Romano G, Fava M et al. Journal Psychosomatic medicine Year 1992 Study design Study Participants 35 What was tested Sodium lactate infusion used as a trigger test for panic attacks. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199205000-00005](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199205000-00005) ## Topics [Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/) 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 Review, 2024 What is premenstrual exacerbation and how does it affect different psychiatric illnesses? Systematic review, 2022 Do mental health disorders get worse during the menstrual cycle? Non-randomised trial, 2008 Can the Sheehan Disability Scale measure whether treatments work? Randomised trial, 1999 Do SSRIs reduce premenstrual dysphoria symptoms? Cohort study, 1993 How common are premenstrual and menstrual symptoms in women? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗