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Review, 2006

How is PMDD diagnosed and what treatments are available?

PMDD is the severe form of PMS, dominated by mood symptoms like depression, anxiety, and irritability. It occurs in the last week of the cycle and disappears after menstruation. Treatment is challenging because few options have been carefully tested and fewer still have proven effective.

Moderate study design Women with PMDD (review of diagnosis and treatment options)

What they did

Reviewed the literature on how PMDD is diagnosed and the different treatment options that have been tried.

What they found

PMDD is a very severe form of PMS occurring in the last week before menstruation. It is dominated by psychiatric symptoms including depression, anxiety, tension, irritability, and moodiness. It significantly disrupts daily life and symptoms disappear after menstruation begins. Many treatments have been used over time, but only a few have been evaluated in carefully designed research studies. Even fewer treatments have been shown to work well.

What it means for you

PMDD is recognized as a serious condition needing treatment, but treatment options with proven benefits are limited. This shows there is a need for more research into effective treatments. The main limit is this is a review of existing treatments and research as of 2006, not a new study.

About the study

Original title
[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: diagnosis and therapeutic strategy]
Authors
Bianchi-Demicheli F
Journal
Revue medicale suisse
Year
2006
Study design
Review
What was tested
None—review of various treatment approaches

Topics