Randomised trial, 2008
Does levetiracetam help treat PMDD?
In a small pilot study, 6 out of 7 women with PMDD had their symptoms improve considerably with levetiracetam over 4 months. Because there was no control group, we cannot be sure the improvement was due to the drug rather than other factors.
What they did
7 women with PMDD took levetiracetam in this pilot study over 4 months. The dose started at 250 mg and was gradually increased up to 1,500 mg twice daily. Symptoms were measured daily.
What they found
6 out of 7 women had a considerable decrease in symptom scores starting from the first treatment cycle. One woman dropped out due to lack of efficacy after one cycle. Women also reported improvements in food cravings and premenstrual headaches. The medication was fairly well tolerated.
What it means for you
Levetiracetam may help PMDD symptoms and was well tolerated. However, this is a very small pilot study with no control group, so we cannot be sure the improvement was not due to other factors like placebo effect or the passage of time.
7
women enrolled
6
had considerable improvement in symptoms
4 months
treatment duration
About the study
- Original title
- Levetiracetam for treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder: a pilot, open-label study
- Authors
- Kayatekin ZE, Sabo AN, Halbreich U
- Journal
- Archives of women's mental health
- Year
- 2008
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- What was tested
- Levetiracetam, starting at 250 mg and increased to up to 1,500 mg twice daily over 4 months
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1007/s00737-008-0014-9
Topics
Related studies
Cohort study, 2025
Do women with PMS or PMDD report lower quality of life than women without these conditions?
Systematic review, 2023
What hormonal treatments have been tested for PMDD, menstrual migraine, and catamenial epilepsy?
Review, 2017
Can combining different types of treatments help PMS more than using one approach alone?
Review, 2003
How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD?
Lab study, 2026
Do core stability exercises help women with PMDD?
Study, 2026
What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder?