--- title: Do women with PMS respond differently to a serotonin challenge than healthy women? description: Yes. When given an intravenous tryptophan challenge, women with PMS showed a much larger increase in allopregnanolone than healthy women. This suggests a poss url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/neuroactive-steroid-serotonergic-interaction-responses-to-an-intravenous-l-2001/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with PMS respond differently to a serotonin challenge than healthy women? Case-control study, 2001 # Do women with PMS respond differently to a serotonin challenge than healthy women? Yes. When given an intravenous tryptophan challenge, women with PMS showed a much larger increase in allopregnanolone than healthy women. This suggests a possible interaction between serotonin and brain hormones in women with PMS. However, the study was very small. Early or limited evidence 5 women with prospectively documented PMS and 5 age- and body mass-matched healthy women. ## What they did Researchers gave 5 women with PMS and 5 healthy women matched for age and body weight an intravenous L-tryptophan challenge 8 times over 1 month. They measured hormone levels at multiple time points after each challenge across the menstrual cycle. ## What they found In response to the tryptophan challenge, only allopregnanolone concentrations increased significantly, and this increase was much greater in women with PMS. Two other hormones tested (pregnenolone and 3alpha-5alpha-tetrahydrocorticosterone) did not change in either group. ## What it means for you The results provide evidence for an interaction between the serotonin system and allopregnanolone in women with PMS. Women with PMS may have lower baseline serotonin activity in the second half of their cycle. The study is extremely small (5 per group), so findings need confirmation in larger studies before drawing firm conclusions. 5 Women per study group 8 Tryptophan challenges given over 1 month ## About the study Original title Neuroactive steroid-serotonergic interaction: responses to an intravenous L-tryptophan challenge in women with premenstrual syndrome Authors Rasgon N, Serra M, Biggio G et al. Journal European journal of endocrinology Year 2001 Study design Case-control study What was tested Intravenous L-tryptophan challenge. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1530/eje.0.1450025](https://doi.org/10.1530/eje.0.1450025) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-neurosteroids/)[Pregnancy and postpartum](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-postpartum/)[Economic burden](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-economic-burden/) 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, 2023 Does a smartphone app for heart rate variability biofeedback reduce premenstrual and depressive symptoms? Case-control study, 2008 Do women with seizures that worsen around their period have different hormone levels? Review, 2003 How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD? Case-control study, 2013 Are stress hormones different in women with PMDD? Randomised trial, 2006 Do women with PMDD and depression process progesterone differently than others? Randomised trial, 2005 Does a low dose of alcohol change allopregnanolone, a brain chemical linked to PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗