The treatment of severe premenstrual dysphoria with bromocriptine

Thirty women participated in a double-blind placebo parallel trial of bromocriptine for the treatment of severe premenstrual tension syndrome (PMTS). Three different doses of bromocriptine (2.5, 5.0, 7.5 mg/day) were compared with placebo. Medication began on day 10 and ended at the onset of menstrual flow during three consecutive cycles. Serum prolactin was suppressed in all subjects on all doses of bromocriptine, and placebo produced no change in serum prolactin levels. Eighty per cent of the subjects taking the placebo reported an over-all improvement of symptoms. Fifty to 88 per cent of the subjects taking bromocriptine reported similar changes. This study did not demonstrate a superiority of bromocriptine over placebo for the amelioration of PMTS symptoms. The high placebo response suggests that a placebo-controlled crossover design will be needed to show a specific drug effect on PMTS.