--- title: Does nefazodone reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome? | Niyora description: Yes. Women taking nefazodone showed significant improvement in PMS symptoms within 4 weeks. However, this study did not use a placebo control group, so we can url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/nefazodone-in-the-treatment-of-premenstrual-syndrome-1994/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does nefazodone reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome? Randomised trial, 1994 # Does nefazodone reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome? Yes. Women taking nefazodone showed significant improvement in PMS symptoms within 4 weeks. However, this study did not use a placebo control group, so we cannot be certain the improvement was not due to expectancy. Early or limited evidence 54 women with PMS (23 without depression, 24 with depression or dysthymia) ## What they did Two groups of women with PMS took nefazodone. The first group (N=23) had PMS without depression. The second group (N=24) had PMS with depression. They started at 100 mg daily and increased to up to 600 mg daily in two divided doses, for 8 weeks with optional continuation for up to 1 year. ## What they found Both groups improved significantly by 4 weeks at an average dose of 245 mg (range 100 to 400 mg). Of 54 women who started treatment, 47 completed 2 months at a mean dose of 319 mg daily. The most common side effects were nausea and headache, which were usually temporary. ## What it means for you Nefazodone may help PMS symptoms, but without a comparison to placebo, we cannot be sure the benefit was real. A controlled trial is needed to confirm these preliminary results. 47 of 54 Women completed 2 months 245 mg Average dose at 4 weeks 319 mg Mean daily dose at 2 months ## About the study Original title Nefazodone in the Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome Authors Ellen W. Freeman, Karl Rickels, Steven J. Sondheimer et al. Journal Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology Year 1994 Study design Randomised trial Participants 24 What was tested Nefazodone at 100-600 mg daily in two divided doses Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00004714-199406000-00005](https://doi.org/10.1097/00004714-199406000-00005) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pme/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/) 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, 2000 How should PMDD be diagnosed and treated? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Randomised trial, 2008 Does taking more antidepressant just before the period help depression that worsens then? Survey study, 2004 How often does depression get worse before a woman's period? Randomised trial, 1994 Does nefazodone help premenstrual syndrome? Randomised trial, 2017 Does adding birth control to antidepressants help depression that worsens before your period? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗