--- title: Is fluoxetine an effective long-term treatment for PMDD, and what happens when women stop taking it? description: Fluoxetine significantly improved PMDD symptoms in all 20 women after 6 months, and improvement persisted in those who continued treatment. However, symptoms url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-long-term-treatment-with-fluoxetine-and-1997/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Is fluoxetine an effective long-term treatment for PMDD, and what happens when women stop taking it? Non-randomised trial, 1997 # Is fluoxetine an effective long-term treatment for PMDD, and what happens when women stop taking it? Fluoxetine significantly improved PMDD symptoms in all 20 women after 6 months, and improvement persisted in those who continued treatment. However, symptoms returned in most women who stopped the medication. Early or limited evidence 20 women with PMDD, 9 also with major depression and 11 with PMDD only ## What they did 20 women with PMDD took fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months. Nine women continued taking it until 18 months and 11 stopped after 6 months. Researchers assessed symptom severity monthly during the first 6 months and again at 18 months using multiple rating scales. ## What they found All 20 women completed 6 months of treatment with good tolerance. At 6 months, significant improvements were seen on all symptom scales: depression scores dropped from 22.4 to 5.3, anxiety scores dropped from 23.8 to 8.7, and another symptom score dropped from 36.4 to 18. Women who continued treatment maintained improvements at 18 months. Women who stopped treatment showed worsening symptoms by 18 months. The most common side effects were decreased libido, stomach complaints, nervousness, and insomnia, though these were mild. ## What it means for you Fluoxetine is an effective and well-tolerated short-term and long-term treatment for PMDD, but symptoms tend to return when women stop taking it. The main limitation is that this was a small uncontrolled study with no placebo control group. 20 women treated 6 months initial treatment duration 22.4 to 5.3 depression score improvement at 6 months ## About the study Original title [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: long-term treatment with fluoxetine and discontinuation] Authors de la Gándara Martín JJ Journal Actas luso-espanolas de neurologia, psiquiatria y ciencias afines Year 1997 Study design Non-randomised trial Participants 20 What was tested Fluoxetine 20 mg per day Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9412162/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9412162/) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/) 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, 2000 Does sertraline improve how women with PMDD feel and function? Study, 2026 Do anxiety and depression get worse before your period if you already have a mental health condition? Study, 2026 What treatments work for PMDD? Cohort study, 2022 What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated? Cohort study, 2012 How quickly does fluoxetine start working for PMDD symptoms? Review, 2012 Is depression linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗