--- title: Does fluoxetine (an antidepressant) help premenstrual mood symptoms when taken for a long time? description: Yes, in this study most women improved and about half went into full remission with long-term fluoxetine use, though it was not a controlled comparison. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/long-term-fluoxetine-treatment-of-late-luteal-phase-dysphoric-disorder-1994/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does fluoxetine (an antidepressant) help premenstrual mood symptoms when taken for a long time? Non-randomised trial, 1994 # Does fluoxetine (an antidepressant) help premenstrual mood symptoms when taken for a long time? Yes, in this study most women improved and about half went into full remission with long-term fluoxetine use, though it was not a controlled comparison. Early or limited evidence 64 women with confirmed late luteal phase dysphoric disorder (a severe form of premenstrual mood disorder) ## What they did 64 women with confirmed severe premenstrual mood symptoms (late luteal phase dysphoric disorder) took fluoxetine for an average of 18.6 months, with doses adjusted based on side effects and response. Doctors checked their progress every 3 to 6 months. ## What they found 60 women tolerated at least one month of treatment. Of these, 57% (34 women) stayed on 20 mg/day and 37% (22 women) moved to 40 mg/day. 52% (31 women) reached full remission and 48% (29 women) had partial improvement. The most common side effect was sexual dysfunction, affecting 17% (10 women). Symptoms usually came back when treatment stopped, but improved again when it was restarted. Women who developed symptoms earlier in life or who had a past episode of major depression were more likely to only partially improve. ## What it means for you This supports other research showing fluoxetine can be an effective, well-tolerated long-term treatment for severe PMS-type symptoms, with roughly half of women achieving full remission. The main limits are that there was no comparison (placebo) group and the design was not randomized, so some improvement could be due to other factors. 52% (N=31) achieved full remission 18.6 months average treatment duration 17% (N=10) had sexual dysfunction as a side effect ## About the study Original title Long-term fluoxetine treatment of late luteal phase dysphoric disorder Authors Pearlstein TB, Stone AB Journal The Journal of clinical psychiatry Year 1994 Study design Non-randomised trial Participants 34 What was tested Long-term fluoxetine (an SSRI antidepressant), average treatment length 18.6 months Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8071300/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8071300/) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Libido and sexual function](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sexual-function/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/) 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 are the most effective treatments for PMDD? Systematic review, 2024 Do SSRI antidepressants help treat PMS and PMDD? Randomised trial, 2008 Does the antidepressant escitalopram taken only during the luteal phase reduce PMDD symptoms? Randomised trial, 2005 Does fluoxetine improve sexual drive and desire in women with PMDD? Randomised trial, 2004 Does dosing sertraline continuously or just before the period work better for severe PMS? Randomised trial, 2004 What medications work for PMDD when taken only during the second half of the menstrual cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗