---
title: Can light therapy help premenstrual syndrome that only happens in fall and winter?
description: Yes. One woman with PMS only in fall and winter improved with bright light, worsened when light was stopped and melatonin was added, and improved again with m
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/treatment-of-a-patient-with-seasonal-premenstrual-syndrome-1987/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Can light therapy help premenstrual syndrome that only happens in fall and winter?

Case report, 1987

# Can light therapy help premenstrual syndrome that only happens in fall and winter?

Yes. One woman with PMS only in fall and winter improved with bright light, worsened when light was stopped and melatonin was added, and improved again with medications that block melatonin production.

 Early or limited evidence

1 woman with seasonal premenstrual syndrome (symptoms only in fall and winter)

## What they did

Case report of one woman with premenstrual syndrome only in fall and winter, virtually absent in spring and summer. She was treated with bright artificial light. Later, tests were done with melatonin and medications called propranolol and atenolol that stop melatonin production.

## What they found

Bright light reversed her symptoms. Melatonin brought them back. Propranolol and atenolol worked similarly to light in helping her symptoms.

## What it means for you

Some PMS may be linked to light and melatonin (a hormone that responds to daylight), suggesting seasonal factors matter for some women. This finding is based on one person's experience.

1

woman studied

## About the study

Original title Treatment of a patient with seasonal premenstrual syndrome Authors Parry BL, Rosenthal NE, Tamarkin L et al. Journal The American journal of psychiatry Year 1987 Study design Case report What was tested Bright artificial light; melatonin; propranolol; atenolol Read the paper [doi.org/10.1176/ajp.144.6.762](https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.144.6.762)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Light therapy and sleep deprivation](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-light-therapy/)

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

Randomised trial, 2023

Does a one-week sleep and light intervention help PMDD mood symptoms?

Randomised trial, 1997

Does light therapy affect melatonin in women with PMDD?

Randomised trial, 1994

How does light therapy affect hormone levels in women with PMDD?

Review, 2024

Can sulpiride help women with both PMDD and IBS?

Study, 2011

Does bright morning light reset the body clock differently in women with PMDD?

Study, 2010

Are women with PMDD more sensitive to how light affects sleep hormones?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗