Survey study, 2000
Does the menstrual cycle affect how much people smoke or how hard it is to quit?
Not strongly. Smoking was slightly higher mid-cycle, and withdrawal was worse in women with depression, but the cycle phase did not strongly predict smoking behavior.
What they did
They followed 14 women smokers (some with depression, some without) for two menstrual cycles. In the first cycle, women smoked normally while researchers tracked cigarettes per day and cravings across five phases. In the second cycle, women tried to quit for 3 consecutive days during two different phases.
What they found
When smoking freely, women smoked slightly more mid-cycle rather than before their period. When quitting, women with a history of depression had much worse withdrawal symptoms. The menstrual cycle phase itself did not strongly explain smoking behavior or withdrawal.
What it means for you
The menstrual cycle may not be a major factor in smoking behavior or quitting. This study is very small with only 14 women and tracked only one cycle, so the findings may not apply to all women who smoke.
14
Number of women
3 days
Duration of abstinence tested
5 phases
Phases of menstrual cycle studied
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of menstrual phase and smoking abstinence in smokers with and without a history of major depressive disorder
- Authors
- Pomerleau CS, Mehringer AM, Marks JL et al.
- Journal
- Addictive behaviors
- Year
- 2000
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- Smoking abstinence for 3 consecutive days during two menstrual cycle phases
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/s0306-4603(99)00075-1
Topics
Related studies
Study, 2026
What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder?
Study, 2020
Does drinking and craving change across the menstrual cycle in women treated for alcohol use disorder?
Non-randomised trial, 2008
Do mood, memory, and food cravings worsen during the luteal phase in women with PMDD?
Cohort study, 1999
How common are depression symptoms in women in their late 30s and early 40s, and what predicts them?
Interview study, 2026
How do eating behavior and mood change during the menstrual cycle in women using birth control?
Study, 2022
What are the symptoms, causes, and treatments of PMS and PMDD?