Diflunisal compared with naproxen in the treatment of dysmenorrhea

A randomized double-blind cross-over study was carried out in 19 young female undergraduates with severe primary dysmenorrhea to compare the efficacy and tolerance of treatment with diflunisal and naproxen. All patients received both substances twice during four consecutive cycles. The first tablet was taken at the onset of dysmenorrheic symptoms and continued according to the individual need, maximally four tablets daily. The overall relieving effect was good or moderate in 73.7% of the diflunisal cycles and in 92.1% of the naproxen cycles. The difference was not statistically significant. One third of the women estimated decreased menstrual blood loss during treatment with both the drugs. Side effects were mild and did not cause discontinuation of the therapy. Diflunisal seems to be as equally effective in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea as naproxen, which is a well-documented and widely used prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor.