3 medicines for Dysmenorrhoea

Belladonna- The congestive type of dysmenorrhoea; pain started before menstrual flow with sensation of heaviness as if everything would protrude from the vulva, relieved by sitting up straight; the pains comes on suddenly and ceases suddenly; the flow is offensive and clotted; the vagina is hot and dry and the pains moves in the horizontal direction in pelvis.

Mag Phos- The pain calling for it are neuralgic and crampy preceding the flow and the greater indication for the use of this remedy is the relief from warmth and aggravation from motion; Uterine engorgements with crampy pains and membranous dysmenorrhoea indicates the remedy.

Pulsatilla- Menstrual flow is dark in color, scanty and delayed; more severe the pain the patient will get more chill; the pains gripes and double the patient up; violent pain with soreness in the region of uterus and ovaries causing patient to bend double; milk in breast during menses in young girls; pain relieved by slowly walking about.

INFO ABOUT DISEASE...................

It is estimated that between 50 and 70 percent of women endure some degree of period pain and cramping. Of those, approximately 10 per cent experience contractions so extreme that they are one-and-a-half times more powerful than labor pains. For some women the pain can be so debilitating that they are forced to take time off work or can only get through their periods by dosing themselves with painkillers.

Symptoms:

Obviously pain is the overriding symptom in dysmenorrhoea, but many women will experience other symptoms, including:
1) Nausea
2) Vomiting
3) Diarrhea/constipation
4) Fainting
5) Light-headedness
6) Feeling dizzy
7) Headaches
8) Exhaustion and lethargy

Types of Dysmenorrhoea:

A] Based on the type of pain:-

1) Congestive dysmenorrhoea- With a constant, low, dull backache.
2) Spasmodic dysmenorrhoea- Cramping pains like contractions.

B] based on the cause of dysmenorrhoea:-

1. Primary dysmenorrhoea. Primary dysmenorrhoea means that there is no specific problem or abnormality causing the pain.
2. Secondary dysmenorrhoea. Secondary dysmenorrhoea means that the pain is caused by a specific condition, such as endometriosis, fibroids or an infection, etc.

Cause:

Throughout the month your womb contracts and relaxes on a regular basis. You will probably be entirely unaware that these contractions are taking place. However, around the time of your period, they become stronger. In order to squeeze out the blood from the lining built up during your menstrual cycle, your womb has to contract. This should, theoretically, be a painless or only mildly painful occurrence, but for some women, the contractions are stronger than they need to be, causing enormous pain. Cramping can also occur and this tends to be connected with heavy periods. The greater the build-up of womb lining, the more violent the contractions needed to get rid of the engorged blood.
Another cause of painful periods can be the excess production and release of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Many of the prostaglandins are actually ‘healthy’, and have a beneficial effect on the body. However, two types of ‘bad’ prostaglandins, known as PGF2 Alpha and PGE2, can be increased in some women. PGF2 Alpha is a vasoconstrictor, which means that it works to reduce the blood flow to the womb muscle, and PGE2 is a highly inflammatory substance that can trigger muscle contractions and increase the sensitivity of your nerve endings to pain.

Dietary Recommendations:

It is very important that you avoid all of those foods that are high in arachidonic acid (AA). Your body produces PGE2 from AA, of which the main sources are dairy products. This means eliminating or at least reducing dairy in any form, including milk, cheese, cottage cheese yoghurt, butter and even dairy ice-cream. AA is also present in red meat and although the saturated fat content of red meat is higher than in white meats, AA is higher in chicken and turkey than in red meat.

Supplements:

Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is needed to help produce ‘good’ prostaglandins, so it is worth taking a good B-complex supplement. This vitamin has been shown significantly to reduce the intensity and duration of period pains.

Vitamin B1
This vitamin is very effective in helping with period pain.

Vitamin B12
Because both vitamins B1 and B6 are helpful with treating period pains, the best approach is to take a vitamin B complex. This will also give you vitamin B12, and it has been found that a combination of fish oil and B12 is actually more effective than just fish oil on its own for relieving dysmenorrhoea.

Vitamin E
Up to 70 per cent of women have found the supplementation of vitamin E to be useful in treating painful periods. The reasons for this effect are unclear, but it may be that vitamin E’s antioxidant properties help with the pain, or control the levels of prostaglandins.
Vitamin C and bioflavonoids
Bioflavonoids are helpful with period pain because they help to relax smooth muscle and reduce inflammation. Bilberry is one of the best bioflavonoids for this, but other bioflavanoids can be helpful. Include berries of any kind (including blackberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and even grapes in your diet).

Magnesium
Magnesium acts as a muscle relaxant and it has been shown to have a beneficial effect on painful periods and lower back pain, so it is worth taking as a supplement. Magnesium also has the ability to lower the ‘bad’ prostaglandins that may be causing the womb to over contract.

Zinc
This mineral is important for eliminating period pains because it is needed for the proper conversion of LA to GLA.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs)
Taking EFAs in supplement form is extremely important in the treatment of painful periods.