---
title: Do women with PMS respond differently to sedatives than women without PMS?
description: Yes, women with PMS had reduced sensitivity to benzodiazepines throughout their menstrual cycle compared to controls, with effects most noticeable in the lute
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/patients-with-premenstrual-syndrome-have-reduced-sensitivity-to-midazolam-1997/
---

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- Do women with PMS respond differently to sedatives than women without PMS?

Non-randomised trial, 1997

# Do women with PMS respond differently to sedatives than women without PMS?

Yes, women with PMS had reduced sensitivity to benzodiazepines throughout their menstrual cycle compared to controls, with effects most noticeable in the luteal phase. This is a small uncontrolled study, so we cannot be fully certain of these results.

 Early or limited evidence

Women with and without PMS

## What they did

They measured how sensitive women with and without PMS were to benzodiazepines by testing eye movement speed and asking them to rate sleepiness. They tested both the follicular phase (first half of cycle) and luteal phase (second half).

## What they found

Women with PMS showed reduced eye movement response to benzodiazepines in the follicular phase. In the luteal phase, they had reduced sedation response to benzodiazepines. More severe PMS was linked to more blunted responses to the drug.

## What it means for you

The brain's response to a common sedative may work differently in women with PMS, but we do not know why this matters for treatment. This was a small study with no clearly described control group, so more research is needed.

## About the study

Original title Patients with premenstrual syndrome have reduced sensitivity to midazolam compared to control subjects Authors Sundström I, Nyberg S, Bäckström T Journal Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Year 1997 Study design Non-randomised trial What was tested None - benzodiazepine sensitivity testing Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/s0893-133x(97)00086-9](https://doi.org/10.1016/s0893-133x(97)00086-9)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)[Anxiolytics and other psychotropics](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-anxiolytics/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

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## Related studies

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How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD?

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How do brain hormones affect PMDD and mood problems during the menstrual cycle?

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What role do hormones play in PMS and how should we treat it?

Randomised trial, 2001

Do women with PMS have different brain receptors that change with hormones?

Survey study, 2018

How do women respond differently to psychiatric medications and why do we need sex-specific treatments?

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