Review, 1985
What causes PMS and what is the best treatment?
Multiple theories explain PMS including psychological, nutritional, and hormonal causes, but none are proven. No definitive treatment exists. Treatment must be individualized based on clinical response.
What they did
This review article summarizes proposed causes of PMS and evaluates various treatment approaches from published studies.
What they found
PMS causes significant health problems in many women. Suggested causes include psychological abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances, and changes in opioid peptides. For each proposed cause, at least one drug has been investigated. However, many clinical studies are uncontrolled, which is a major problem for a disorder with high placebo response rates.
What it means for you
Despite many studies, we lack clear understanding of what causes PMS or proven treatments. Many studies are poorly designed with no control groups, making it impossible to know what actually works versus placebo effect. This is a major gap in medical knowledge that future research needs to address.
About the study
- Original title
- Review of the etiology and treatment of premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- True BL, Goodner SM, Burns EA
- Journal
- Drug intelligence & clinical pharmacy
- Year
- 1985
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- Multiple proposed treatments reviewed
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/106002808501901003
Topics
Related studies
Systematic review, 2007
What treatments work for premenstrual syndrome?
Review, 2002
What treatments work best for PMS and PMDD?
Study, 1997
What medications work best for treating PMS?
Review, 2006
What treatments work for premenstrual disorders?
Review, 2003
What role do hormones play in PMS and how should we treat it?
Review, 1993
What are the medication options for treating PMS?