Insights & Discussion
Honey has been shown to provide similar pain relief to traditional medication mefenamic acid for women with primary dysmenorrhea, with fewer side effects.
In this randomized crossover clinical trial, 56 female university students with primary dysmenorrhea were split into two groups and were either given honey or mefenamic acid during their 'first treatment period.' For the 'second treatment period,' the groups were switched and the subjects were given the alternate treatment. The participants' pain levels were recorded during the first three days of menstruation.
The results showed that there was no significant difference between the most severe level of pain experienced in the two groups during both months of the treatment period. In effect, both honey and mefenamic acid provided similar levels of pain relief to women with primary dysmenorrhea. Notably, honey is recommended due to its lower side effects and pharmacological complications compared to mefenamic acid. No future research trials were mentioned.
Discover Related Insights
The combination of dark chocolate with herbs could be one of the therapies for period pain.
2023 Journal of Tropical Pharmacy and Chemistry Effect of Combination of Dark Chocolate and Herbal Ingredients for Dysmenorrhea in Late Adolescents Azizah RNP, Anggreini P, Prasetya F
Randomised Controlled Trial Dark Chocolate Ginger Honey
This test was conducted on 30 respondents who were divided into three groups, namely the positive control group (K), dark chocolate (C), and a combination of dark chocolate with herbs (C+H). Dark chocolate was combined with herbal ingredients consisting of turmeric, red ginger, moringa, sambiloto extract, and honey as a beverage 250 mL.
The study is quantitative research with quasi-experimental method. Pain measurement using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) sheet was given before and 2 hours after treatment. The data was analyzed using paired t-test. State the results of the values obtained the combination of dark chocolate and herbs showed a significant reduction in pain before and after treatment (p<0.05).
Chamomile sachets could be a viable alternate treatment for primary dysmenorrhea, as they've shown similar effects to mefenamic acid in reducing pain and bleeding.
2022 The Open Public Health Journal Comparing the Effect of Chamomile and Mefenamic Acid on Primary Dysmenorrhea Symptoms and Menstrual Bleeding: A Randomized Clinical Trial Shabani F, Narenji F, Vakilian K, Zareian MA, Bozorgi M, Bioos S, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Chamomile Mefenamic Acid Period Pain
In the methodology of this study, the researchers took 200 female students diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea and divided them randomly into two groups. One group was given mefenamic acid and the other group was administered chamomile. The intensity of pain, related symptoms, and bleeding were assessed using various measurement scales.
Evaluating the results, both chamomile and mefenamic acid made a noticeable impact in decreasing the intensity of pain and bleeding. However, it was found that chamomile displayed a greater effectiveness in reducing the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea, presenting it as a promising substitute treatment avenue.
Chamomile was found to be less effective than mefenamic acid for relieving cyclic menstrual pain.
2022 Evidence-Based Practice Is chamomile effective to treat cyclic menstrual pain? Alcaraz EM, Laumbach SG, Amico J
Randomised Controlled Trial Mefenamic Acid Period Pain
In the methodology deployed, the researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of chamomile and mefenamic acid in treating menstrual pain. The patients involved in the study were randomly assigned to receive either chamomile or mefenamic acid as a form of treatment for their cyclic menstrual discomfort.
In the subsequent discussion of results, it was determined that chamomile was not as effective as mefenamic acid in alleviating menstrual pain. The patients who were administered chamomile did not experience as much relief from their discomfort as those who were given mefenamic acid. Despite chamomile's widely acknowledged health benefits, in this case, it did not prove as successful as the more traditional treatment method in providing sufficient pain relief.
The use of ginger, chamomile, and honey significantly diminished the intensity of dysmenorrhea pain as compared to the use of mefenamic acid.
2020 Current Women s Health Reviews The Effect of Ginger-chamomile Sachet with Honey on Primary Dysmenorrhea and Associated Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial Shabani F, Chabra A, Vakilian K, Bioos S, Bozorgi M, Ayati MH, et al.
Randomised Controlled Trial Chamomile Ginger Honey
Methodology: The research involved 200 female students from Arak universities, suffering from primary dysmenorrhea. These participants were randomly divided into two groups. Initially, one cycle without any intervention was evaluated for all students. Following this, group A was administered 250mg of mefenamic acid while group B received a combination of 1000mg ginger, 5000mg chamomile along with a teaspoonful of honey. This regimen was followed for two days prior and for the first three days of menstruation, administered three times daily and was carried out over two consecutive cycles. To measure the pain severity, associated symptoms of dysmenorrhea and bleeding, tools such as a visual analogue scale, Andersch-Milsom Verbal Scale, and Higham chart were used.
Discussion of Results: Following the intervention, the pain intensity experienced by the group treated with ginger, chamomile, and honey was found to decrease significantly when compared to the group that was administered mefenamic acid.
Oral ginger could be an effective treatment for menstrual pain in dysmenorrhea.
2016 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Efficacy of Oral Ginger (Zingiber officinale) for Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Chen X. Chen, Bruce Barrett, Kristine L. Kwekkeboom,
Systematic Review Ginger Mefenamic Acid Period Pain
Ginger appeared more effective for reducing pain severity than placebo. The weighted mean difference on a 10 cm visual analogue scale was 1.55 cm (favoring ginger). No significant difference was found between ginger and mefenamic acid (an NSAID). The standardized mean difference was 0 (95% CI -0.40 to 0.41). Available data suggest that oral ginger could be an effective treatment for menstrual pain in dysmenorrhea. Findings, however, need to be interpreted with caution because of the small number of studies, poor methodological quality of the studies, and high heterogeneity across trials. The review highlights the need for future trials with high methodological quality.
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