---
title: Do women with PMS have higher body temperature? | Niyora
description: Yes. Women with PMS had significantly higher nighttime body temperature compared to women without PMS across the entire menstrual cycle.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/high-nocturnal-body-temperature-in-premenstrual-syndrome-and-late-luteal-phase-1991/
---

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- Do women with PMS have higher body temperature?

Study, 1991

# Do women with PMS have higher body temperature?

Yes. Women with PMS had significantly higher nighttime body temperature compared to women without PMS across the entire menstrual cycle.

 Moderate study design

10 women with PMS (6 meeting PMDD criteria), 6 women with chronic depression, 6 women with no symptoms

## What they did

Researchers measured core body temperature and motor activity patterns in three groups: 10 women with PMS (6 of whom also met criteria for PMDD), 6 women with chronic depression, and 6 women with no symptoms. Measurements were taken at 4 phases of the menstrual cycle.

## What they found

Women with PMS had significantly higher nocturnal temperatures than comparison subjects across the entire menstrual cycle. There were no differences in nighttime activity levels. Women with chronic depression had mean nocturnal temperature in the follicular phase as high as women with PMS. All women had higher temperatures in the luteal phase than the follicular phase.

## What it means for you

Women with PMS tend to run a higher temperature at night. However, women with chronic depression also showed high temperatures during part of the cycle, so this finding might not be unique to PMS. The study was small (10 women with PMS), and the researchers note that future studies should carefully track menstrual cycle phase and symptoms in all women studied.

10

women with PMS

6

also meeting PMDD criteria

4

menstrual cycle phases measured

## About the study

Original title High nocturnal body temperature in premenstrual syndrome and late luteal phase dysphoric disorder Authors Severino SK, Wagner DR, Moline ML et al. Journal The American journal of psychiatry Year 1991 Study design Study Participants 10 Read the paper [doi.org/10.1176/ajp.148.10.1329](https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.148.10.1329)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)

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Cohort study, 2025

Do women with a history of PMS or PMDD have more depression during pregnancy and after birth?

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