Objective: To compare the effects of dydrogesterone and calcium plus vitamin D in women with severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Method: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 180 Shiraz University students with PMS used questionnaires daily to rate their symptoms for 2 menstrual cycles. Then, the students were randomly assigned to take a tablet containing either 5 mg of dydrogesterone, 500 mg of calcium plus 200 mg of vitamin D, or a placebo twice daily from the 15th to the 24th day of the cycle for 2 more cycles, and to use the same questionnaires during the intervention cycles. The collected data were then analyzed by repeated-measurement design and multilevel modeling tests.
Result: Treatment with dydrogesterone or calcium plus vitamin D decreased symptom severity in a similar way (by 4.64% and 4.20%, respectively) and placebo was associated with a 3.42% decrease.
Conclusion: Treatment with dydrogesterone or calcium plus vitamin D had a similar effect on symptom severity in women with PMS.