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SSRIs are effective treatments for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD); several studies have shown that they are effective even when administered only in the 2 weeks before menstruation. However, questions remain about intermittent premenstrual dosing of SSRIs: Will patients have withdrawal symptoms when the SSRI is abruptly discontinued at the onset of menses each month? Does this regimen effectively treat symptoms lingering into the first few days of the follicular phase (a pattern seen in about one third of women with PMDD)?
These researchers compared results from two published placebo-controlled studies of sertraline for treating PMDD over three cycles in a total of 532 women (age range, 24–45). In one study, treatments (sertraline, 5…