Survey study, 1992
Do premenstrual symptoms improve when depression is treated with antidepressants?
Overall symptom severity decreased after antidepressant treatment, but improvement was only significant for mood-related symptoms. In 2 women, other PMS symptoms became more noticeable after treatment, possibly because depression lifting allowed them to recognize the pattern.
What they did
Researchers reviewed medical literature on the link between depression and PMS, then described symptoms in 5 women who had both PMS and major depression. They tracked how symptoms changed before, during, and after antidepressant treatment.
What they found
After antidepressant treatment, overall symptom severity decreased, but only the mood-related symptoms showed significant improvement. In 2 women, other cyclical symptoms consistent with PMS became more apparent after depression improved, possibly because background depression symptoms had improved.
What it means for you
Treating depression with antidepressants may help with mood-related PMS symptoms but may not help with all PMS symptoms. Some cyclical symptoms might even become more noticeable as depression improves. This study is very limited because it involved only 5 women and is not a formal trial.
5
women in the case series
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual exacerbation of depression: one process or two?
- Authors
- Yonkers KA, White K
- Journal
- The Journal of clinical psychiatry
- Year
- 1992
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 5
- What was tested
- antidepressant treatment
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1500406/
Topics
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