--- title: How is menstrual psychosis with unusual physical symptoms treated? description: In this case, a 28-year-old woman with premenstrual dysphoric disorder developed severe psychotic symptoms a week before menstruation, which improved rapidly url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/a-case-of-pre-menstrual-psychosis-with-catatonic-symptoms-2022/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How is menstrual psychosis with unusual physical symptoms treated? Case report, 2022 # How is menstrual psychosis with unusual physical symptoms treated? In this case, a 28-year-old woman with premenstrual dysphoric disorder developed severe psychotic symptoms a week before menstruation, which improved rapidly with medication and resolved when her period started. Early or limited evidence One 28-year-old woman with a history of premenstrual dysphoric disorder. ## What they did Doctors described one 28-year-old woman with a history of PMDD who developed psychotic symptoms with unusual body positions and reduced responsiveness starting a week before her menstruation. ## What they found The woman was treated with lorazepam and olanzapine (antipsychotic medications), and her psychotic symptoms resolved rapidly when her menstruation began. She was then followed in the community and continued to do well without continuing antipsychotic medication. ## What it means for you This case shows that severe psychotic symptoms can occur in the week before menstruation in women with PMDD, and that they can resolve when menstruation starts. The woman did not need to continue antipsychotics long-term. The main limitation is that this is one person, so we cannot know how common this pattern is or whether this outcome applies to others. 28 woman's age in years a week when symptoms started before menstruation ## About the study Original title A case of pre-menstrual psychosis with catatonic symptoms Authors Brian O'Mahony Journal Psychiatry Research Case Reports Year 2022 Study design Case report What was tested Lorazepam and olanzapine (antipsychotic medications). Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.psycr.2022.100065](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psycr.2022.100065) Original abstract This case report discusses the case of a 28-year-old woman, with a history of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, who presented with polymorphic psychosis, with catatonic features, which started a week prior to menstruation. She was treated with lorazepam and olanzapine and her psychotic symptoms resolved rapidly, upon menstruation. She was subsequently treated in the community and continues to do well without antipsychotic therapy. Not recognised in either ICD or DSM criteria, menstrual psychosis is nonetheless well described in the literature. Menstrual psychosis with catatonia appears to be an extremely rare condition and, as such, its pathology and most appropriate treatment is not well described. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-menstrual-psychosis/)[Schizophrenia and psychosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-psychosis/) 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 Survey study, 2026 Should PMDD be recognized in Indian law as affecting criminal responsibility? Case report, 2026 Can hormonal therapy treat psychotic symptoms tied to the menstrual cycle? Case report, 2013 Can severe mood changes around a period be an early sign of bipolar disorder? Non-randomised trial, 2012 Do schizophrenia symptoms get worse before menstruation? Review, 2024 What is premenstrual exacerbation and how does it affect different psychiatric illnesses? Systematic review, 2016 What are the best treatments for PMDD without other mental health conditions? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗