Sunday, May 10, 2009

Women Stopping Antidepressant Medication For Premenstrual Syndrome Experience Relapse

A report in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry (one of the JAMA/Archives journals) indicates that many women take the antidepressant called sertraline to relieve severe premenstrual symptoms, and it seems that half of them go through relapse after six to eight months after stopping the medication. There is a higher probability of relapse for women with more severe symptoms and those who consumed the drug during a shorter period.

Background facts sustained in the report demonstrate that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the most frequent health problems among women of reproductive age. Sertraline hydrochloride and other antidepressant medications are approved to treat PMS when it is most severe, also known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

The authors explain: "There is little information about the optimal duration of treatment, although anecdotal reports and small pilot investigations suggest that premenstrual symptoms return rapidly in the absence of effective medication."

READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY