FLUOXETINE IN THE TREATMENT OF PREMENSTRUAL-SYNDROME

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is defined as the disabling an d cyclic occurrence of emotional and behavioral symptom complex during the latter half of the menstrual cycle. Although its etiology is unkn own, it has been speculated that premenstrual syndrome is linked to a deficiency of central serotoninergic activity. Method: The study consi sted of a double-blind, placebo controlled trial of fluoxetine at a do se of 20 mg/day or placebo for three menstrual cycles. The 440 women w ho appeared to meet the eligibility criteria were instructed to record the 'Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences' (CPE) scale for two comple te menstrual cycles. Of 410 women who successfully completed two cycle s of recording their symptoms daily only 35 met the criteria for PMS. These criteria included psychiatric interviews which were made before treatment. Thirty-five PMS patients were randomized into placebo or fl uoxetine treatment groups. Results: Our study suggests that fluoxetine at a dose of 20 mg per day was significantly superior to placebo in a lleviating the symptoms of PMS. The most common side effects were gast rointestinal irritability (15%), insomnia (11%) and sexual dysfunction (8.5%). Conclusion: Fluoxetine is an effective and well-tolerated dru g and appears to have considerable promise in treating a range of symp toms in women with PMS. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.