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Relief at last for people with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)?
December 8, 2025Blog
Post Title
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is often described as ‘bad PMS’, however it is much more than that. PMDD is a debilitating psychiatric disorder that affects an estimated 820,000 women in the UK, costing the economy a staggering £8.47 billion annually.
In this blog by Laura Walton, Project Manager in the Mental Health team at the Health Innovation Network South London, she reflects on the potential impact of the Nettle™ device on people with PMDD.
PMDD is characterised by intense symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts, occurring in the two weeks before menstruation. For many, this means living with intense mental and physical distress for nearly half of their reproductive years.
Despite its impact, PMDD remains underdiagnosed and misunderstood. On average, it takes 14 years to receive an accurate diagnosis. Current treatments such as psychotherapy, antidepressants, oral contraceptives and hysterectomy are largely inadequate. They’re not tailored to alleviate the specific symptoms of PMDD, can be hard to maintain, and come with unwanted side effects or can be extremely invasive.
Nettle™, a Class-IIa, CE-marked, non-invasive, drug-free, hormone-free wearable device offers a new approach to treatment of PMDD. Developed by Samphire Neuroscience, Nettle™ uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to deliver painless stimulation to two key brain regions: the motor cortex (to alleviate pain) and the prefrontal cortex (to improve symptoms of mood disorders).
This innovation was at the centre of a 6-month Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) project, led by Dr Paul Faulkner at Queen Mary University of London in partnership with the HIN South London. The project, ‘Validation of a Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Device (Nettle™) to Manage Symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder’ had two main goals:
- To validate the at-home use of Nettle™ for alleviating PMDD symptoms
- To explore strategies for integrating Nettle™ into NHS treatment pathways
The study recruited 44 women diagnosed with PMDD, who participated in either real or sham stimulation over a three-month period. The findings were highly encouraging. The at-home use of the Nettle™ device proved to be both practical and acceptable to participants, demonstrating strong feasibility. More importantly, real stimulation produced measurable benefits compared to sham treatment, including reductions in anxiety and pain/discomfort, as well as improvements in emotion regulation.
However, PMDD patients often require multiple, combined interventions rather than a single solution. So, although results from the study suggest that Nettle™ could become a valuable add-on treatment offering extra support alongside existing therapies, understanding the true impact of the innovation on complex conditions such as PMDD will require more real-world research.
The UK Government’s renewed Women’s Health Strategy, aligned with the Fit for the Future 10-Year Health Plan, signals a growing commitment to addressing gender-specific health challenges, and discussions about conditions such as PMDD highlight the urgent need for funding and integration of evidence-based solutions into NHS care.
Dr Paul Faulkner and his team at Queen Mary University of London are currently applying for NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) funding to support a larger clinical trial of Nettle™. We’re looking for NHS clinical sites interested in supporting participant recruitment for this trial. If you know of any suitable sites, colleagues who may be interested, or would like more information, please contact Dr Paul Faulkner directly at p.faulkner@qmul.ac.uk.
Together, we can advance innovative, patient-centred solutions for PMDD and improve the lives of thousands of women.