Since it burst onto the market in 1998, sildenafil citrate (sold
under the brand name Viagra at the time), has injected a boost into the
love lives of couples around the world.
In the subsequent 15 years, the treatment has been explored for other
purposes besides erectile dysfunction and has been found to be
effective for pulmonary hypertension (marketed under the name Revatio
for this condition).
Moreover, clinical trials have shown the impotence drug to be beneficial for people with raynaud’s phenomenon, with Viagra
helping blood supply to the fingers, toes, or both, which become pale,
cold, and painful, and Viagra has also shown to have an impact in high
altitudes for mountain sickness, enabling people to exercise in places
with a low level of oxygen.
However, a team of researchers have now discovered yet another troublesome health complaint that sildenafil
may work wonders for, and shockingly it is not a male-related problem.
Yes fellas, soon you may find yourself having to share your little blue
pills with the other half!
Penn State College of Medicine researchers joined forces with fellow
researchers at Nova Gradiska General Hospital in Croatia, who assessed
25 women, aged between 18 and 35, all experiencing primary dysmenorrhea
at moderate to severe levels.
Dysmenorrhea – more often simply known as ‘painful periods’ can be
segregated into primary and secondary dysmenorrhea, with primary being
the most common. This is where there is no underlying problem of the
womb, usually afflicting teenagers and women in their early 20s.
Symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea are commonly felt after around 6 to
12 months of periods that are painless, with many women feeling a cramp
in their lower abdomen, back and thighs. Sometimes this is accompanied
with a feeling of fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting. Many women
find their menstrual cramps start about 1 or 2 days after bleeding.
Unless the cause is related to an underlying health condition, the
majority of cases of primary dysmenorrhea occur when the blood supply to
the womb has been stopped because the muscular wall of the womb has
contracted. With no oxygen, the tissues in the womb emit chemicals that
are responsible for the pain that follows.
For the study, the participants were randomly selected to either
receive a dose of 100mg sildenafil citrate, administered vaginally for
the purpose of the study, or a placebo. Over the next 4 hours the women
then documented any improvements in respect of their pain subsiding.
Generally, it was found that those who received the sildenafil
citrate reported less pain compared to the women taking a placebo, with
no side effects. The researchers involved in the study say that the
increase in blood flow is most likely causing the alleviation of pain,
but because both the sildenafil and placebo increased, they admit they
are not certain of the exact reason for the sildenafil decreasing the
pain.
“If future studies confirm these findings, sildenafil may become a
treatment option for patients with PD [primary dysmenorrhea],” study
researcher Richard Legro, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and
public health sciences at the university, said in a statement.
Professor Legro added: “Since PD is a condition that most women
suffer from and seek treatment for at some points in their lives, the
quest for new medication is justified.” Currently, non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, are usually the
preferred choice to ease the pain associated with severe menstrual
cramps.
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