---
title: How is PMDD diagnosed and what treatments are available? | Niyora
description: PMDD is the severe form of PMS, dominated by mood symptoms like depression, anxiety, and irritability. It occurs in the last week of the cycle and disappears
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-diagnosis-and-therapeutic-strategy-2006/
---

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- How is PMDD diagnosed and what treatments are available?

Review, 2006

# How is PMDD diagnosed and what treatments are available?

PMDD is the severe form of PMS, dominated by mood symptoms like depression, anxiety, and irritability. It occurs in the last week of the cycle and disappears after menstruation. Treatment is challenging because few options have been carefully tested and fewer still have proven effective.

 Moderate study design

Women with PMDD (review of diagnosis and treatment options)

## What they did

Reviewed the literature on how PMDD is diagnosed and the different treatment options that have been tried.

## What they found

PMDD is a very severe form of PMS occurring in the last week before menstruation. It is dominated by psychiatric symptoms including depression, anxiety, tension, irritability, and moodiness. It significantly disrupts daily life and symptoms disappear after menstruation begins. Many treatments have been used over time, but only a few have been evaluated in carefully designed research studies. Even fewer treatments have been shown to work well.

## What it means for you

PMDD is recognized as a serious condition needing treatment, but treatment options with proven benefits are limited. This shows there is a need for more research into effective treatments. The main limit is this is a review of existing treatments and research as of 2006, not a new study.

## About the study

Original title [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: diagnosis and therapeutic strategy] Authors Bianchi-Demicheli F Journal Revue medicale suisse Year 2006 Study design Review What was tested None—review of various treatment approaches Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16523546/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16523546/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)

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

Systematic review, 2026

Does vitamin D supplementation help PMS symptoms?

Cohort study, 2025

Do women with PMS or PMDD report lower quality of life than women without these conditions?

Non-randomised trial, 2008

Can the Sheehan Disability Scale measure whether treatments work?

Systematic review, 2008

What treatments work best for PMS and PMDD?

Review, 2003

How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD?

Randomised trial, 2003

Are SSRI antidepressants effective for PMDD?

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