--- title: Why do some women feel depressed or anxious when progesterone increases before their period? description: A literature review suggests progesterone is converted to chemicals that affect the brain's GABA system. At levels before the period, these chemicals paradoxi url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/sex-steroid-induced-negative-mood-may-be-explained-by-the-paradoxical-effect-2009/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Why do some women feel depressed or anxious when progesterone increases before their period? Survey study, 2009 # Why do some women feel depressed or anxious when progesterone increases before their period? A literature review suggests progesterone is converted to chemicals that affect the brain's GABA system. At levels before the period, these chemicals paradoxically cause anxiety instead of calming it. Women with PMDD have changes in their GABA system that make them more sensitive. Early or limited evidence Literature review examining research in healthy women and women with PMDD ## What they did Literature review examining how progesterone metabolites affect mood through the GABA receptor system and why this happens in some women but not others. ## What they found Progesterone metabolites (allopregnanolone and pregnanolone) affect the GABA system. At luteal phase levels, they cause anxiety and depression. Low and high concentrations have less effect on mood, but medium levels (like those during the luteal phase) cause mood problems. Women with PMDD have altered GABA receptor sensitivity related to symptom severity. ## What it means for you PMDD mood symptoms may be caused by a paradoxical brain chemistry effect rather than simply having too much or too little of a hormone. This understanding could guide future treatments, but this is a theoretical review and needs human research to confirm these mechanisms. ## About the study Original title Sex steroid induced negative mood may be explained by the paradoxical effect mediated by GABAA modulators Authors Andréen L, Nyberg S, Turkmen S et al. Journal Psychoneuroendocrinology Year 2009 Study design Survey study What was tested None - literature review Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.02.003](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.02.003) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Estradiol, progesterone and hormone therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormone-therapy/)[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)[Anxiolytics and other psychotropics](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-anxiolytics/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2011 Why do some women experience negative mood with hormone changes? Survey study, 2014 Does allopregnanolone, a progesterone metabolite, cause mood problems in PMDD? Review, 2003 How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD? Randomised trial, 2017 Does Sepranolone reduce symptoms of severe premenstrual syndrome (PMDD)? Cohort study, 2010 How do anxiety disorders differ across different life stages? Review, 2006 How do brain hormones affect PMDD and mood problems during the menstrual cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗