--- title: Do low progesterone levels cause PMS symptoms? | Niyora description: Yes. Women with lower progesterone levels overall, and those whose progesterone dropped more during the two weeks after ovulation, had worse PMS symptoms. Est url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/lowered-plasma-steady-state-levels-of-progesterone-combined-with-declining-2019/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do low progesterone levels cause PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2019 # Do low progesterone levels cause PMS symptoms? Yes. Women with lower progesterone levels overall, and those whose progesterone dropped more during the two weeks after ovulation, had worse PMS symptoms. Estradiol was also linked to PMS but this effect was largely explained by progesterone levels. Early or limited evidence 41 women aged 18-45 with regular menstrual cycles ## What they did Researchers studied 41 women aged 18-45 with regular menstrual cycles. Each woman completed a symptom severity diary for all 28 consecutive days of her menstrual cycle. Blood samples were taken on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 of the cycle to measure progesterone and estradiol levels. ## What they found Women with lower average progesterone levels across their entire cycle, combined with a steeper drop in progesterone during the luteal phase (the two weeks after ovulation), reported more severe PMS symptoms. Estradiol levels were also associated with PMS symptom severity, but this appeared to be largely mediated by progesterone. The researchers propose the term peri-menstrual syndrome for symptoms that are high before and after menstruation with major features including depression, physical symptoms, breast tenderness, appetite changes, and anxiety. ## What it means for you This study suggests low progesterone production may cause severe PMS in some women. The researchers theorize the early part of the menstrual cycle may not be working optimally in these women. However, being small and observational, it can only show association, not prove that low progesterone directly causes PMS. 41 Women studied 4 Blood samples per cycle (days 7, 14, 21, 28) 28 Days of menstrual cycle tracked ## About the study Original title Lowered Plasma Steady-State Levels of Progesterone Combined With Declining Progesterone Levels During the Luteal Phase Predict Peri-Menstrual Syndrome and Its Major Subdomains Authors Roomruangwong C, Carvalho AF, Comhaire F et al. Journal Frontiers in psychology Year 2019 Study design Survey study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02446](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02446) Original abstract Background: It is unknown whether lowered steady state levels of sex hormones coupled with changes in those hormones during the menstrual cycle are associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Objective: To examine associations between levels of progesterone and oestradiol during the menstrual cycle and PMS considering different diagnostic criteria for PMS. Methods: Forty-one women aged 18-45 years with a regular menstrual cycle completed the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) for all 28 consecutive days of the menstrual cycle. Blood was sampled at days 7, 14, 21, and 28 to assay oestradiol and progesterone. Results: We developed a new diagnosis of peri-menstrual syndrome, which is characterized by increased DRSP severity in pre and post-menstrual periods and increased scores on the major DRSP dimensions, i.e., depression, physio-somatic symptoms, breast tenderness and appetite, and anxiety. This new diagnosis performed better than classical diagnoses of PMS, including that of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Lowered steady state levels of progesterone, when averaged over the menstrual cycle, together with declining progesterone levels during the luteal phase predict severity of peri-menstrual symptoms. Steady state levels of oestradiol and declining oestradiol levels during the cycle are also related to DRSP severity although most of these effects appeared to be mediated by progesterone. Conclusion: A significant increase in menstrual-cycle related symptoms can best be conceptualized as "peri-menstrual syndrome" and may result from insufficient progesterone production (relative corpus luteum insufficiency), which, in part may result from lowered oestradiol production indicating suboptimal pre-ovulatory follicular development. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/) 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, 2026 Does Kundalini Reiki help reduce PMS symptoms and improve quality of life? Systematic review, 2026 Does vitamin D supplementation help PMS symptoms? Systematic review, 2026 Do mindfulness and relaxation techniques help with PMS symptoms? Cohort study, 2025 Do women with PMS or PMDD report lower quality of life than women without these conditions? Cohort study, 2025 How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it? Randomised trial, 2024 Does curcumin reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in women with PMS and dysmenorrhea? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗