Systematic review, 2008
Does birth control with drospirenone help premenstrual symptoms?
Birth control containing drospirenone plus low-dose estrogen may reduce PMDD symptoms after 3 months, but the improvement is modest and the placebo also helped significantly.
What they did
Systematic review of 5 randomized controlled trials comparing birth control pills containing drospirenone to placebo or other birth control pills. Total of 1600 women studied.
What they found
Two trials in women with PMDD lasting 3 months showed less severe symptoms with drospirenone plus 20 micrograms ethinyl estradiol compared to placebo. Women on drospirenone had greater improvement in work productivity, social activities, and relationships. Common side effects included nausea, bleeding between periods, and breast pain. A 6-month study showed fewer symptoms with drospirenone, but a 2-year trial found the groups were similar. When drospirenone was compared to other birth control pills instead of placebo, little effect was found.
What it means for you
Drospirenone-containing birth control may help women with PMDD in the short term, but we do not know if the benefit lasts longer, if it helps milder symptoms, or if it works better than other birth control pills. Larger, longer trials of higher quality are needed.
5
randomized controlled trials
1600
women total
3
months duration of main trials
About the study
- Original title
- Oral contraceptives containing drospirenone for premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Lopez LM, Kaptein A, Helmerhorst FM
- Journal
- The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
- Year
- 2008
- Study design
- Systematic review
- What was tested
- oral contraceptive containing drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd006586.pub2
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