There’s an unexpected solution to severe premenstrual symptoms, according to some TikTok users: taking the common heartburn drug Pepcid AC.
TikTokers claim the over-the-counter drug can ease symptoms associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. The condition, which affects up to 8% of women, is a more serious form of PMS that includes extreme mental symptoms such as persistent anger and bouts of sadness, as well as more typical physical problems such as bloating and headaches.
Pepcid AC reduces stomach acid and is not approved to relieve premenstrual symptoms.
Still in one video which has more than 4 million views, TikToker Nina Pool suggests that Pepcid will relieve PMDD symptoms. “PMDD is a beast,” Poole said. “And if you take (Pepcid AC) once a day during that time — don’t take it for a whole month, you don’t need it for a whole month — this will pretty much get rid of it.”
Another person with PMDD said that taking Pepcid AC has made them a “new person” and now they “feel the same all month.”
While social media creators are touting the drug as a miracle cure, you may be curious what the experts think about the proposed treatment. Can a drug designed to reduce stomach acid really help with PMDD? Here’s what you need to know.
The trend seems to stem mostly from the idea that Pepcid AC can counteract the supposed culprit of PMDD: histamine intolerance.
Histamine intolerance is a proposed disorder caused by an inability to break down histamine, which can be found in products such as alcohol, salami and aged cheeses. It is also produced by mast cells in the immune system when it is fighting an allergen or infection.
The rise in estrogen, which usually occurs a week before your period, can also increase histamine levels.
Although “histamine intolerance” is controversial and not widely accepted by the medical community, some lay people speculate that it may cause gastrointestinal and other symptoms and play a role in certain conditions, such as PMDD. So far, there is little research to back this up. Although the cause is not fully understood, experts believe the condition may be explained by the body’s response to changes in hormones, such as serotonin, during the menstrual cycle.
On TikTok, Pepcid AC seems to have emerged as a possible solution to the problem because it suppresses the effects of histamine by blocking the receptors found in the stomach lining.
To that end, some creators with PMDD say they take antihistamines like Benadryl or Claritin to ease their symptoms. These drugs target the histamine receptors that produce the symptoms associated with allergic reactions.
While TikTokers may swear by Pepcid AC for PMDD, experts say the science doesn’t back up users’ claims.
Fomatadine, the active compound in Pepcid AC, reduces the production of stomach acid by binding to histamine receptors. This works to prevent or reduce heartburn, which is burning or pain in the chest or throat caused by stomach acid traveling up the esophagus.
But there is no research showing that Pepcid AC is “effective or worthwhile” for managing PMDD symptoms, Polina Tesljar, drinterim director of women’s mental health and reproductive psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, he said Health.
There is also no evidence that histamine levels affect PMDD symptoms, she added. Social media users jump to conclusions, she said. “Maybe they’re right, but we don’t know.”
Courtney Jackson Blair, MDa board-certified allergist and immunologist in private practice in northern Virginia, agreed that there is little research on the link between histamine and the condition. “I don’t know of any allergy literature that talks about the role of mast cells in relation to (PMDD),” she said.
That said, Pepcid AC is generally safe — and if it relieves your symptoms, Teslyar said taking it for about a week each month “probably won’t hurt.” However, the drug has known side effects, such as headache, dizziness and constipation, and she recommends that people interested in trying Pepcid for PMDD consult a doctor first.
“Of the psychiatric medications, the gold standard for treating PMDD is an SSRI,” or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, Teslar said. Unlike those who suffer from regular generalized anxiety and major depressive disorder, Tesljar says that PMDD sufferers can take a low-dose SSRI as little as a week before their period, “and it’s still effective.” That’s because SSRIs don’t interact with serotonin receptors in your brain, but with estrogen, she explained.
Your doctor may also suggest over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin or birth control pills that contain drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol to lift your mood and relieve some physical symptoms. There is evidence that acupuncture can help, too, Teslar said.
Finally, people can see relief by adjusting their lifestyle habits. Some research shows that increasing exercise or adding more protein and carbohydrates — while reducing their intake of sugar, salt, caffeine, and alcohol — can relieve some symptoms.