Ormeloxifene - Looking beyond contraception

This study is aimed at finding out a logical solution for perimenopausal menorrhagia in normal or bulky uterus.

The study is carried out at a tertiary care hospital at Odisha. In our setup, nearly 900 hysterectomies are done per year out of which 60% are for menorrhagia with bulky uterus.

There were sixty cases of menorrhagia between the ages of 40 and 55 years who completed child bearing treated with ormeloxifene. Their endometrial thickness (ET) and hemoglobin (Hb) level were determined at the start of the study and also at 6 months and compared. At 1 year from the start of treatment, patients' satisfaction and status of menstrual cycle were reassessed.

Age and parity variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and range. We used the paired samples t-test to estimate the mean, median, range, P and t value. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software version 11.5 (IBM Corp) and tests of statistical significance were two-sided and differences were taken as significant when P < 0.05.

After 1 year of follow-up, 90% of patients found to be amenorrhoic and only two out of them presented with mild irritability and vasomotor complaints which resolved with counseling and placebo therapy. There was a significant reduction (P < 0.0001) in ET and rise in Hb level (P < 0.0001).

Ormeloxifene is a safe drug which can be used to treatment of perimenopausal bleeding with minimal focal pathology.