Review, 1985
What is the best approach to treating PMS?
Start with reassurance, dietary changes, and regular exercise. If that does not work, add vitamin B6, and optionally vitamin E or zinc. If still not effective, add a diuretic or natural progesterone. For very resistant cases, bromocriptine or danazol may be considered.
What they did
This is a review article summarizing treatment tactics for PMS based on published literature and clinical experience.
What they found
PMS is very common and usually treatable. For most patients, reassurance, diet changes, and exercise are sufficient. Various medications can be added if initial treatment fails. Dietary changes may take 3 to 6 months to show maximum benefit.
What it means for you
Treatment should be individualized based on what works for each patient. Lifestyle measures should be tried first. Diuretics are easier to use and less expensive than progesterone. The research quality on most treatments is mixed, so recommendations are based partly on clinical experience.
3-6 months
time for dietary therapy to work fully
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual syndrome. Tactics for intervention
- Authors
- Havens C
- Journal
- Postgraduate medicine
- Year
- 1985
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- Multiple treatment options reviewed
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/00325481.1985.11699006
Topics
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