Cohort study, 2006
How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated?
Regular pain relief medication (NSAIDs) started before periods begin may help. In one teenager, severe pain improved from 8 out of 10 to 5 out of 10.
What they did
Described the medical care of one 15-year-old girl with severe menstrual cramps, headache, loose stools, and breast tenderness who was missing school.
What they found
The girl's pain was rated 8 out of 10 and she missed 3 days of school in 6 weeks. After taking NSAIDs on a regular schedule starting before menstrual bleeding, her pain reduced to 5 out of 10 at follow-up.
What it means for you
Taking NSAIDs regularly before periods start, rather than waiting until pain begins, may reduce severe menstrual cramps in teenagers. This is only one case, so we cannot know how well this works for all teenagers.
8 out of 10
initial pain rating
3
school days missed in 6 weeks
5 out of 10
pain rating after treatment
About the study
- Original title
- Consultation with the Specialist
- Authors
- Paula J. Adams Hillard
- Journal
- Pediatrics in Review
- Year
- 2006
- Study design
- Cohort study
- What was tested
- Regular NSAID medication scheduled before and during first 2 days of menstruation
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1542/pir.27.2.64
Topics
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