These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: The refief of primary dysmenorrhea by ketoprofen and indomethacin.
    Author: Kauppila A, Puolakka J, Ylikorkala O.
    Journal: Prostaglandins; 1979 Oct; 18(4):647-53. PubMed ID: 531231.
    Abstract:
    The prostaglandin biosynthesis inhibitors ketoprofen and indomethacin were compared in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in a double-blind, cross-over trial involving 23 patients. Each drug was used for 2-4 days during 3 consecutive menstruations in randomized order. Good or moderate overall relief was obtained in 60 of the 68 ketoprofen-treated menstruations (88%). A dysmenorrhea score, based on subjective estimations of 8 symptoms, similarly decreased from a mean (+/- S.E.M.) basal level of 9.6 +/- 0.6 to 3.6 +/- 0.3 during ketoprofen treatment and to 4.0 +/- 0.3 during indomethacin. Both drugs relieved pelvic and lower back pains and eliminated vomiting and diarrhea in 82-97% of the cycles whereas headache, fatigue and nervousness were less frequently alleviated (40-67%). Eighteen of the 23 women (78%) had been unable to work during the first day of menstruation, the rate of working days lost was reduced to 4% with ketoprofen and 9 with indomethacin. Mild side-effects occurred during 12 ketoprofen and 14 indomethacin therapies. Ketoprofen thus seems to be as effective and tolerable as indomethacin in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. Ketoprofen and indomethacin were compared as specific therapies for primary dysmenorrhea in this study involving 23 primary dysmenorrheic women; the study was double-blind and cross-over. Each patient was given a code-numbered package of capsules of ketoprofen (50 mg) or indomethacin (25 mg); medication (1 capsule 3 times daily) was started 1 day before menstruation and was continued until cessation of dysmenorrheic symptoms (no longer than 4 days). Patient estimation of the effect of ketoprofen was ranked as good in 70% of cases, moderate in 18%, and nil in 12%. For indomethacin, the figures were 58, 31, and 10%, respectively. Initial dysmenorrhea score of 9.6 was reduced to 3.6 during ketoprofen therapy and to 4 with indomethacin (P.001). Ketoprofen alleviated pelvic pain in 84% of cases; indomethacin in 78%. Mean duration of pelvic pain was reduced to 5.1 hours from an initial period of 10.6 hours with ketoprofen and 5 hours with indomethacin (P.01); this statistic excluded cycles of total relief. Other symptoms relieved were similar with both drugs, including: lower back pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and dizziness (alleviated in 82-97%) and headache, fatigue, and nervousness (alleviated in 40-67%). Blood loss was subjectively estimated to decrease in 42% and increase in 4% of ketoprofen-treated patients, whereas for indomethacin these figures were 36% and 7%, respectively. All side effects were mild. The rate of lost working days was significantly decreased under both treatments.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]