--- title: Can birth control pills treat PMDD? | Niyora description: Yes. Birth control pills with drospirenone significantly reduced emotional symptoms like depression and anxiety by 50% at 6 months, while physical symptoms li url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/treatment-of-premenstrual-dysphoric-disorders-with-combined-oral-contraceptives-2019/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Can birth control pills treat PMDD? Survey study, 2019 # Can birth control pills treat PMDD? Yes. Birth control pills with drospirenone significantly reduced emotional symptoms like depression and anxiety by 50% at 6 months, while physical symptoms like pain improved by 70%. Without a placebo control, we cannot be certain the medication caused all the improvement. Early or limited evidence 78 women with PMDD in Russia, average age 33.7 years, mostly ages 25-34 ## What they did 78 women with PMDD took a combined birth control pill containing 30 mg ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg drospirenone (brand name Midian). Researchers assessed their symptoms after 3 and 6 months of treatment. ## What they found After 3 months, women reported significant improvement in pain, appetite problems, difficulty communicating and sleep. After 6 months, emotional symptoms like depression, anger, irritation, anxiety and tension significantly decreased. Overall effectiveness reached 50%. Physical symptoms like pain improved by 70%. ## What it means for you This birth control pill can help relieve both physical and emotional PMDD symptoms, with full improvement taking about 6 months. However, without a placebo group, we do not know how much improvement was from the medication versus other factors. The average age was 33.7 years, so results may not apply to younger women. 78 women treated 50% overall effectiveness after 6 months 70% improvement in physical symptoms ## About the study Original title Treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorders with combined oral contraceptives Authors К. Б. Логинова, G. M. Dyukova, Yu. V. Dobrokhotova et al. Journal Medical alphabet Year 2019 Study design Survey study Participants 78 What was tested Combined oral contraceptive containing 30 mg ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg drospirenone taken for 6 months Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.33667/2078-5631-2019-2-14(389)-23-26](https://doi.org/10.33667/2078-5631-2019-2-14(389)-23-26) Original abstract Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) with severe psycho-emotional disorders. The frequency of occurrence of PMDD in women of the reproductive period of the Russian Federation is estimated at an average of 15.6 %. The development of PMDD is based on the individual sensitivity of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides to fluctuations in the levels of sex steroid hormones of the ovulatory menstrual cycle, therefore, hormone therapy drugs are used for PMDD therapy — combined oral contraceptives (COC) that suppress ovulation. The purposeof this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of COC containing drospirenone in the treatment of PMDD. Materials and methods.78 women of the reproductive period underwent a comprehensive examination and treatment of PMDD symptoms with contraceptives containing 30 mg of ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg of drospirenone (Midian). Results of the study.The age of patients with PMDD averaged 33.7 years; 55 % of women were between 25–34 years old; 97 % needed contraception; all women represented in the group had higher education, normal menstrual function and body mass index. After 3 months of treatment, there was a statistically significant decrease in pain of various localization, problems with appetite, difficulties in communicating with others, sleep disturbances, and an increase in productivity at work, at home and in school. After 6 months of treatment, COC psycho-emotional symptoms, such as depression, anger, irritation, emotional lability, anxiety, tension, loss of control, significantly regressed, while the effectiveness of therapy reached 50 % relative to the original background. Physical symptoms of PMS, such as swelling of the mammary glands, pain of various locations, sleep disturbances, were stopped on average by 70 %. Conclusions.COC containing drospirenone can be used to treat severe premenstrual syndrome, i. e. PMDD. Reproduced under CC-BY. ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Anxiety and tension](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-anxiety/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[Estradiol, progesterone and hormone therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormone-therapy/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) 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 Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2025 Do menstrual problems and poor sleep affect mood and thinking in teenage girls? Randomised trial, 2021 Does hypnotherapy reduce pain and emotional distress in women with PMDD? Randomised trial, 2021 Does ulipristal acetate help premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Randomised trial, 2020 Does progesterone therapy help premenstrual syndrome in women with PCOS? Randomised trial, 2018 Does swimming reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗