--- title: Do buspirone and nefazodone help premenstrual dysphoria? | Niyora description: Buspirone reduced premenstrual irritability and overall symptoms more than placebo. Nefazodone did not work better than placebo. Both had good tolerability wi url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/compounds-with-affinity-for-serotonergic-receptors-in-the-treatment-of-2001/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do buspirone and nefazodone help premenstrual dysphoria? Randomised trial, 2001 # Do buspirone and nefazodone help premenstrual dysphoria? Buspirone reduced premenstrual irritability and overall symptoms more than placebo. Nefazodone did not work better than placebo. Both had good tolerability with no excess sexual side effects. Early or limited evidence 19 women in buspirone group, 22 in nefazodone group, 22 in placebo group with premenstrual dysphoria ## What they did Women with premenstrual dysphoria were screened for 3 menstrual cycles, then randomly assigned to buspirone (19 women), nefazodone (22 women), or placebo (22 women). They took medication during the luteal phase for 2 cycles, then daily for 2 more cycles. ## What they found Buspirone worked better than placebo for overall improvement and for reducing irritability. Nefazodone was not significantly better than placebo. Side effects were mild in all groups, and sexual dysfunction was no more common with buspirone or nefazodone than with placebo. ## What it means for you Buspirone may help premenstrual irritability, especially for women who experience sexual side effects from other antidepressants. Nefazodone did not work in this small study. 19 Women in buspirone group 22 Women in nefazodone group 22 Women in placebo group ## About the study Original title Compounds with affinity for serotonergic receptors in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoria: a comparison of buspirone, nefazodone and placebo Authors Landén M, Eriksson O, Sundblad C et al. Journal Psychopharmacology Year 2001 Study design Randomised trial Participants 22 What was tested Buspirone vs nefazodone vs placebo, given during luteal phase then daily over 4 treatment cycles Read the paper [doi.org/10.1007/s002130100718](https://doi.org/10.1007/s002130100718) ## 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/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Libido and sexual function](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sexual-function/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Anxiolytics and other psychotropics](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-anxiolytics/) 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 Randomised trial, 2008 Does the antidepressant escitalopram taken only during the luteal phase reduce PMDD symptoms? Survey study, 2001 How common is premenstrual dysphoric disorder and how is it related to other psychiatric conditions? Systematic review, 2024 Do SSRI antidepressants help treat PMS and PMDD? Randomised trial, 2023 Does taking sertraline when PMDD symptoms start improve how well women function? Review, 2015 What treatments work best for PMDD and PMS? Randomised trial, 2015 Does taking sertraline only when PMDD symptoms start, instead of every day, help? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗