These new medications enhance the effect of the brain chemical serotonin. They are available by prescription and some have appeared to significantly reduce PMS symptoms. The GnRH analogs also appear to significantly reduce PMS symptoms. These drugs inhibit ovulation and remove the cyclic changes of the reproductive hormones. While GnRH analogs may be effective for severe cases of PMS, their long-term use may increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is the loss of bone mineral density that can occur in menopausal women.
A long-held theory for the cause of PMS was that it was related to progesterone levels. Although some women report that progesterone therapy relieves their PMS, the scientific studies that have been published all show that progesterone therapy is not more effective than placebo treatment. Oral contraceptives reduce PMS symptoms for some women, but equal numbers of women report that their premenstrual symptoms worsened or that the oral contraceptives made no difference. There are many formulations of oral contraceptives, and it is not clear whether differences in these compounds account for differing responses of premenstrual symptomatology. Diuretics were frequently prescribed for PMS, but there is little evidence of their effectiveness for symptoms other than those associated with water retention.