---
title: Does the hormone drug danazol help premenstrual syndrome symptoms?
description: Yes, in this very small study, low-dose danazol taken only before the period lowered symptom scores more than placebo, but the study is too small to be sure i
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/premenstrual-syndrome-beneficial-effects-of-periodic-low-dose-danazol-1987/
---

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- Does the hormone drug danazol help premenstrual syndrome symptoms?

Randomised trial, 1987

# Does the hormone drug danazol help premenstrual syndrome symptoms?

Yes, in this very small study, low-dose danazol taken only before the period lowered symptom scores more than placebo, but the study is too small to be sure it will work for everyone.

 Early or limited evidence

14 women with premenstrual syndrome

## What they did

14 women with premenstrual syndrome were given either danazol (200 mg a day) or a placebo, taken from when symptoms started until their period began, for two cycles each. It was a double-blind, crossover study, meaning each woman tried both the drug and the placebo and neither she nor the researchers knew which was which at the time.

## What they found

11 of the 14 women improved while taking danazol. Symptom scores were significantly lower with danazol than with placebo (P less than .035). No side effects from the medication were reported.

## What it means for you

Taking danazol only in the days before a period may ease PMS symptoms with few reported side effects, but with only 14 women studied, this is a small early result that would need larger trials to confirm.

14

Women studied

11 of 14

Improved on danazol

P < .035

Statistical significance

## About the study

Original title Premenstrual syndrome: beneficial effects of periodic, low-dose danazol Authors Sarno AP Jr, Miller EJ Jr, Lundblad EG Journal Obstetrics and gynecology Year 1987 Study design Randomised trial Participants 14 What was tested Periodic, low-dose danazol (200 mg/day) taken before menses, compared with placebo Read the paper [doi.org/10.1097/00006254-198801000-00018](https://doi.org/10.1097/00006254-198801000-00018)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)

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.

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