--- title: Does taking paroxetine only during the luteal phase help PMDD symptoms? description: Yes, paroxetine 20 mg taken during the luteal phase significantly reduced irritability in women with PMDD compared to placebo. The 10 mg dose was not signific url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/luteal-phase-administration-of-paroxetine-for-the-treatment-of-premenstrual-2008/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does taking paroxetine only during the luteal phase help PMDD symptoms? Randomised trial, 2008 # Does taking paroxetine only during the luteal phase help PMDD symptoms? Yes, paroxetine 20 mg taken during the luteal phase significantly reduced irritability in women with PMDD compared to placebo. The 10 mg dose was not significantly better than placebo. Moderate study design 99 women aged 18-45 with PMDD from 4 Canadian health centers ## What they did 99 women aged 18-45 with PMDD from 4 Canadian health centers tracked symptoms for 2 menstrual cycles to confirm their pattern. They were then randomly assigned to take paroxetine 10 mg, paroxetine 20 mg, or placebo during only the luteal phase for 4 more cycles. ## What they found Women taking paroxetine 20 mg had significantly greater reduction in irritability than placebo, with a 23.9% greater decrease (p=.014). Women taking 10 mg did not show a significant difference from placebo. Side effects were mild and not unexpected. ## What it means for you The higher dose of paroxetine during the luteal phase reduces irritability in PMDD, but this effect was not seen at the lower dose. The study was conducted only in Canada and divided 99 participants across three treatment groups. 99 women in the study 23.9% greater reduction in irritability with 20 mg vs placebo 4 treatment cycles ## About the study Original title Luteal phase administration of paroxetine for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Canadian women Authors Steiner M, Ravindran AV, LeMelledo JM et al. Journal The Journal of clinical psychiatry Year 2008 Study design Randomised trial Participants 20 What was tested Paroxetine 10 mg or 20 mg or placebo, luteal phase only, for 4 menstrual cycles Read the paper [doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v69n0616](https://doi.org/10.4088/jcp.v69n0616) ## 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/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[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, 1998 Is intermittent citalopram during the luteal phase more effective than continuous dosing? Randomised trial, 1995 Does fluoxetine help premenstrual dysphoria? Randomised trial, 2025 Does escitalopram reduce aggressive behavior in women with premenstrual anger and irritability? Randomised trial, 2025 Does escitalopram improve attention and reduce impulsivity in women with premenstrual irritability and anger? Cohort study, 2022 What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated? Randomised trial, 2017 Does Sepranolone reduce symptoms of severe premenstrual syndrome (PMDD)? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗