Vitamin D Supplementation on Premenstrual Syndrome-Related Mood Disorders in Adolescents with Severe Hypovitaminosis D

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) may become severe enough to interfere with normal interpersonal relationships. This study was planned to assess whether administration of vitamin D (200.000 I.U. at first, followed by 25.000 I.U. every 2 weeks) for a 4 months period might be able to lessen the appearance and the intensity of mood disorders associated with PMS in young girls with severe hypovitaminosis D. DESIGN and Participants - One hundred-fifty eight young girls (15-21 years old) with PMS-related severe symptoms of the emotional and cognitive domains and low serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D) levels (≤ 10 ng/mL) were randomly assigned to two treatment groups and treated for 4 months with vitamin D (GROUP 1; n = 80) or placebo (GROUP 2; n = 78). Clinical and hormonal effects were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: In patients from GROUP 1 - Vitamin D, levels of vitamin D reached the normal range (35-60 ng/ml) after the first month and remained stable throughout the whole study. At the end of treatment anxiety score decreased from 51 to 20 (P < 0.001 vs. baseline); irritability score declined from 130 to 70 (P < 0.001 vs. baseline). Crying easily and sadness decreased by a score of 41 and 51 to a score of 30 and 31, respectively (P < 0.001). For disturbed relationships, the score decreased from 150 to 70 (P < 0.001). Conversely, no appreciable changes were noted in symptom intensity from patients of GROUP 2 - Placebo. The frequency of adverse events (nausea and constipation) was not different between participants of GROUP 1 and GROUP 2. CONCLUSIONS: Based on present findings, vitamin D therapy can be proposed as a safe, effective and convenient method for improving the quality of life in young women with severe hypovitaminosis D and concomitant mood disorders associated to PMS.