Review, 1985
What medical treatments are proven effective for PMS?
There is no clear evidence that any single medical treatment is definitively effective for PMS, though psychological approaches may also be worth considering.
What they did
A literature review of proposed medical treatments for PMS. Treatments were divided into three categories: those that relieve specific symptoms, those intended to correct underlying causes, and those that alter the menstrual cycle. Reviewed treatments included psychoactive drugs, diet, exercise, vitamin supplements, hormones, and surgery.
What they found
There is no clear-cut evidence of the effectiveness of any of these medical approaches.
What it means for you
Because the causes of PMS are not well understood and there is no standard diagnostic test, it has been difficult to study which treatments actually work. The author notes that psychotherapy should not be overlooked in favor of medical and drug approaches alone.
3
categories of treatments reviewed
About the study
- Original title
- Medical treatment of premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Keye WR Jr
- Journal
- Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie
- Year
- 1985
- Study design
- Review
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/070674378503000705
Topics
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