Mefenamic acid for menstrual cramps: should I use it? – GOOD SHAPE

To the menstrual cramps they are extremely uncomfortable, and there are women who go through real trouble every time they reach their menstrual cycle. That’s why, time and again, new options for treatments and medications to relieve these pains emerge – and one of the most recent is mefenamic acid.

WHAT IS MEPHENAMIC ACID?

Mefenamic acid is nothing more than a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (also known by the mnemonic NSAIDs), used to treat pain. And the good news is, yes, he has a good deed in the control of menstrual cramps.

“However, this type of anti-inflammatory drug has some contraindications”, explains the nutritionist. Dr. Ana Luisa Vilela. “Like all anti-inflammatory drugs, it can cause kidney and gastric problems and interfere with the action of anticoagulants, having to be used sparingly with medical indication due to its interaction with other medications.”

What makes the action of this drug positive for the treatment of colic is that it was developed in the 1960s to treat sharp pains – that is, those that appear “suddenly”, which is usually the case with colic.

Mefenamic acid has analgesic and antipyretic action, so it is usually indicated to treat a number of health conditions:

Fever
menstrual cramps
Muscle aches
toothache
Headaches
Rheumatologic diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis)

“In cases of increased menstrual flow, it can act by reducing this flow and controlling pain”, adds the doctor.

The action of this medicine is related to the decrease in the synthesis of prostaglandins, substances that resemble hormones and that induce inflammation in the body.

CONTRAINDICATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS IN THE USE OF MEPHENAMIC ACID

This medication is the type that does not need a medical prescription to be purchased, however, due to the possible Side effects it causes, it is essential that it be consumed in the proper dosage and under the supervision of a doctor.

Apart from that, it is important to remember the contraindications to the drug: “People with kidney diseases, hepatic, cardiac and gastric disorders should be avoided, especially without medical supervision”, explains Dr. A-N-A.