Study, 2000
Are physical PMS symptoms linked to progesterone and other hormones?
Symptoms peaked 1-3 days before menstruation, delayed 3-6 days after hormone peaks. Progesterone was more linked to symptoms than desoxycorticosterone.
What they did
Ten women with PMS (with swelling as main symptom) and eight control women tracked three physical symptoms every evening for one menstrual cycle while researchers measured progesterone and desoxycorticosterone in blood samples.
What they found
Physical symptoms reached their peak 1-3 days before menstruation, with a lag of 3-6 days after the hormone peak. Women with PMS and control women had the same desoxycorticosterone levels. Progesterone was more strongly linked to symptoms than desoxycorticosterone.
What it means for you
Progesterone appears more important than desoxycorticosterone for physical PMS symptoms. The study was very small, measured only one cycle in each woman, focused on one symptom type (swelling), and may not apply to other symptoms or all women with PMS.
10
women with PMS
8
control women
1-3
days before menstruation when symptoms peaked
About the study
- Original title
- Physical symptoms in premenstrual syndrome are related to plasma progesterone and desoxycorticosterone
- Authors
- Seippel L, Eriksson O, Grankvist K et al.
- Journal
- Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology
- Year
- 2000
- Study design
- Study
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.3109/09513590009167679
Topics
Related studies
Review, 2003
How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD?
Review, 2010
Can neurosteroids help with anxiety and brain disorders?
Review, 2006
How do brain hormones affect PMDD and mood problems during the menstrual cycle?
Review, 2003
What role do hormones play in PMS and how should we treat it?
Review, 2002
What treatments work for PMDD?
Randomised trial, 2001
Do women with PMS have different brain receptors that change with hormones?