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Randomised trial, 2013

Is buspirone as good as fluoxetine for treating PMS?

Both medicines helped reduce PMS symptoms, and there was no clear difference between them. However, larger and more rigorous studies are needed to confirm this.

Moderate study design 100 women in reproductive age who met PMS diagnostic criteria

What they did

100 women with PMS were randomly divided into two groups. One took fluoxetine 20 mg per day; the other took buspirone 10 mg per day. Both took their medicine for 2 months. Women reported symptoms before treatment started, after 1 month, and after 2 months. This was a single-blind study.

What they found

Both fluoxetine and buspirone were effective at reducing PMS symptoms during the 2-month treatment period. There was no clear difference in how well they worked.

What it means for you

Buspirone and fluoxetine may both help with PMS, and buspirone might be useful because it has fewer side effects. This study was small, single-blind, and had no placebo control group. Larger double-blind studies are needed to confirm these findings.

100

Women studied

20 mg daily

Fluoxetine dose

10 mg daily

Buspirone dose

About the study

Original title
Premenstrual syndrome: a single-blind study of treatment with buspirone versus fluoxetine
Authors
Nazari H, Yari F, Jariani M et al.
Journal
Archives of gynecology and obstetrics
Year
2013
Study design
Randomised trial
What was tested
Fluoxetine 20 mg daily or buspirone 10 mg daily for 2 months

Topics