---
title: Do premenstrual symptoms improve when depression is treated with antidepressants?
description: Overall symptom severity decreased after antidepressant treatment, but improvement was only significant for mood-related symptoms. In 2 women, other PMS sympt
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-exacerbation-of-depression-one-process-or-two-1992/
---

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- Do premenstrual symptoms improve when depression is treated with antidepressants?

Survey study, 1992

# Do premenstrual symptoms improve when depression is treated with antidepressants?

Overall symptom severity decreased after antidepressant treatment, but improvement was only significant for mood-related symptoms. In 2 women, other PMS symptoms became more noticeable after treatment, possibly because depression lifting allowed them to recognize the pattern.

 Early or limited evidence

5 women with both premenstrual syndrome and major depression

## What they did

Researchers reviewed medical literature on the link between depression and PMS, then described symptoms in 5 women who had both PMS and major depression. They tracked how symptoms changed before, during, and after antidepressant treatment.

## What they found

After antidepressant treatment, overall symptom severity decreased, but only the mood-related symptoms showed significant improvement. In 2 women, other cyclical symptoms consistent with PMS became more apparent after depression improved, possibly because background depression symptoms had improved.

## What it means for you

Treating depression with antidepressants may help with mood-related PMS symptoms but may not help with all PMS symptoms. Some cyclical symptoms might even become more noticeable as depression improves. This study is very limited because it involved only 5 women and is not a formal trial.

5

women in the case series

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual exacerbation of depression: one process or two? Authors Yonkers KA, White K Journal The Journal of clinical psychiatry Year 1992 Study design Survey study Participants 5 What was tested antidepressant treatment Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1500406/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1500406/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual exacerbation (PME)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pme/)[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/)

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