Lab study, 1993
What does stopping progesterone do to anxiety in rats?
In rats, withdrawal from progesterone increased anxiety-like behaviors including faster and longer defensive responses. This effect appeared to be caused by a progesterone breakdown product rather than progesterone itself.
What they did
Female rats received progesterone injections or control oil for four days, then researchers measured their defensive burying behavior (a measure of anxiety). They tested different doses and used a drug to block the conversion of progesterone to a specific metabolite.
What they found
Rats that stopped getting progesterone at the highest dose (500 micrograms daily) buried the electrified prod 77% faster and did it 75% longer than control rats. At a lower dose (50 micrograms), these effects only happened when estradiol (2 micrograms) was given at the same time. Blocking the conversion to the breakdown product prevented all these effects.
What it means for you
This rat study suggests that stopping progesterone might increase anxiety-like responses, possibly through a hormone breakdown product. But this is animal research, not human research, so we don't know if the same thing happens in women.
77%
faster response to prod
75%
longer burying duration
500 micrograms
daily progesterone dose
About the study
- Original title
- Progesterone withdrawal decreases latency to and increases duration of electrified prod burial: a possible rat model of PMS anxiety
- Authors
- Gallo MA, Smith SS
- Journal
- Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
- Year
- 1993
- Study design
- Lab study
- What was tested
- Progesterone injection followed by withdrawal
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0091-3057(93)90219-j
Topics
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