Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUnderstanding PMDDHormonal Contraception and PMDDWhat Type of Birth Control Is Best for PMDD?Hormonal Contraceptive Side Effects and Risks
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Understanding PMDD
Hormonal Contraception and PMDD
What Type of Birth Control Is Best for PMDD?
Hormonal Contraceptive Side Effects and Risks
If you havepremenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), you may want to consider using hormonal birth control to help combat the symptoms. Although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered the first line of treatment for PMDD, many women don’t want to take them. Instead, they would prefer to combine their need for contraception with their need for PMDD relief.
This article guides you through what premenstrual dysphoric disorder is, and how hormonal birth control may be able to help lessen some PMDD symptoms.
Nusha Ashjaee / Verywell
Milderpremenstrual syndrome(PMS) affects 95% of women of reproductive age.However, those with PMS may experience diverse physical and/or emotional symptoms of varying intensity about seven to ten days before eachmonthly menstrual cyclebegins.
PMDD is a severe, debilitating, and comparatively rare form of PMS. The condition adversely affects the psychological well-being, work/social interactions, and relationships of about 3% to 8% of women of reproductive age. Symptoms can include:
Hormonal contraception, like “the pill,” is a very popular contraceptive choice for many women. Yet, women using this type of birth control may not be aware of itsnon-contraceptive benefits.Hormonal birth control methods, including extended-cycle pills, have been shown to offer some relief and may work as a treatment forPMS as well as PMDD.
Keep in mind that you may react differently to certain contraceptive methods. It’s also important to remember that the chief reason to use hormonal birth control is for contraception (to prevent anunintended pregnancy).
Hormonal Birth Control Options
If you and your healthcare provider are considering treating your PMDD with birth control, there are several hormonal methods to consider, most especiallycombination birth control pills.
In randomized controlled trials, the combination pills that have proven most effective in treating PMDD are those that use a combination of ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone.These include such commonly prescribed brands as Yaz, Ocella, and Beyaz.
Why is Yaz used for PMDD?
Otherprescription birth control methodshave also been shown to be effective in treating PMDD as well as PMS:
Hormonal birth control use may cause side effects, most of which are temporary.
Common side effects include:
Using combination birth control comes with the possibility of serious risks. These include:
Summary
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are considered the first line of treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder. However, many women prefer to combine contraception with symptom relief, using hormonal birth control to treat the symptoms of PMDD.
Several hormonal birth control methods have the potential to lessen symptoms, notably combination birth control products like Yaz, Seasonique, and Xulane—each of which contains two active ingredients. Using hormonal birth control may cause side effects, and comes with some rare but serious risks.
What Is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)?
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kwan I, Onwude JL.Premenstrual syndrome.BMJ Clin Evid. 2015;2015:0806. Published 2015 Aug 25.Office on Women’s Health.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).Harvard Health Publishing.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: When it’s more than just PMS.Rapkin AJ, Korotkaya Y, Taylor KC.Contraception counseling for women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): current perspectives.Open Access J Contracept. 2019;10:27–39. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S183193Freeman EW, Halbreich U, Grubb GS, et al.An overview of four studies of a continuous oral contraceptive (levonorgestrel 90 mcg/<ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg) on premenstrual dysphoric disorder and premenstrual syndrome.Contraception.May 2012;85(5):437-45. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2011.09.010NHS.Side effects and risks of the combined pill.Additional ReadingCasper RF.Patient education: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and remenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) (Beyond the Basics).
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kwan I, Onwude JL.Premenstrual syndrome.BMJ Clin Evid. 2015;2015:0806. Published 2015 Aug 25.Office on Women’s Health.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).Harvard Health Publishing.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: When it’s more than just PMS.Rapkin AJ, Korotkaya Y, Taylor KC.Contraception counseling for women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): current perspectives.Open Access J Contracept. 2019;10:27–39. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S183193Freeman EW, Halbreich U, Grubb GS, et al.An overview of four studies of a continuous oral contraceptive (levonorgestrel 90 mcg/<ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg) on premenstrual dysphoric disorder and premenstrual syndrome.Contraception.May 2012;85(5):437-45. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2011.09.010NHS.Side effects and risks of the combined pill.Additional ReadingCasper RF.Patient education: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and remenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) (Beyond the Basics).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kwan I, Onwude JL.Premenstrual syndrome.BMJ Clin Evid. 2015;2015:0806. Published 2015 Aug 25.Office on Women’s Health.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).Harvard Health Publishing.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: When it’s more than just PMS.Rapkin AJ, Korotkaya Y, Taylor KC.Contraception counseling for women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): current perspectives.Open Access J Contracept. 2019;10:27–39. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S183193Freeman EW, Halbreich U, Grubb GS, et al.An overview of four studies of a continuous oral contraceptive (levonorgestrel 90 mcg/<ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg) on premenstrual dysphoric disorder and premenstrual syndrome.Contraception.May 2012;85(5):437-45. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2011.09.010NHS.Side effects and risks of the combined pill.
Kwan I, Onwude JL.Premenstrual syndrome.BMJ Clin Evid. 2015;2015:0806. Published 2015 Aug 25.
Office on Women’s Health.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Harvard Health Publishing.Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: When it’s more than just PMS.
Rapkin AJ, Korotkaya Y, Taylor KC.Contraception counseling for women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): current perspectives.Open Access J Contracept. 2019;10:27–39. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S183193
Freeman EW, Halbreich U, Grubb GS, et al.An overview of four studies of a continuous oral contraceptive (levonorgestrel 90 mcg/<ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg) on premenstrual dysphoric disorder and premenstrual syndrome.Contraception.May 2012;85(5):437-45. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2011.09.010
NHS.Side effects and risks of the combined pill.
Casper RF.Patient education: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and remenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) (Beyond the Basics).
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