Treatment of dysmenorrhoea and premenstrual syndrome with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

The menstrual cycle is associated with 2 potentially incapacitating events: dysmenorrhoea and premenstrual syndrome. Although substantial evidence has accumulated to indicate that excessive endometrial production of prostaglandin F2 alpha is the major underlying cause of painful menstruation, correspondingly little is currently known about the basic aetiology of the premenstrual syndrome. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been used to alleviate the discomfort of both entities, and while these agents have come to assume a primary role in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea, a body of evidence substantiating their efficacy in premenstrual syndrome has yet to be developed.