Treatment of menorrhagia with meclofenamate sodium

A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial was undertaken to determine the efficacy of meclofenamate sodium in the treatment of menorrhagia. Twenty-nine patients who had a baseline menstrual blood loss greater than 60 ml received 2 months' each of meclofenamate sodium, 100 mg by mouth, three times a day, or a placebo. The mean menstrual blood loss was reduced from 141.6 +/- 15.9 ml at baseline to 69.0 +/- 6.3 ml during treatment cycles but remained increased during placebo cycles (135.6 +/- 11.3 ml). The symptoms of dysmenorrhea, backache, and headache were significantly reduced only during active drug periods. The number of days of flow and pads or tampons used was also reduced during drug cycles but not during placebo cycles. Overall, 26 of the 29 patients evaluated had a reduction in menstrual blood loss with the use of meclofenamate sodium. It appears that many women with unexplained menorrhagia may benefit from this treatment.