Medicines (Pharmacological)
Warning
Pharmacological treatment option is always recommended under a doctor's supervision. Consult your doctor before taking any of the medications mentioned below.
Treatment of dysmenorrhea is aimed at providing adequate pain relief to allow patients to perform most of their daily activities. Patient education, reassurance, supportive therapy, and medical management are the initial baseline interventions recommended.
Pharmacological treatment includes:
Non-hormonal medicine (NSAIDs, drotaverine)
Hormonal medicine (Combined oral contraceptives, progestin)
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are medicines that are widely used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and bring down a high temperature.
NSAIDs are available as tablets, capsules, suppositories (capsules inserted into the bottom), creams, gels and injections. Some can be bought over the counter from pharmacies, while others need a prescription.
The main types of NSAIDs include:
Ibuprofen
Naproxen
Diclofenac
Mefenamic acid
Etoricoxib
Indomethacin
Aspirin
Drotaverine is an antispasmodic drug that works by inhibiting phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4). It is a benzylisoquinoline derivative that is structurally related to papaverine, although it displays more potent antispasmodic activities than papaverine. Drotaverine has been used in the symptomatic treatment of various spastic conditions, such as gastrointestinal diseases, biliary dyskinesia, and vasomotor diseases associated with smooth muscle spasms.
DrotaverineCombination birth control pills, also known as the pill, are oral contraceptives that contain estrogen and a progestin.
Combination birth control pills come in different mixtures of active and inactive pills, including:
Conventional pack: One common type contains 21 active pills and seven inactive pills. Inactive pills do not contain hormones. Formulations containing 24 active pills and four inactive pills, known as a shortened pill-free interval, also are available. Some newer pills may contain only two inactive pills. You take a pill every day and start a new pack when you finish the old one. Packs usually contain 28 days of pills. Bleeding may occur every month during the time when you take the inactive pills that are at the end of each pack.
Extended-cycle pack: These packs typically contain 84 active pills and seven inactive pills. Bleeding generally occurs only four times a year during the seven days you take the inactive pills.
Continuous-dosing pack: A 365-day pill also is available. You take this pill every day at the same time. For some people, periods stop altogether. For others, periods become significantly lighter. You do not take any inactive pills.
Combined Oral ContraceptivesProgestins, synthetic compounds emulating the action of progesterone, serve a pivotal role in various medical applications, spanning from contraception to postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy. These medications interact with progesterone receptors, exhibiting distinct effects based on their generational classification or structural composition.
ProgestinLast updated
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