Ethinyl estradiol/drospirenone for the treatment of the emotional and physical symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
A combined oral contraceptive pill containing 20 microg of ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg of the progestin drospirenone in a novel dose regimen (24 active pills followed by 4 placebo pills), has demonstrated efficacy for the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome, with an emphasis on the affective symptoms. Drospirenone has progestagenic, anti-androgenic and anti-aldosterone properties, which differ from earlier generations of progestins, and reducing the hormone pill-free interval allows for better suppression of ovarian steroid production.
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1740, USA. arapkin@mednet.ucla.edu.
Andrea J
AJ
Rapkin
Michelle
M
McDonald
Sharon A
SA
Winer