---
title: What treatments have been tested for premenstrual syndrome? | Niyora
description: Progesterone injections and oral progesterone-like drugs have been tested, but in controlled trials they work no better than diuretics, sedatives, or placebo.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-premenstrual-syndrome-1979/
---

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- What treatments have been tested for premenstrual syndrome?

Study, 1979

# What treatments have been tested for premenstrual syndrome?

Progesterone injections and oral progesterone-like drugs have been tested, but in controlled trials they work no better than diuretics, sedatives, or placebo. Better quality studies are needed.

 Early or limited evidence

Review of existing evidence on PMS treatments from 1965-1979

## What they did

The authors reviewed what was known about PMS treatments from 1965 to 1979. They compared findings from studies using progesterone (both injected and oral forms) with other treatments.

## What they found

Progesterone injections of 25-100 mg daily or every other day starting from day 14 of the cycle until menstruation were claimed to help those with severe symptoms. Oral progesterone-like drugs were said to help, but one controlled trial found they were no better than a diuretic, a sedative, or a placebo. Few good quality trials have been reported since 1965.

## What it means for you

By 1979, doctors had limited good evidence that any drug treatment truly helped PMS. This review shows why more and better studies were needed. The main limitation is that most studies reviewed were older and few had good controls, so the true effectiveness of treatments was unclear.

25-100 mg

progesterone injection dose

day 14

cycle day to start

## About the study

Original title The premenstrual syndrome Journal Drug and therapeutics bulletin Year 1979 Study design Study Read the paper [doi.org/10.1136/dtb.17.26.101](https://doi.org/10.1136/dtb.17.26.101)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Diuretics and other drugs](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diuretics-other-drugs/)

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

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Randomised trial, 2008

Does drospirenone with ethinyl estradiol birth control help PMDD?

Systematic review, 2008

What treatments work best for PMS and PMDD?

Systematic review, 2007

What treatments work for premenstrual syndrome?

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