--- title: Does toremifene reduce premenstrual breast pain? | Niyora description: Yes. Toremifene reduced pain significantly more than placebo, with a 64% reduction in pain compared to 26% with placebo. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/toremifene-for-premenstrual-mastalgia-a-randomised-placebo-controlled-crossover-2006/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does toremifene reduce premenstrual breast pain? Randomised trial, 2006 # Does toremifene reduce premenstrual breast pain? Yes. Toremifene reduced pain significantly more than placebo, with a 64% reduction in pain compared to 26% with placebo. Strong study design 62 women aged 25-45 years in Finland with premenstrual mastalgia during at least three previous menstrual cycles ## What they did A double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in three Finnish practices. 62 women aged 25-45 with premenstrual breast pain for at least 3 prior cycles received toremifene 20 mg daily or placebo from day 15 until menstruation for three cycles, then switched treatments for three more. Pain was measured by visual analogue scale and quality of life by a modified 36-item Finnish Depression Scale. ## What they found Both groups had significant pain reduction after three treatment cycles. The toremifene group had a VAS score of 1.8 compared to 3.7 in the placebo group (p = 0.004). Toremifene showed a 64% reduction in median pain scores versus 26% reduction with placebo. Quality of life scores were similar between treatments. Treatment effect between cycles was significant (p = 0.001). ## What it means for you Toremifene is effective at reducing premenstrual breast pain and works better than placebo without major side effects. The crossover design strengthens the findings. Results are from Finland, so they may apply to women in other developed countries. 62 women enrolled 20 mg daily dose of toremifene 64% reduction pain reduction with toremifene ## About the study Original title Toremifene for premenstrual mastalgia: a randomised, placebo-controlled crossover study Authors Oksa S, Luukkaala T, Mäenpää J Journal BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Year 2006 Study design Randomised trial Participants 62 What was tested Toremifene 20 mg daily or placebo from day 15 of menstrual cycle until menstruation, for three cycles Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2006.00943.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2006.00943.x) ## Topics [Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/) 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 Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Cohort study, 2024 Does Vitex supplement improve menstrual cycle problems and quality of life? Randomised trial, 2026 Is Pilates exercise more effective than stretching for reducing PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2026 Can changing your diet help with period and PMS symptoms like fatigue, mood swings and bloating? Randomised trial, 2026 Do seed cycling capsules with chasteberry reduce PMS symptoms over two months? Survey study, 2025 How common is PMS among female medical students, and how severe are the symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗