Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T12:00:37.015Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Dysmenorrhea

from Chief complaints and diagnoses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2009

Stephen H. Thomas
Affiliation:
Harvard Medical School
Get access

Summary

This chapter addresses relief of abdominal cramping and related symptoms (e.g. pelvic pain, backache) associated with the menstrual cycle. It focuses on analgesic control of dysmenorrhea symptoms, rather than hormonal regulation of the ovulatory cycle. Prostaglandin inhibition by NSAIDs is responsible for their decades of successful use as the mainstay of dysmenorrhea treatment. An RCT in patients undergoing fractional curettage demonstrated the potent analgesic effects of NSAIDs on uterine pain. Due to the need for chronic use, the COX-2 selective NSAIDs are sometimes recommended as a treatment for dysmenorrhea. Data show that valdecoxib, administered in a single dose of 40 mg PO, provides dysmenorrhea pain relief within 30 minutes that lasts for up to 24 hours. The novel analgesic flupirtine is suggested by some to have utility in dysmenorrhea, but this centrally acting agent is not recommended owing to limited evidence and frequent side effects.
Type
Chapter
Information
Emergency Department Analgesia
An Evidence-Based Guide
, pp. 193 - 196
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×