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Review, 2002

What treatments work best for PMDD?

Exercise, diet changes, minerals, and medicines that stop ovulation all help, with SSRIs appearing most effective. Start with non-medication approaches first.

Strong study design Systematic review of randomized trials for PMDD treatment

What they did

This systematic review searched medical databases for all randomized trials testing PMDD treatments published between 1983 and 2001.

What they found

Physical activity, dietary change, mineral salt supplementation, and ovulation inhibitors all appear effective. SSRIs are the most effective treatment overall.

What it means for you

Multiple treatments work for PMDD, so women should try non-medication approaches first and then consider medications if those do not help. This analysis is limited to randomized trials published before 2002.

About the study

Original title
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: current status of treatment
Authors
Bianchi-Demicheli F, Lüdicke F, Lucas H et al.
Journal
Swiss medical weekly
Year
2002
Study design
Review
What was tested
None (systematic review of trials)
Open access
Yes

Topics