Survey study, 1997
How do doctors treat mood and energy problems linked to the menstrual cycle?
Low mood and low energy linked to the cycle usually occur just before the period. Women with and without these symptoms have similar hormone levels. The difference is how the brain responds. Most women improve with antidepressants (usually SSRIs) and discussing stressful situations.
What they did
This is a clinical discussion of how doctors can help women with mood changes linked to their menstrual cycle. It reviews what causes these changes and which treatments work best based on medical experience and research.
What they found
Low mood and low energy are common in women, especially in the phase just before menstruation. Women with and without self-reported PMS have the same hormone levels circulating in their blood, which suggests their brains respond differently to those hormones. Most women with these problems improve with antidepressant treatment (usually SSRIs) and talking about stressful situations.
What it means for you
The problem is not about having too little or too much hormone, but about how the brain processes hormones. Doctors can help women effectively by using standard depression treatments. However, this is a review article giving general guidance, not new research data. Individual women may respond differently to treatments.
Late luteal
phase most associated with low mood
About the study
- Original title
- Mood disorders in the female patient
- Authors
- Redmond G
- Journal
- International journal of fertility and women's medicine
- Year
- 1997
- Study design
- Survey study
- What was tested
- Antidepressant treatment (SSRIs) and counseling about life stressors discussed in review
- Read the paper
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9160215/
Topics
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