--- title: Does anxiety from panic disorder get worse before a woman's period? description: No. Women with panic disorder did not have more anxiety before their period, unlike women with PMS. This suggests panic disorder is not affected by the menstr url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/panic-disorder-and-the-menstrual-cycle-panic-disorder-patients-healthy-control-1989/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does anxiety from panic disorder get worse before a woman's period? Cohort study, 1989 # Does anxiety from panic disorder get worse before a woman's period? No. Women with panic disorder did not have more anxiety before their period, unlike women with PMS. This suggests panic disorder is not affected by the menstrual cycle. Moderate study design 20 women with panic disorder, 20 healthy women, 20 women with PMS ## What they did 20 women with panic disorder, 20 healthy control women, and 20 women with PMS were monitored across at least two menstrual cycles without anxiety medication, and their anxiety was tracked. ## What they found Anxiety ratings did not change with menstrual cycle phase in panic disorder patients or healthy controls. But women with PMS showed a clear increase in anxiety in the premenstrual phase. ## What it means for you Panic disorder appears separate from menstrual cycle changes. The results highlight the importance of evaluating each psychiatric condition individually rather than assuming all anxiety worsens premenstrually. 20 women with panic disorder 20 healthy control women 20 women with PMS ## About the study Original title Panic disorder and the menstrual cycle: panic disorder patients, healthy control subjects, and patients with premenstrual syndrome Authors Stein MB, Schmidt PJ, Rubinow DR et al. Journal The American journal of psychiatry Year 1989 Study design Cohort study Participants 20 What was tested None - this was an observational study, not a treatment trial Read the paper [doi.org/10.1176/ajp.146.10.1299](https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.146.10.1299) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/) 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 Systematic review, 2022 Do mental health disorders get worse during the menstrual cycle? 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? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Cohort study, 2020 Are women with PMDD more likely to have generalized anxiety disorder? Lab study, 2020 Does anxiety sensitivity change during different parts of the menstrual cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗