Survey study, 2020

How common is PMS and what medications do women use for it?

PMS affected 73.6% of the women studied. Most used over-the-counter painkillers, with 70.2% self-medicating.

Early or limited evidence 208 female pharmacy students and clients in Kermanshah Province, Iran

What they did

Cross-sectional survey of 208 female pharmacy students and clients in Iran, October 2017 to May 2018. Participants completed a questionnaire about PMS symptoms, medications used, natural remedies, and pharmacist involvement.

What they found

73.6% had PMS. Most common physical symptom was back pain (59.1%), most common psychological symptom was mood swings (64.9%). 76.9% used at least one medication during menstruation. 70.2% self-medicated, mostly (66.3%) with over-the-counter drugs. 49.0% used NSAIDs for pain. 6.4% used oral contraceptive pill. 42.8% used traditional remedies. Only 27.9% involved a pharmacist in medication selection.

What it means for you

Self-medication for PMS is extremely common among these women, especially painkillers. Many also use traditional remedies. However, this is a snapshot in one region of Iran, so we don't know if these treatments work or how they compare to medical advice. The lack of pharmacist involvement suggests these women are managing PMS alone.

73.6%

Prevalence of PMS

70.2%

Self-medication rate

49.0%

NSAID use for pain

About the study

Original title: Prevalence of symptoms and medication use among female medical students and pharmacy clients with premenstrual syndrome: a cross‐sectional study in Iran
Authors: Foroud Shahbazi, Zahra Eslampanah, Mehrdad Niaparast
Journal: Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research
Year: 2020
Study design: Survey study
Participants: 208
What was tested: None - observational study
Read the paper: doi.org/10.1002/jppr.1609

Topics

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)Oral contraceptives and drospirenone Students and academic performance

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