--- title: How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated? | Niyora description: Regular pain relief medication (NSAIDs) started before periods begin may help. In one teenager, severe pain improved from 8 out of 10 to 5 out of 10. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/consultation-with-the-specialist-2006/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated? Cohort study, 2006 # How should severe period pain in teenagers be treated? Regular pain relief medication (NSAIDs) started before periods begin may help. In one teenager, severe pain improved from 8 out of 10 to 5 out of 10. Early or limited evidence One 15-year-old girl with severe menstrual pain ## What they did Described the medical care of one 15-year-old girl with severe menstrual cramps, headache, loose stools, and breast tenderness who was missing school. ## What they found The girl's pain was rated 8 out of 10 and she missed 3 days of school in 6 weeks. After taking NSAIDs on a regular schedule starting before menstrual bleeding, her pain reduced to 5 out of 10 at follow-up. ## What it means for you Taking NSAIDs regularly before periods start, rather than waiting until pain begins, may reduce severe menstrual cramps in teenagers. This is only one case, so we cannot know how well this works for all teenagers. 8 out of 10 initial pain rating 3 school days missed in 6 weeks 5 out of 10 pain rating after treatment ## About the study Original title Consultation with the Specialist Authors Paula J. Adams Hillard Journal Pediatrics in Review Year 2006 Study design Cohort study What was tested Regular NSAID medication scheduled before and during first 2 days of menstruation Read the paper [doi.org/10.1542/pir.27.2.64](https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.27.2.64) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Oral contraceptives and drospirenone](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormonal-contraceptives/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)[Diuretics and other drugs](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diuretics-other-drugs/)[Endometriosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-endometriosis/)[Migraine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-migraine/)[IBS and gut symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ibs-gi/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Economic burden](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-economic-burden/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Survey study, 2023 Does PMS affect school performance and relationships in female medical students? Randomised trial, 2014 Does the combination of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium reduce menstrual symptoms and migraine? Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Randomised trial, 2021 Does hypnotherapy reduce pain and emotional distress in women with PMDD? Survey study, 2019 What lifestyle and sleep habits are linked to PMS in teenage girls? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗