Case-control study, 2002
Do women with PMDD feel pain differently and have different hormone levels than other women?
Yes. In this small study, women with PMDD felt pain more easily and more unpleasantly, and had lower levels of cortisol and beta-endorphin (the body's natural pain-relieving and calming chemicals) than women without PMDD.
What they did
Researchers compared 27 women with PMDD to 27 healthy women. Both groups had blood pressure and hormone levels measured and underwent a pain test (using reduced blood flow to cause pain) during both the follicular phase (after a period) and the luteal phase (before a period) of the menstrual cycle.
What they found
In both cycle phases, PMDD women had lower resting cortisol and beta-endorphin levels, felt pain sooner, could tolerate pain for less time, and rated pain as more unpleasant. In the luteal phase specifically, PMDD women reported more pain unpleasantness and intensity and had lower beta-endorphin levels. They also tended to have higher blood pressure at rest and during the pain test.
What it means for you
This suggests PMDD may be linked to how the body's natural opioid (pain and mood regulating) system and stress hormones work, which could help explain why pain and mood symptoms happen together. The study was small (27 per group) and only shows an association, not that low hormone levels cause the pain sensitivity.
27
Women with PMDD studied
27
Healthy control women
About the study
- Original title
- Menstrual cycle, beta-endorphins, and pain sensitivity in premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Authors
- Straneva PA, Maixner W, Light KC et al.
- Journal
- Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
- Year
- 2002
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 27
- What was tested
- No treatment tested; this compared pain sensitivity and hormone levels, not a therapy
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.21.4.358
Topics
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