Study, 1987
Does stopping ovulation with buserelin help PMS?
For some women yes, but for others it makes things much worse. Half improved with lasting symptom relief for 5 to 15 months, while half had severe side effects and stopped within 2 months.
What they did
Researchers gave 20 women with PMS a nasal spray called buserelin that stops the pituitary gland from signalling ovulation. They tracked symptom changes and side effects over time.
What they found
10 women benefited and continued treatment for periods varying from 5 to 15 months, with significant improvements in mood and physical symptoms and mild side effects such as hot flushes. The remaining 10 women were made worse by the spray and stopped it within 2 months, sometimes with severe adverse effects. Of the long-term group, 6 eventually became amenorrhoeic (stopped menstruating) and 4 continued to menstruate. In women who continued, mood changes lost their relationship to menstruation but physical symptoms continued to appear before any menstrual bleeding.
What it means for you
Buserelin can help some women with PMS significantly, but it makes others much worse and it is not clear in advance which women will benefit. Even in women it helps, some physical symptoms may persist. The main limits are half had bad reactions, it was not compared to a control group, and individual characteristics that predict response are unknown.
20
women in study
10
women who improved
10
women who worsened
About the study
- Original title
- The use of an LHRH agonist, buserelin, in the long-term management of premenstrual syndromes
- Authors
- Bancroft J, Boyle H, Warner P et al.
- Journal
- Clinical endocrinology
- Year
- 1987
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 20
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2265.1987.tb01142.x
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