Randomised trial, 1990
Does progesterone help premenstrual syndrome?
No. Progesterone suppositories at 400 mg or 800 mg did not significantly improve premenstrual symptoms compared to placebo.
What they did
Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial with 168 women. They received progesterone suppositories at 400 mg, 800 mg, or placebo. Symptoms were measured through daily symptom reports, clinician evaluation, and patient self-assessment of improvement and symptom severity.
What they found
Progesterone was not significantly better than placebo for any measure. No individual symptom or group of symptoms showed significant differences between progesterone and placebo treatment. Results were not affected by placebo washout effects, baseline depression or anxiety levels, or any of 19 other background or medical factors examined.
What it means for you
Progesterone suppositories do not appear to work for PMS, even though they are widely used. This is a well-designed study with 168 women and careful analysis, though it only tested the suppository form of progesterone.
168
Women in the study
400 and 800
Progesterone doses tested (mg)
About the study
- Original title
- Ineffectiveness of progesterone suppository treatment for premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Freeman E, Rickels K, Sondheimer SJ et al.
- Journal
- JAMA
- Year
- 1990
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 168
- What was tested
- Progesterone suppositories 400 mg or 800 mg
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1001/jama.1990.03450030073035
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