Naproxen sodium, ibuprofen and a placebo in dysmenorrhea

Seventy-one patients participated, during three dysmenorrheic episodes, in a study that combined a double-blind parallel comparison of naproxen sodium and ibuprofen to each other with a single-blind comparison of naproxen sodium and ibuprofen to a placebo. The comparative measures of efficacy included hourly and overall ratings of pain by patients, limitation of daily activity due to pain and the need for additional pain medication. Although none of these measures showed a statistically significant difference, an analysis of the differences that did emerge showed a trend slightly favoring naproxen sodium. Both drugs were highly effective and significantly superior to the placebo.