Study, 2015
Does PMS affect how much pain a woman feels after surgery?
Yes. Women with PMS experienced higher pain after surgery and requested more pain medication. Women in the second half of their menstrual cycle without PMS had the least pain.
What they did
Studied 140 women in recovery after surgery. Grouped them by menstrual cycle phase (first or second half) and whether they had a history of PMS. Measured their pain sensations and pain medication use.
What they found
Women with PMS had higher pain sensation and asked for more pain medication compared to women without PMS. Women in the luteal phase (second half of the menstrual cycle), overall, had less pain and asked for less medication in 2 out of 5 measured outcomes. Women in the luteal phase without PMS history had the most comfortable recovery.
What it means for you
If you have PMS, you may feel more pain after surgery and may need more pain medication. This study was done in one hospital setting, so we don't know if it applies to other types of surgery or pain.
140
Women studied
2 out of 5
Measured outcomes with less pain in luteal phase
About the study
- Original title
- The effect of premenstrual syndrome and menstrual phase on postoperative pain
- Authors
- Arab M, Mirkheshti A, Noghabaei G et al.
- Journal
- Anesthesiology and pain medicine
- Year
- 2015
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 140
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.5812/aapm.19333
Topics
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