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By Lauren Wilkin
More than nine in ten women experience period pain — but many may be choosing a less effective treatment, new research suggests.
A study has found that acetaminophen is more commonly used than ibuprofen to treat menstrual cramps, despite evidence showing ibuprofen works better for this type of pain.
Researchers analyzing more than 211 million loyalty card transactions found people were four times more likely to buy painkillers when purchasing period products.
In total, 26.7% of shoppers bought some form of pain relief alongside items such as tampons and pads.
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The study, published in PLOS Digital Health, tracked the purchasing habits of more than 3.4 million people over a 10-year period between April 2006 and April 2015.
From this, they revealed the top five most common painkillers bought alongside period products were all acetaminophen-based.
Two-thirds of the pain-relieving purchases alongside period products were acetaminophen, compared to just one-third that were ibuprofen-based, despite proof that acetaminophen is less effective than ibuprofen when treating cramps.
However, experts say ibuprofen is more effective at targeting period pain because it reduces levels of prostaglandins — hormones released during menstruation that cause the uterus to contract and trigger cramps.
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Acetaminophen can be effective at managing pain as it blocks certain signals from reaching the brain, but ibuprofen can be more effective at targeting the cause of period pain.
Because ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory as well as a pain reliever, it reduces the production of prostaglandin and therefore can reduce the severity of menstrual cramps.
According to the NHS, ibuprofen can also reduce menstrual flow, with some studies showing blood loss may decrease by between 20% and 60%.
For this reason, swapping acetaminophen for ibuprofen could be the key to lighter, less-painful periods.
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