--- title: Does the antidepressant escitalopram taken only during the luteal phase reduce PMDD symptoms? description: Yes. Escitalopram taken at 20 mg daily during the luteal phase only reduced core PMDD symptoms by 90%, much more than placebo. 80% of women had an 80% or grea url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/escitalopram-administered-in-the-luteal-phase-exerts-a-marked-and-dose-dependent-2008/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does the antidepressant escitalopram taken only during the luteal phase reduce PMDD symptoms? Randomised trial, 2008 # Does the antidepressant escitalopram taken only during the luteal phase reduce PMDD symptoms? Yes. Escitalopram taken at 20 mg daily during the luteal phase only reduced core PMDD symptoms by 90%, much more than placebo. 80% of women had an 80% or greater reduction in irritability compared to 30% on placebo. Strong study design 151 women with PMDD ## What they did 151 women with PMDD received treatment only during the luteal phase for 3 months. Three groups received either 10 mg daily escitalopram, 20 mg daily escitalopram, or placebo. Symptoms were tracked daily, and improvement was rated by both women and clinicians. ## What they found The 20 mg dose was clearly superior to the 10 mg dose. Core symptoms (irritability, depressed mood, tension, and mood swings) decreased by 90% with 20 mg daily. 80% of women on 20 mg had an 80% or greater reduction in irritability compared to 30% on placebo. Effects on breast tenderness, food craving, and lack of energy were more modest and not significantly different from placebo. Side effects were typical for antidepressants and not more common at the higher dose. ## What it means for you Taking escitalopram only during the luteal phase works well for mood and anxiety symptoms of PMDD but is less effective for physical symptoms. Different components of PMDD respond differently to treatment. The study shows clear benefit over placebo despite high placebo response. 151 women with PMDD 90% reduction in core symptoms with 20 mg 80% had 80%+ irritability reduction (20 mg) vs 30% placebo ## About the study Original title Escitalopram administered in the luteal phase exerts a marked and dose-dependent effect in premenstrual dysphoric disorder Authors Eriksson E, Ekman A, Sinclair S et al. Journal Journal of clinical psychopharmacology Year 2008 Study design Randomised trial Participants 151 What was tested Escitalopram 10 mg or 20 mg daily, or placebo, taken only during the luteal phase for 3 months Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/jcp.0b013e3181678a28](https://doi.org/10.1097/jcp.0b013e3181678a28) ## 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/) 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, 2001 Do buspirone and nefazodone help premenstrual dysphoria? 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? Randomised trial, 2015 Does taking sertraline only when PMDD symptoms start, instead of every day, help? Randomised trial, 2007 Does paroxetine work better if taken daily or just during your luteal phase for PMDD? Randomised trial, 2005 Does fluoxetine improve sexual drive and desire in women with PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗