Randomised trial, 2011
Does a birth control pill reduce negative emotions, food cravings, and water retention in women with PMDD?
Yes, the pill significantly reduced all three symptom clusters compared to placebo in all three treatment cycles. The greatest improvements happened in the first cycle.
What they did
Subanalysis of a Phase III double-blind randomized trial in the United States. 449 women with confirmed PMDD were randomly assigned to the birth control pill ethinyl estradiol 20 micrograms/drospirenone 3 mg in 24/4 regimen or placebo for 3 cycles. They recorded symptoms daily.
What they found
All three symptom clusters improved with both pill and placebo (p<.0001). However, the pill significantly outperformed placebo for negative emotions, food cravings, and water retention in all three cycles (p≤.0001). Greatest improvements were in cycle 1, with smaller continued improvements in cycles 2 and 3.
What it means for you
The pill effectively treats the main symptoms women recognize in PMDD, working fastest in the first cycle. Placebo also helped substantially, which is common in PMDD studies. This was a subanalysis, meaning the original study aimed to answer a different research question.
449
women studied
3
symptom clusters measured
Cycle 1
showed greatest symptom improvements
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder symptom cluster improvement by cycle with the combined oral contraceptive ethinylestradiol 20 mcg plus drospirenone 3 mg administered in a 24/4 regimen
- Authors
- Marr J, Niknian M, Shulman LP et al.
- Journal
- Contraception
- Year
- 2011
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 449
- What was tested
- Ethinyl estradiol 20 micrograms/drospirenone 3 mg in 24/4 regimen
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2010.10.010
Topics
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