Survey study, 1989
How can we diagnose PMS and what causes it?
Ovulation and the hormone progestagen appear necessary for PMS. A GnRH agonist drug helped relieve symptoms better than placebo, with most patients no longer showing cyclic symptoms on the active drug.
What they did
Researchers developed a diagnostic method using 82 patients' daily symptom tracking. They studied 22 postmenopausal women on hormone therapy and conducted a double-blind cross-over trial of GnRH agonist (buserelin 400 μg daily intranasally) versus placebo in 26 PMS patients.
What they found
Three PMS groups were identified by symptom patterns. In 8 women with both ovulatory and anovulatory cycles, symptoms disappeared in anovulatory cycles. Postmenopausal women given estradiol plus progestagen developed PMS-like symptoms; those on estradiol alone did not. The active drug gave significantly better symptom relief than placebo, with 19 of 23 patients on active drug showing non-cyclic symptom patterns.
What it means for you
Ovulation and progestagen appear necessary for PMS. A hormone-related drug helped more than placebo, though placebo also had effects. This complex study mixed observations with a controlled trial, making results harder to interpret.
8
women with both ovulatory and anovulatory cycles
19 of 23
on active drug showed non-cyclic symptoms
400 μg
daily dose of buserelin
About the study
- Original title
- The Premenstrual Syndrome: A Study Of Its Diagnosis And Pathogenesis
- Authors
- Stefan Hammarbäck
- Journal
- Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica
- Year
- 1989
- Study design
- Survey study
- Participants
- 124
- What was tested
- GnRH agonist (buserelin) 400 μg daily intranasally versus placebo in double-blind cross-over trial
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3109/00016348909156498
Topics
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