Short-Term Versus Long-Term Treatment for Severe Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Summary

Serotonergic antidepressants are clearly effective for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). This study compares short-term treatment (4 months) and long-term treatment (12 months) with sertraline to determine how long medication should be continued after achieving a good response, how soon symptoms return after stopping medication, and whether symptoms are further improved with long-term treatment. Multiple hypotheses include the following: The percent of relapsed subjects is greater with short-term treatment; relapse is swifter with short-term treatment; relapsed subjects improve swiftly when returned to medication; patient satisfactions and quality of life are more improved with long-term treatment.

Timeline

Start

2002-02

Primary completion

2007-12

Completion

2008-02

Publications

• Freeman EW, Rickels K, Sammel MD, Lin H, Sondheimer SJ. Time to relapse after short- or long-term treatment of severe premenstrual syndrome with sertraline. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009 May;66(5):537-44. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2008.547.

Drugs

Indications