Severe menstrual pain is called dysmenorrhea. Symptoms of dysmenorrhea vary from person to person, and severe symptoms affect daily life. Many people may be wondering if there is a good remedy for dysmenorrhoea because it is painful and they want to do something about it.
So this time we will explain the symptoms, causes, and treatments of dysmenorrhea. The pill is mainly used as a treatment for dysmenorrhea, but we also introduce treatment methods when the pill cannot be used, so please refer to it.
Find out in this article
- Symptoms and causes of dysmenorrhea
- Drugs for Dysmenorrhea: About the Pill
- How to treat when you don't want to use the pill
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What is dysmenorrhea? What are the symptoms?
In a nutshell, dysmenorrhea is “severe menstrual pain”. About 70% of women today are said to be suffering from dysmenorrhea, and those with particularly severe symptoms are having trouble with their daily lives.
Symptoms of dysmenorrhea vary from person to person.
- lower abdominal pain
- headache
- lower back pain
- diarrhea
- nausea
- strong drowsiness
- anemia
- dizzy
- belly
- annoyed
- depression, weakness
- heavy menstrual flow
And so on. These symptoms begin around the onset of menstruation and peak on the second or third day of menstruation. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a symptom similar to dysmenorrhea, but PMS symptoms begin 3 to 10 days before menstruation and disappear when menstruation begins.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is symptoms that occur before menstruation, and dysmenorrhea is symptoms that persist during menstruation.
Causes of dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea is divided into two types according to the cause. I will explain the characteristics of each cause.
organic dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea caused by gynecological diseases such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, and uterine fibroids is called “organic dysmenorrhea”. The number of women who develop organic dysmenorrhea increases with age, especially in women in their 30s and above. About 90% of women with endometriosis have a high incidence of organic dysmenorrhoea, and many suffer from severe pain.
functional dysmenorrhea
If there is no gynecological disease that causes organic dysmenorrhea and the symptoms during menstruation are severe, it is called "functional dysmenorrhea". It is common in young women up to their early 20s , and because the cervix is still in the growth stage and the cervix is narrow, the uterus contracts excessively, causing pain.
What happens if you leave dysmenorrhea untreated?
Dysmenorrhea may be hidden by a gynecological disease, so if left untreated, the disease may progress, or in the worst case, it may cause infertility, so caution is required. Even if menstrual pain is severe, there are many women who put up with it, saying, "It's normal" or "It can't be helped."
If you are suffering from dysmenorrhea or your menstrual pain is getting worse than before, we recommend that you consult a gynecologist as soon as possible without neglecting it.
Drugs used to treat dysmenorrhea
The main treatment for dysmenorrhea is the pill. The pill contains female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) that suppress ovulation and relieve menstrual pain. There are several types of pills, some of which are covered by insurance. Let's take a closer look at each type of pill.
Luna Bell LD
Lunabell LD is a pill that contains 0.035mg of ethinyl estradiol (estrogen) and is covered by insurance. Take 1 sheet (21 tablets) once a day, and stop taking the medicine for 7 days after taking 1 sheet.
Lunabell ULD
Like Lunabell LD, Lunabell ULD is covered by insurance, and the dosage is the same as Lunabell LD. However, the content of ethinyl estradiol is 0.02 mg, which is less than Lunabell LD, so the risk of side effects is also low .
Yaz Combination Tablets
Yaz Combination Tablets is also a pill covered by insurance. The estrogen content is 0.02 mg, which is less than the general low-dose pill, and can be expected to be effective for both organic and functional dysmenorrhoea. Take a sheet containing 28 tablets once a day.
Yards Flex
Yazflex contains 28 tablets per sheet, and each tablet contains 0.02mg of estrogen. When used as a therapeutic drug for dysmenorrhoea, take 1 tablet a day for 24 days, and if bleeding occurs for 3 consecutive days after the 25th day, or if you take the medicine for 120 consecutive days, stop taking the medicine for 4 days. Reducing the frequency of menstruation can be expected to reduce the symptoms of dysmenorrhea.
Jemina28
Gemina 28 is a pill containing 28 tablets per sheet, containing 0.02mg of estrogen. After taking 1 tablet daily for 56 days (2 sheets), take 1 tablet daily of Gemina 21 (21 tablets) introduced below. Then take a 7-day break. By lengthening the menstrual cycle to 84 days, it reduces the frequency of menstruation and alleviates the symptoms of dysmenorrhea.
Jemina 21
Gemina 21 is a 21-tablet pill that is also used when taking Gemina 28. Like Gemina 28, it contains 0.02mg of estrogen and is taken once a day for 21 days followed by 7 days off. The menstrual cycle is 28 days, and you can choose Gemina 21 or Gemina 28 depending on your desired menstrual cycle.
What is the treatment if I don't want to use the pill?
If you do not want to use the pill because you are physically unable to use the pill, or if you are currently trying to get pregnant, the main treatment methods are herbal medicine and pain relievers.
Kampo medicines such as tokishakuyakusan, goshuyuto, and keikikyoeito are used to treat dysmenorrhea. The type of herbal medicine used varies depending on the symptoms, so if you want to take it, please consult with your gynecologist.
Painkillers are over-the-counter and can be easily purchased at pharmacies. It has an immediate effect on pain, but it has little effect on severe pain, so it is recommended to use it while the symptoms are mild.
In addition to herbal medicines and analgesics, there are also treatment methods such as progesterone preparations that replenish progesterone, Mirena, which is a device that releases progesterone, and GnRH analog preparations that artificially create menopause.
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Read the following articles together
Kampo medicine to balance hormones | Relationship between PMS and Kampo medicine
summary
About 70% of all women suffer from dysmenorrhea, which is very high. The pill is mainly used to treat dysmenorrhea, and it can be expected to have the effect of relieving menstrual pain by adjusting the balance of female hormones. Even if you can't use the pill, there are various treatment methods such as Chinese medicine and painkillers, so if you don't know which one is better, please consult a gynecologist.
Dysmenorrhea may be hiding a gynecological disease, and if left untreated, the disease will worsen, and in the worst case, it will lead to infertility. When menstrual pain is painful, we recommend early treatment without putting up with it.
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