The effect of various oral contraceptive combinations on premenstrual symptoms

The influence of different oral contraceptives on premenstrual complaints was examined in 191 randomly selected women from an urban population. Premenstrual depression and abdominal swelling was significantly more common in women taking oral contraceptives containing the progestogen component lynestrenol than those containing norgestrel. The reason for this difference is discussed. A deficiency of pyridoxine which affects tryptophan metabolism can explain the difference in premenstrual depression. However, it should be emphasized that the system which controls neuro-endocrine balance is extremely complicated and does not at the present time permit any definite conclusions regarding the influence of oral contraceptives on mental complaints.