---
title: Does tibolone improve PMS symptoms? | Niyora
description: Yes. Tibolone 2.5 mg/day significantly improved all PMS symptom categories by the third month (P < 0.05).
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/placebo-controlled-cross-over-study-of-effects-of-tibolone-on-premenstrual-1998/
---

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- Does tibolone improve PMS symptoms?

Randomised trial, 1998

# Does tibolone improve PMS symptoms?

Yes. Tibolone 2.5 mg/day significantly improved all PMS symptom categories by the third month (P < 0.05).

 Early or limited evidence

18 ovulatory women with PMS

## What they did

A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover study with 18 women with PMS. Nine received 2.5 mg/day tibolone for 3 months and nine received placebo, then the groups switched to the opposite treatment for another 3 months. Symptom ratings and blood beta-endorphin levels were measured.

## What they found

Improvements in symptoms and beta-endorphin appeared during months 2-3 of tibolone. At 3 months, tibolone showed significant improvement in all symptom categories compared with baseline and placebo (P < 0.05). Beta-endorphin on day 25 was significantly higher during tibolone (22.5 +/- 4.4 pg/ml) versus baseline (15.9 +/- 3.6 pg/ml) and placebo (17.2 +/- 2.3 pg/ml, P < 0.05).

## What it means for you

This synthetic steroid can improve PMS symptoms, possibly by raising beta-endorphin, a hormone in the body. The study is very small (only 9 women per group), so larger trials are needed to confirm.

18

women with PMS

2.5 mg/day

tibolone dose

P < 0.05

statistical significance

## About the study

Original title Placebo-controlled cross-over study of effects of tibolone on premenstrual symptoms and peripheral beta-endorphin concentrations in premenstrual syndrome Authors Taskin O, Gökdeniz R, Yalcinoglu A et al. Journal Human reproduction (Oxford, England) Year 1998 Study design Randomised trial Participants 9 What was tested 2.5 mg/day tibolone versus placebo for 3 months each (crossover design) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1093/humrep/13.9.2402](https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/13.9.2402)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Estradiol, progesterone and hormone therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormone-therapy/)

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.

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