Could Viagra Help Alleviate Pelvic Pain in Women?

A recent study suggests that women with severe menstrual cramps may find relieve in a class of erectile dysfunction drugs, according to researchers from Penn State College of Medicine.

Lead study author Richard Legro notes that primary dysmenorrhea is the most common cause of pelvic pain for women. Though the current treatment for such issues is non-steroidal inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen, this can be associated with ulcers and chronic kidney damage, which could escalate the problem.

Yet researchers believe that sildenafil citrate, the brand name for Viagra, may be able to help relieve some of the painful symptoms through dilation of blood vessels. However, previous research shows that by taking oral medications to alleviate pelvic pain, the incidence of side effects-often headaches-may be too high for routine use.

Researchers recruited women 18 to 35 years old who suffered from moderate to severe PD. Twenty-five of the 29 women screened for the study were randomized to receive either the drug or a placebo.

Participants were asked to rate their pain over four consecutive hours after the drugs were administered. The study notes that sildenafil citrate administered vaginally alleviates acute menstrual pain with no reported side effects. Researchers believe that pain alleviation caused by the drug may be due to increase of blood flow. However, as uterine blood flow increased with both the drug and the placebo, researchers are still uncertain at this time if this is the reason for less pain.

"If future studies confirm these findings, sildenafil may become a treatment option for patients with PD," said Legro, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and public health sciences, via a press release. "Since PD is a condition that most women suffer from and seek treatment for at some points in their lives, the quest for new medication is justified."

Larger studies must be completed to validate the small sample of this study, and additional research is needed to see whether sildenafil changes the menstrual bleeding pattern.

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Human Reproduction.