---
title: What causes PMDD and what is the best treatment? | Niyora
description: The exact cause is unknown and no single treatment has been shown to clearly beat placebo in controlled studies. The condition involves hormone cycling, but d
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-evaluation-pathophysiology-and-treatment-1987/
---

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- What causes PMDD and what is the best treatment?

Study, 1987

# What causes PMDD and what is the best treatment?

The exact cause is unknown and no single treatment has been shown to clearly beat placebo in controlled studies. The condition involves hormone cycling, but doctors do not fully understand the mechanism.

 Early or limited evidence

This is a review of research on PMDD generally, not a study of specific people

## What they did

This is a review of existing research on PMDD, examining what causes it, how to diagnose it, and how to treat it.

## What they found

PMDD affects a small percentage of women, who experience severe mood disturbance before their period that improves after bleeding starts and causes significant problems in daily life. The exact cause is not known. Most treatments seem to help in uncontrolled trials, but no single drug is clearly better than placebo in controlled studies. Stopping ovulation relieves symptoms but potential risks have not been clarified.

## What it means for you

PMDD is a real condition that needs to be distinguished from regular PMS, but doctors do not yet understand exactly what causes it or which treatment works best. Current treatments are not clearly proven effective. The main limits are this is a review of other research, not new research, and many of the studies reviewed had problems with how they were designed.

2

menstrual cycles minimum for diagnosis

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: evaluation, pathophysiology and treatment Authors Haskett RF Journal Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry Year 1987 Study design Study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0278-5846(87)90050-9](https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-5846(87)90050-9)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pme/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)

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

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How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling?

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Does drospirenone with ethinyl estradiol birth control help PMDD?

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