Birth Control Pill May Relieve PMS Depression

May 25, 2005 (Atlanta) -- Many women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) mood problems worry that birth control pills may increase their sensitivity to hormonal changes that make them feel down and out. Now researchers say the opposite may actually be true. A study suggests taking oral contraceptives for as little as two months can curb PMS-related depression -- even in women not getting relief from standard antidepressant medications. "Many women fear that the birth control pill can make you depressed, but we found it's actually helpful," says researcher Hadine Joffe, MD, director of endocrine studies in the perinatal and reproductive psychiatry clinical research program at Harvard Medical School.