--- title: Does paroxetine help PMDD symptoms? | Niyora description: Yes. Paroxetine appeared to significantly reduce PMDD symptoms, particularly feelings of worthlessness, low mood, and anger. The study was very small and had url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/paroxetine-as-a-treatment-for-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-1996/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does paroxetine help PMDD symptoms? Randomised trial, 1996 # Does paroxetine help PMDD symptoms? Yes. Paroxetine appeared to significantly reduce PMDD symptoms, particularly feelings of worthlessness, low mood, and anger. The study was very small and had no proper control group beyond one placebo cycle, so results are preliminary. Early or limited evidence 14 women with moderate to severe PMDD who experienced anger and irritability as main symptoms ## What they did 14 women with moderate to severe PMDD took placebo for one cycle, then paroxetine (an antidepressant) for three consecutive cycles. Depression and anger/irritability scores were tracked throughout. ## What they found Depression scores dropped from 14.9 to 8.2 in the first paroxetine cycle and remained low in cycles two and three. Anger and irritability scores also improved significantly. Seven of 14 women showed complete improvement, and 4 showed partial improvement. ## What it means for you Results suggest paroxetine may help PMDD, especially for mood and anger. The study was too small and lacked a proper control group for most of the treatment period, so findings are preliminary and need confirmation in larger studies. 14.9 to 8.2 Depression score decreased from baseline to first treatment cycle 7 of 14 Women who showed complete response 4 of 14 Women who showed partial response ## About the study Original title Paroxetine as a treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder Authors Yonkers KA, Gullion C, Williams A et al. Journal Journal of clinical psychopharmacology Year 1996 Study design Randomised trial Participants 14 What was tested Paroxetine, an antidepressant that increases serotonin Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00004714-199602000-00002](https://doi.org/10.1097/00004714-199602000-00002) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/) 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 Randomised trial, 1998 Is intermittent citalopram during the luteal phase more effective than continuous dosing? Randomised trial, 1995 Does fluoxetine help premenstrual dysphoria? Randomised trial, 2025 Does escitalopram reduce aggressive behavior in women with premenstrual anger and irritability? Randomised trial, 2025 Does escitalopram improve attention and reduce impulsivity in women with premenstrual irritability and anger? Cohort study, 2022 What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated? Randomised trial, 2017 Does Sepranolone reduce symptoms of severe premenstrual syndrome (PMDD)? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗