---
title: What causes premenstrual tension and can progesterone help? | Niyora
description: The paper reviews existing theories suggesting premenstrual tension is caused by too much estrogen or problems with progesterone, but this is a discussion of
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-nature-of-the-subjective-reactions-evoked-in-women-by-progesterone-with-1942/
---

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- What causes premenstrual tension and can progesterone help?

Study, 1942

# What causes premenstrual tension and can progesterone help?

The paper reviews existing theories suggesting premenstrual tension is caused by too much estrogen or problems with progesterone, but this is a discussion of ideas rather than results from a new study.

 Early or limited evidence

This is a review discussing women in general who experience emotional and physical changes during the menstrual cycle.

## What they did

Review of existing research and theories about emotional and physical changes during the menstrual cycle and their possible causes.

## What they found

Previous researchers proposed that premenstrual tension is caused either by too much estrogen that the body cannot get rid of, or by problems with progesterone production combined with too much estrogen. One prior paper showed that giving progesterone to women in the first part of the cycle changed their menstrual rhythm in ways similar to what happens in baboons.

## What it means for you

The paper discusses several possible explanations for why some women experience premenstrual tension and mentions progesterone as a potential treatment. The main limitation is that this reviews other people's ideas and does not describe new research findings.

## About the study

Original title The Nature of the Subjective Reactions Evoked in Women by Progesterone with Special Reference to the Problem of Premenstrual Tension1 Authors J Gillman Journal The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Year 1942 Study design Study What was tested Progesterone (discussed as a potential treatment, not tested in this paper). Read the paper [doi.org/10.1210/jcem-2-3-157](https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-2-3-157)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)

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

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What genetic factors are linked to premenstrual symptoms?

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Does aerobic or resistance exercise reduce anxiety in women with PMS?

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How do women with PMDD process emotions differently in their brains?

Systematic review, 2026

Why do some women experience mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle?

Case-control study, 2026

Do women with PMS handle emotions differently at different times of the cycle?

Survey study, 2025

Does PMDD or PMS affect quality of life?

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