--- title: Do antidepressants work differently for women, and can they help PMDD? description: This expert review suggests newer antidepressants (SSRIs) may work better than older ones in women and may help premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), includ url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/women-s-issues-in-mood-disorders-2000/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do antidepressants work differently for women, and can they help PMDD? Review, 2000 # Do antidepressants work differently for women, and can they help PMDD? This expert review suggests newer antidepressants (SSRIs) may work better than older ones in women and may help premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), including when taken only in part of the cycle, but it is an opinion piece summarising other research, not a new trial. Early or limited evidence General review covering women with mood disorders (PMDD, postpartum depression, perimenopausal depression); no specific patient sample. ## What they did This is an expert opinion review article, not a new study with patients. It looks back at decades of research on antidepressants and women's mood disorders, including PMDD, postpartum depression and depression around menopause. ## What they found SSRIs appeared more effective than older tricyclic antidepressants in women. SSRIs helped PMDD, including taken only during the luteal (second) half of the cycle. Treatments that were not antidepressants were generally found less effective. All SSRIs except sertraline can raise prolactin, which can cause missed periods and bone loss; sertraline avoids this and may help sleep and memory. Fluoxetine and sertraline had data supporting safe use in early pregnancy. ## What it means for you This suggests SSRIs, possibly timed to the luteal phase, could be useful for PMDD, and sertraline may carry fewer hormone-related risks than other SSRIs. But this is a review of existing literature and expert opinion, not a controlled study, so it cannot prove these effects, only summarise prior reports. half-century Time since SSRIs introduced ## About the study Original title Women's issues in mood disorders Authors Goodnick PJ, Chaudry T, Artadi J et al. Journal Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy Year 2000 Study design Review What was tested SSRIs compared with older tricyclic antidepressants, including luteal-phase (second half of cycle) dosing for PMDD Read the paper [doi.org/10.1517/14656566.1.5.903](https://doi.org/10.1517/14656566.1.5.903) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Anxiolytics and other psychotropics](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-anxiolytics/)[Bipolar disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-bipolar/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)[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 Review, 1993 What mood disorders affect women and how should they be treated? Survey study, 2026 Does a history of mood problems with your period predict depression during menopause? Review, 2012 Is depression linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause? Review, 2011 Can estrogen hormones treat depression linked to the menstrual cycle? Review, 2004 How should PMDD be treated with antidepressants? Review, 2002 What are the reproductive-related mood disorders and how are they connected? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗