Panacea Index Logo

Command Palette

Search for a command to run...

Both melatonin and meloxicam improved sleep and pain in females with primary dysmenorrhea-results from a double-blind cross-over intervention pilot study.

Archives of women's mental health
December 1, 2018
Farahnaz Keshavarzi et al. (7 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether melatonin could improve subjective and objective sleep and reduce pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea.

Results Summary

Melatonin improved subjective sleep quality, reduced pain, increased objective sleep efficiency, and shortened sleep latency in women with primary dysmenorrhea, with superior efficacy compared to meloxicam.

Population

14 women (mean age 27.5 years) with primary dysmenorrhea.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Administered during one menstrual cycle (cross-over design over three cycles total).

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (9)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
melatonin
increase
subjective sleep
women with primary dysmenorrhea
-
improved
#1
melatonin
decrease
pain
women with primary dysmenorrhea
-
decreased
#2
melatonin
increase
objective sleep efficiency
women with primary dysmenorrhea
-
increased
#3
melatonin
decrease
objective sleep latency
women with primary dysmenorrhea
-
shortened
#4
meloxicam
increase
subjective sleep
women with primary dysmenorrhea
-
improved
#5
meloxicam
decrease
pain
women with primary dysmenorrhea
-
decreased
#6
meloxicam
increase
objective sleep efficiency
women with primary dysmenorrhea
-
increased
#7
meloxicam
decrease
objective sleep latency
women with primary dysmenorrhea
-
shortened
#8
melatonin
increase
treatment of pain and PD-related sleep complaints
women with primary dysmenorrhea
-
superior efficacy
#9
Abstract

Up to 25% of ovulating women suffer from primary dysmenorrhea, a condition associated with pain and transient-reduced quality of life, along with greater irritability and impaired sleep. In the present study, we asked whether and if so to what extent melatonin and meloxicam can improve subjective and objective sleep and reduce pain among women with primary dysmenorrhea (PD). To this end, we conducted a double-blind cross-over clinical trial lasting for three menstrual cycles. A total of 14 women (mean age M = 27.5 years) with primary dysmenorrhea took part in the study. At baseline, that is, during the first menstruation, they completed a visual analogue scale to rate pain; sleep continuity was assessed via actigraphs, and overall sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Next, participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, either melatonin during the second, and meloxicam during the third menstruation, or meloxicam during the second, and melatonin during the third menstruation. Neither participants nor investigators were aware of participants' study assignment. During the second and third menstruations, the assessments described above were repeated. At baseline, sleep assessed both objectively and subjectively was impaired, and pain was high. Subjective sleep improved and pain decreased during the second and third menstruations irrespective of whether melatonin or meloxicam was administered first or second. Likewise, objective sleep efficiency increased and objective sleep latency shortened. The efficacy of melatonin was superior to that of meloxicam. The present pattern of results suggests that both melatonin and meloxicam are suitable to treat pain and PD-related sleep complaints among women with primary dysmenorrhea.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultAntioxidantsCross-Over StudiesCyclooxygenase 2 InhibitorsDouble-Blind MethodDysmenorrheaFemaleHumansIrritable MoodMelatoninMeloxicamPainPilot ProjectsQuality of LifeSleep Wake DisordersTreatment OutcomeVisual Analog Scale
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy85/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations9
Citations/Year1.3
Relative Citation Ratio0.69
NIH Percentile36.7%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.25
Weight Score2.01
Normalized Score0.70
Related Supplements