Non-randomised trial, 1985
Does progesterone reduce premenstrual symptoms?
Progesterone treatment improved symptoms, but placebo improved them equally, so we cannot say progesterone works better than placebo.
What they did
15 women with moderate to severe PMS received either 100 mg progesterone twice daily in vaginal pessaries or placebo in a double-blind study.
What they found
Both the progesterone group and the placebo group showed statistically significant improvements in symptom scores. There was no significant difference between the two groups.
What it means for you
The symptom improvement may be from the placebo effect rather than progesterone itself. This study suggests progesterone may not be effective for PMS. Only 15 women were studied, so larger studies would help confirm this finding.
15 women
study participants
100 mg, 2x daily
progesterone dose
About the study
- Original title
- Progesterone treatment of premenstrual tension--a double blind study
- Authors
- Andersch B, Hahn L
- Journal
- Journal of psychosomatic research
- Year
- 1985
- Study design
- Non-randomised trial
- What was tested
- 100 mg progesterone twice daily in vaginal pessaries versus placebo
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(85)90082-0
Topics
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