The efficiency of oral contraception containing drospirenone in treating symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or premenstrual dysphoric disorder in gyneacology practice

Czech version

Authors: K. Svojanovská
Authors‘ workplace: MEDICONET s. r. o., Brno
Published in: Ceska Gynekol 2010; 75(5): 474-480

Overview

Purpose:
The efficiency of oral contraception containing drospirenone in treating symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) was demonstrated in a number of studies. The objective of this observation was to use the „Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool“ (PSST) to identify women who suffer from severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or PMDD and evaluate the benefits of their treatment through using the oral contraceptive containing drospirenone in regime 24/4 in gyneacology practice.

Method:
The retrospective study was conducted from September 2008 to August 2009. Fifty-one women met by the PSST (Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool, Steiner et al, 2003) the criteria of severe PMS/PMDD. Twenty-eight women took no contraception at the start of the evaluation and twenty-three already took oral contraceptives before changing to the oral contraceptive with drospirenone. The women completed the PSST and in the case of severe PMS/PMDD started treatment with the oral contraceptive containing 20 μg ethinylestradiol /EE/ + 3mg drospirenone /drsp/ in regime 24/4. The next evaluation was conducted by the same PSST after 3 or 4 months of treatment with this oral contraceptive.

Results:
The study involved 51 women between the ages of 15 and 44 years (average 25,7 years), who completed the PSST before and after 3 or 4 months of treatment with the oral contraceptive containing drospirenone. The summary score of all subjects significantly decreased from 24,6 before they started using the oral contraceptive with drospirenone to 7,2 after 3 or 4 months of treatment with this oral contraceptive. Significant declines in summary scores have been shown in both groups (in the group without oral contraception from 24,9 at the start of the observation to 8,2 after 3 or 4 months of using this oral contraceptive with drospirenone; and from 24,3 to 6,0 in the group with the change from using various oral contraceptives to using the contraceptive containing drospirenone).

Conclusion:
The application of PSST for detection of severe premenstrual symptoms facilitates route – identification diagnosis of severe PMS/PMDD in practice and also allows the evaluation of treatment. Both in the group of women without oral contraceptive at the start of the evaluation and in the group of women who changed to the oral contraceptive, symptoms significantly decreased after 3 or 4 months of treatment with the oral contraceptive containing drospirenone and severe PMS and PMDD was practically eliminated. In the case of diagnosis of severe PMS/PMDD in women wishing to use an oral contraceptive, it is important to start treatment with the oral contraceptive containing drospirenone and for women with severe PMS/PMDD symptoms when using different oral contraceptives, it is important to change to the contraception with drospirenone.

Key words:
premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, The Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool, oral contraceptive containing drospirenone.

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