Ibuprofen for menstruation pain

The great miracle of motherhood for women is associated with the need to endure the monthly detachment of the endometrium - the uterine mucosa, accompanied by bleeding. Almost every one of them during the period of menstruation experiences one or another discomfort: from mild malaise, irritability, drowsiness to pain, sometimes severe. Dysmenorrhea is the most common menstrual complaint. [1] Pain usually begins a few hours before bleeding and lasts from 32 to 48 hours. [2],  [3] According to a WHO report, the prevalence of the disease is 1.7-97%. [4]

Relieves pain with antispasmodics and analgesics. Effective with menstruation ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen is a widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is available both with prescription and over-the-counter. Ibuprofen is considered to be one of the safest NSAIDs and is generally well tolerated. [5]

Ibuprofen is the most commonly used and most commonly prescribed NSAIDs. [6],  [7] It is a nonselective inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). [8] Although its anti-inflammatory properties may be weaker than some other NSAIDs, it plays an important analgesic and antipyretic role. Its effect is due to the inhibitory effect on cyclooxygenases, which are involved in the synthesis of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins play an important role in the onset of pain, inflammation, and fever. [9]

Indications Ibuprofen for menstruation

In what cases should I resort to ibuprofen? With a mild degree of algomenorrhea, you can do without anesthesia, but an average, and especially severe, pains a woman with severe pains in the lower abdomen, lower back, nausea, vomiting, her workability is sharply reduced, even cases of fainting are known.

OTC ibuprofen is useful for treating minor aches and pains, lowering fever, and alleviating the symptoms of dysmenorrhea. [10], [11] 

With this state of health, it is recommended to take ibuprofen, it will relieve painful periods, relieve abdominal pain.

Like all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the drug slightly dilutes the blood, so taking it makes your periods more abundant. As a rule, a small dose does not pose a threat to a woman’s health; in general, the amount of blood secreted does not increase.

If the intensity of the discharge is too high, then it is not worth aggravating the situation by taking it, it is better to choose another remedy.

Release form

There are various dosage forms of ibuprofen: coated tablets and effervescent, water-soluble, capsules, suspension, syrup, injection, gels, ointments, creams for external use.

Pharmacodynamics

Ibuprofen refers to NSAIDs - a derivative of propionic acid, inhibits the synthesis of mediators of pain and inflammation, reduces the temperature. In addition to menstrual pain, it eliminates tooth, muscle, joint, flu and cold symptoms. Ibuprofen was superior to placebo to relieve menstrual pain. [12] Cyclooxygenase inhibitors reduce the release of menstrual prostanoids, which is accompanied by a decrease in uterine hypercontractivity. [13]

Pharmacokinetics

It is practically insoluble in water having a pKa of 5.3. It is well absorbed when taken orally; Peak serum concentrations are reached 1–2 hours after oral administration. It is rapidly biotransformed with a half-life in serum of 1.8 to 2 hours. The drug is completely excreted 24 hours after the last dose and is excreted due to metabolism. [14] The drug is more than 99% bound to proteins, is extensively metabolized in the liver and is practically not excreted from the body. 

Despite the high degree of binding to plasma proteins (90-99%), the dose of oral anticoagulants and oral hypoglycemic agents should not be changed. More than 90% of the dose taken is excreted in the urine in the form of metabolites or their conjugates, the main metabolites are hydroxylated and carboxylated compounds. [15]

Dosing and administration

Ibuprofen is drunk after meals for 3 days with fever and not more than 5 days to eliminate pain. Do not chew the tablets, drink plenty of water.

The estimated dose needed to relieve menstrual pain is 2 tablets (200 mg) every 4 hours. [18]

Use Ibuprofen for menstruation during pregnancy

Ibuprofen is contraindicated in pregnancy. At a period of up to 20 weeks, it can provoke a miscarriage, and in the third trimester there is a danger of causing renal complications, closing the arterial duct in the fetus. [16]

Contraindications

Ibuprofen can not be used with hypersensitivity to its components. It is also contraindicated in people with stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, severe violations of the heart, kidneys, and liver.

Side effects Ibuprofen for menstruation

Side effects are minimized by taking the minimum effective dose in a short time. This corresponds to the needs of menstruation pain relief. If necessary, take treatment for a longer period, the following phenomena may occur:

• anemia
• urticaria, edema;
• tachycardia;
• headache;
• stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, exacerbation of gastritis are still the most common side effects. [17]
• malfunctioning of the liver (can rarely cause clinically severe and severe acute damage to the liver) and kidneys.

Overdose

The use of a dose significantly higher than recommended leads to an overdose. It manifests itself as a deterioration in well-being: nausea, vomiting, lethargy, tinnitus, headache, decreased pressure. [19]

Gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity. Gastric hemorrhages can progress to erosion with prolonged use, but are usually reversible. In susceptible people, they can progress to peptic ulcer. [20]The severity of side effects from the gastrointestinal tract can vary from dyspepsia to life-threatening hemorrhage in the upper gastrointestinal tract or rupture of the visceral organ. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, dyspeptic symptoms, and abdominal pain. [21]

Renal failure has been described in people who have taken therapeutic as well as supra-therapeutic doses of ibuprofen. [22], [23]

Acute overdose of ibuprofen, which causes toxicity to the central nervous system (CNS), is not uncommon, especially when the meal is massive, more than 400 mg / kg. In a prospective population-based study of ibuprofen overdose, CNS depression was the second most clinical sign after gastrointestinal disturbances in 30%, but the symptoms were mild. [24] In another study, CNS depression was noted in 10% of patients. 

Metabolic acidosis with a high anion gap is the most common abnormality reported, which usually occurs after a massive meal. [25],  [26]  It is believed that this is due to the accumulation of acidic metabolites ibuprofen, acute renal failure, and / or lactic acidosis from seizure activity. Apnea from respiratory depression can lead to concomitant respiratory acidosis.

Thrombocytopenia often occurs after an overdose of ibuprofen. [27] Thrombocytopenia, secondary to immuno-mediated thrombocytopenia, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic-uremic syndrome from taking ibuprofen. [28], [29]

Faced with such symptoms, gastric lavage should be done, the absence of positive dynamics requires an ambulance intervention.

Interactions with other drugs

Ibuprofen is not combined with aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are used with caution along with diuretics, blood pressure lowering agents, cardiac glycosides, lithium preparations, and quinolone antibiotics.

Using over-the-counter drugs containing aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, or ketoprofen may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity and gastrointestinal bleeding in people who drink three or more alcoholic beverages daily. 

Ibuprofen may aggravate severe asthma.[30]

Storage conditions

The drug is stored in places usual for medicines, that is, darkened and inaccessible to children, with a room temperature not exceeding 25 ° C.

Shelf life

Ibuprofen in solid forms is suitable for 3 years, opened vials of syrup and suspension - 6 months.

Analogs

Analogues are called single-action drugs. They can have both the same active substance, and different. With menstruation, ibuprofen can be replaced with medicines with the following names: nurofen, ibunorm, faspik, maxikold, paracetamol.

Reviews

Many women who suffer from pain during menstruation use ibuprofen. According to their reviews, it helps in difficult critical days to perform everyday functions at work and at home. In addition to pain relief, they advise you to consult a gynecologist to find out the causes of this phenomenon, because various diseases in the pelvic organs can be hidden behind this.