Period pain is common and a normal albeit uncomfortable part of a woman’s menstrual cycle. It’s felt as throbbing muscle cramps in the stomach, which can stretch to the back and thighs. The pain worsens when bleeding is heavy. To some women and girls, menstrual cramps are mild, while to others, the pain is so excessive that they find relief in painkillers. The question is, is it advisable to take painkillers whenever you have cramps? Experts say that painkillers should be avoided if the pain is manageable, this is because the side effects can rise if the medications are taken for long periods. It’s not advisable to access painkillers without expert advice, reach out to a gynaecologist about severe menstrual cramps and know the benefits and risks of taking them. Doctors are able to suggest the right dosage of painkillers for you, or if at all you should take them. Dr Edem Danyo, a health practitioner, notes that period pain, medically called dysmenorrhea, is caused by a hormone called prostaglandins. The role of prostaglandins is to cause narrowing of the uterine blood vessels, which causes the uterine muscles to contract, leading to limited blood supply to the uterus and increased sensitivity of the uterine nerves. According to the National Health Service-NHS, less commonly, period pain can be caused by an underlying medical condition. Period pain linked to an underlying medical condition tends to affect older women. Women aged 30 to 45 are most commonly affected. “Medical conditions that can cause period pain include endometriosis – where cells that normally line the womb grow in other places, such as in the fallopian tubes and ovaries; these cells can cause intense pain when they shed. Secondly, the pain could be due to fibroids – non-cancerous tumours that can grow in or around the womb and can make your periods heavy and painful.” Dr Danyo says that painkillers, to be specific, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) block the action of prostaglandins on the uterus or womb and that is how pain relief is obtained from NSAIDs. Always relying on painkillers for the slightest of pain could lead to tolerance to a specific painkiller or dose which means either higher dose or higher form of drugs will be needed for the pain, he adds. Dr Danyo says that NSAIDs could damage other organs like the liver and stomach. With the stomach, it could cause NSAID induced ulcers. “I usually advise patients to take pain medication only if pain is unbearable and it’s preventing them from going about their daily activities. Painkillers come in when all natural remedies have failed to avert the pain,” he states. He adds that the drugs commonly used for dysmenorrhea are NSAIDs, for example, are diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen and many more. Dr Danyo further notes that painkillers take away the pain automatically but it depends on the painkillers taken because each of them have ‘onset of action time’ which is the time they take to act. Experts say that taking painkillers during menstruation can trigger constipation, this is because pain medication contains opioids which slow down the movement of stool through one’s bowel. This results in the bowel taking more water out and thus the stool becomes harder, drier, and difficult to pass. But also, too many medicines during periods are believed to make one feel more nauseated and result in vomiting. The health practitioner recommends other options to get rid of the pain, and some of these include, placing a hot water bottle or heating pad against the abdomen as this can ease the muscles and alleviate the cramps. He adds that gentle exercises such as stretching, taking a walk, or doing yoga may help relieve the pain.
