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Menorrhagia. Current drug treatment concepts
M A van Eijkeren1, G C Christiaens, P C Scholten
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Drugs
|February 1, 1992
Summary
Menorrhagia, or heavy menstrual bleeding, affects many women. Treatment choice depends on whether contraception is desired, with different medications recommended for managing this common gynecological issue.
Area of Science:
- Gynecology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Menorrhagia affects 9-14% of women, presenting diagnostic and treatment challenges for general practitioners.
- Objective assessment of menorrhagia can be difficult, complicating treatment decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on menorrhagia diagnosis, pathophysiology, and particularly medicinal treatments.
- To provide a practical approach to managing menorrhagia based on patient needs and underlying causes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of menorrhagia diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment options.
- Emphasis on medicinal treatments, considering patient desire for contraception and underlying etiology.
Main Results:
- For women desiring contraception, oral contraceptives and progestogens (oral or IUD) are first-line treatments.
- For women not desiring contraception, short-term treatments like prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors or antifibrinolytics are recommended.
- Antifibrinolytics offer the greatest reduction in menstrual blood loss, while prostaglandin inhibitors have fewer side effects and can alleviate dysmenorrhea.
Conclusions:
- Treatment selection for menorrhagia should be individualized based on contraception needs and the cause of bleeding.
- Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors and antifibrinolytics are effective non-contraceptive treatment options.
- Further research is needed on combination drug therapies for menorrhagia.