---
title: Do oral contraceptive pills reduce premenstrual symptoms? | Niyora
description: Pills reduce some specific symptoms like anxiety, mood changes, and water retention. However, women on pills reported similar total numbers of symptoms as tho
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-relationship-between-retrospective-premenstrual-symptom-reporting-and-1987/
---

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- Do oral contraceptive pills reduce premenstrual symptoms?

Survey study, 1987

# Do oral contraceptive pills reduce premenstrual symptoms?

Pills reduce some specific symptoms like anxiety, mood changes, and water retention. However, women on pills reported similar total numbers of symptoms as those not on pills.

 Early or limited evidence

Women aged 18-45 (101 using oral contraceptives, 149 not)

## What they did

101 women using oral contraceptives and 149 not using them, aged 18-45, completed the Premenstrual Assessment Form at health and gynecology clinics.

## What they found

Pill users reported similar overall symptom numbers but had significantly lower severity scores for anxiety, fatigue, low mood, water retention, and impaired social functioning. The type and duration of pill use did not matter. Symptoms starting more than two days before menstruation were less common in pill users. Women who had difficulty tolerating pills reported more moderate to severe premenstrual changes.

## What it means for you

Oral contraceptives may help with specific emotional and physical symptoms but do not eliminate premenstrual symptoms overall. The main limitation is that this was a cross-sectional study comparing groups at one point in time, so we cannot prove pills caused the reduction.

101

women using oral contraceptives

149

women not using oral contraceptives

## About the study

Original title The relationship between retrospective premenstrual symptom reporting and present oral contraceptive use Authors Graham CA, Sherwin BB Journal Journal of psychosomatic research Year 1987 Study design Survey study What was tested Oral contraceptive use Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(87)90097-3](https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3999(87)90097-3)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)

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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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Do women with PMS have higher rates of postpartum depression and birth control side effects?

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