Tampons (not sure if this would work as well with Pantie Liners) with a painkiller such as Paracetamol soaked into it (in the same way as Nicotine Patches) to help with Period Pain. A more powerful but more localised painkiller could be used, as it would be being applied direct to the required area.

These could be sold on the medicine shelf with clear warnings and standard instructions as per normal painkillers.

Overdoses would be unlikly as (unlike Nicotine Patches and standard painkillers) a woman can only use one at once and the realease rate would be pre-determined.

(Thanks to my girlfriend Louise who suggested painkiller - I suggested Prozak....)
-- CasaLoco, Apr 14 2001

Sarafem http://www.sarafem.com/can_sarafem.html
Note the admission near the bottom that it contains the same active ingredient (fluoxetine) as Prozac. [egnor, Apr 14 2001, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Dysmenorrhoea http://healthydevil...n/dysmenorrhea.html
Prostaglandins and Period Pain [prufrax, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Menstrual pain is uterine, not quite the locus of the tampon, which is somewhat downstream. It seems unlikely that these would be more effective than just ingesting Tylenol (trade name for acetaminophen or paracetamol) in the usual way.
-- td, Apr 15 2001


It's ironic that you suggested Prozac, since its manufacturers (Eli Lilly) are marketing the same drug (fluoxetine) to combat PMS (or rather PMDD, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), under the trade name "Sarafem".

(Why now? Because Eli Lilly's patent on the drug is running out; now they have a fresh new patent on the use of the same drug to treat PMDD.)

In any case, there's certainly even less reason to deliver fluoxetine vaginally than there is for paracetamol.
-- egnor, Apr 15 2001


This was more aimed at a way of simplifying the treatment method as both are 4-6 hourly things.

Would also reduce the chance of overdose as you can only where 1 at once!!!

Given some of the other gimics tried, I think this might be reasonably usful.
-- CasaLoco, Apr 15 2001


No no no, we already numb enough body parts, not the birth canal, please.
-- Panty Bandito, Mar 15 2002


I find Codeine to be a better painkiller in this specific case than just Paracetamol. And many women's period pain can actually be traced back to over-clotting on release of the (how can I say this) uterine wall coating. So the reach of the tampon is not really enough. Putting it in at about the level of the Coil might be better. There you go: prophylactic combined with the removal of the "I've got a headache" excuse!
-- sappho, Mar 15 2002


paracetamol supositories are amazing for bone cancer pain management but pessaries might be a different story.
-- kael, Jul 09 2003


Anyone remember how witches got the reputation for riding broomsticks?
-- n-pearson, Jul 09 2003


Good theory, CasaLoca.

[Unabubba & Rods Tiger] It's gender specific cause I'm guessing you haven't bled & bloated monthly. Non gender specific stuff exists - for non gender specific purposes.
-- thecat, Jul 11 2003


So, you expect this wad of cotton to be expelling something and absorbing something else simultaneously? How does that make sense in any way, shape, or form?
-- Tabbyclaw, Jul 16 2004


Aspirin and Ibuprofen are much more effective against period pain than paracetamol. Their anti-inflammatory effect involves blocking the production of the prostaglandins that cause increased uterine contractions (and hence increased bleeding), apparently. Works for me - I have "membraneous dysmenorrhoea" in which the uterine lining comes off in great lumps due to over-contraction.
-- prufrax, Jul 16 2004


A lot of the painkillers designed specifically for period pain (such as Feminax in the UK) have caffeine in - I was never sure quite why. Still, I agree that you need the anti-inflammatory effect and I also agree that putting this in a tampon is going to do sweet FA to help, since it's not vagina pain, more uterus pain.

It's OK boys - you can come back now.
-- hazel, Jul 16 2004


"Overdoses would be unlikly as (unlike Nicotine Patches and standard painkillers) a woman can only use one at once"... Not strictly true.
-- MikeOliver, May 03 2006



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