Prozac could hold key to banishing PMS misery

A LOW daily dose of Prozac could end pre-menstrual misery for millions of women and their families, research suggests.

Tests on rats have shown the antidepressant acts to block symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).

Scientists believe it could make a big difference to the 50 per cent of women who are tormented by PMS each month a week or so before the start of their period.

Symptoms include anxiety, mood swings, tiredness, irritability, depression and loss of confidence.

There may also be physical effects such as headaches, feeling bloated and breast tenderness.

The new study shows that Prozac - chemical name fluoxetine - interferes with the way falling levels of the sex hormone progesterone affect emotion circuits in the brain.

Since Prozac is already safety tested and commonly prescribed, it could be made widely available as a PMS treatment in as little as two years, said researchers.

Scientist Dr Thelma Lovick, from Birmingham University, who led the research, said: "PMS doesn't need any introduction. Everyone's heard of it, and about 50 per cent of women experience it, and a lot of men are at the receiving end of it. Yet we still haven't sorted it out.

"Part of the reason is we really don't quite know what causes it, but one thing we do know about is that it corresponds to a change in production of one of the sex hormones, progesterone.

"We've given low doses of fluoxetine to our rats one day before they go into their pre-menstrual phase and completely blocked the development of pre-menstrual symptoms."

Asked if using Prozac might be seen as "over-medicalisation", she added: "If you've got something that's impacting on women's lives, so that not only they suffer but also their families, workmates and colleagues, why shouldn't we treat it?"