Changes in alcohol craving and consumption by phase of menstrual cycle in alcohol dependent women

The current study examines the menstrual cycle–alcohol relationship during 6 months of weekly outpatient sessions as part of a larger treatment outcome study for alcohol‐dependent females. Twelve premenopausal women in the clinical trial who were menstruating regularly and not on oral contraceptives kept a daily log of menstruation days, alcohol consumption and cravings. Three menstrual cycle phases were defined: menses, premenstrual, and “other.” Within subjects repeated measures analyses on the subsample of 12 women showed that, despite a lower average number of cravings, drinking frequency was higher in the premenstruum than the “other” phase in the first 3 months of treatment. In addition, according to a self‐report item on a measure given to 96 women in the larger study, 48 (69%) women under the age of 50 endorsed the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle as a drinking cue. Of these 48, 44% considered it a major drinking cue. These preliminary data support the value of continuing to investigate the relationship between phases of the menstrual cycle and alcohol consumption among female alcoholics.