Effect of Melissa officinalis Capsule on the Intensity of Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms in High School Girl Students.
BACKGROUND
Several studies are conducted on Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). However, a few herbal surveys exist on the treatment of PMS in Iran. Due to the sedative effects of Melissa officinalis (M. officinalis), this question comes to mind that "can it be used in the treatment of PMS symptoms?"


OBJECTIVE
The current study aimed to assess the effect of M. officinalis capsule on the intensity of PMS in high-school girls.


METHODS
A double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled trial was performed on 100 high school girls from 2013 to 2014. The intervention group (n = 50) received 1200 mg of M. officinalis essence daily from the first to the last day of their menstrual cycle for three consecutive cycles. The second group (n = 50) received the placebo. The premenstrual symptoms screening tool was used to assess the intensity of PMS symptoms in the two groups before and one, two, and three months after the intervention. The data were analyzed using paired t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance.


RESULTS
The results of repeated measures test revealed a significant reduction (P < 0.001) in PMS symptoms. Overall, the mean score of PMS intensity in the intervention group was 42.56 + 15.73 before the intervention and changed to 32.72 ± 13.24, 30.02 ± 12.08, and 13.90 ± 10.22 at the three consecutive months after the intervention, respectively (P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
M. officinalis capsules were effective in reduction of the PMS symptoms. Yet, application of this medication requires further investigations.
Department of Midwifery, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Marzieh
M
Akbarzadeh
Department of Midwifery, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Mansoore
M
Dehghani
Department of Midwifery, Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Zeinab
Z
Moshfeghy
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Masoumeh
M
Emamghoreishi
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Pouran
P
Tavakoli
Department of Biostatistics, School of Medicine, Infertility Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, IR Iran.
Najaf
N
Zare
Melissa officinalis; Premenstrual Syndrome; School