Premenstrual Syndrome Drug Brings Relief

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 28 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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'Premenstrual Syndrome Drug Brings Relief'

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The antidepressant Sertraline seems to help women with severe premenstrual syndrome. It does not matter whether the woman takes the medicine continuously or just before the start of her period.

In the study, 167 women were put into three groups. One group had continuous sertraline , another group had sertraline just before their periods, while the other group had a placebo.

Sertraline is also known as Zoloft.

The study was carried out by Dr. Ellen W. Freeman, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, and colleagues.

You can read about the study in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Researchers found that women's premenstrual symptom scores improved dramatically in both groups that took sertraline (in comparison to the placebo group). Their moods and physical symptoms improved significantly.

Researchers commented that the improvement was immediate (during first menstrual cycle).

They also found an improvement with the placebo, although much less than with sertraline.

The sertraline groups experienced much greater improvements in their family relationships, social activities and sexual functioning than the placebo group.

Dr. Ellen W. Freeman said 'The conclusion from these data is that the decision between full-cycle and premenstrual dosing for women with severe PMS ... can be based on patient/physician preference and individual experience of side effects.'

View drug information on Zoloft.


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Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)

Zoloft discontinuation

posted by gaynor harding on 12 Apr 2004 at 3:29 pm

yes for zoloft in treating PMS. i suffered very severe PMS. suicidal thoughts and grand fighting matches. my GP suggested zoloft. he saw the symptoms before i did! for 10m years i have saved my sanity, my marriage and my kids, not to mention the people around me from serious harm. BUT nobody told me how hard it would be to go off. my family is happy to see me spontaneous again. i seem to be more creative, loving and energetic. i ended up at the emergency ward after a weekend of extreme dizziness, fatigue, chest pain, neuroligal symptoms (disorientation, forgetting my words in mid sentence, etc.) i have many other physical problems but the doctors missed this one. my GP then informed me that these might be sertraline dicontinuation syndrome. they told me it would be hard, they monitored me, phased out the drug carefully. however there is a half life! so it may catch one off guard. still, with the understanding of my family, i have managed to weather the storm. scary stuff. still, i would recommend zoloft to any woman suffering, and i mean suffering the severe form of PMS. it ain't just sore b reasts and an inability to squeeze into one's jeans. courage!!!

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