[Sertraline in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder]. / Sertralin u lijecenju predmenstrualnog disforicnog poremecaja.

About 75% of women in reproductive age have some premenstrual changes. It is estimated that 2% to 10% of women experience symptoms severe enough to interfere with their professional or social activities and they meet the DSM-IV criteria for PMDD, premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Benzodiazepines and antidepressants have been shown to be effective treatments for PMDD; GnRH agonists are the second choice. New findings support the opinion that intermittent dosing of some antidepressants, e.g. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, is equivalent in efficacy to continuous drug treatment. The aim of the present study was to analyze the characteristics of premenstrual symptoms. In addition, the authors wanted to estimate the efficacy of intermittent sertraline dosing in the treatment of women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. The study involved women employed in Vrapce Psychiatric Hospital. One hundred and thirty seven of them were examined for the presence of premenstrual symptoms. Seven women with PMDD were included in the treatment with sertraline. Symptoms were monitored with daily reports using the Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences (COPE). Six women completed the study. In three of them, sertraline given during the luteal phase produced significant improvements of premenstrual symptoms.