Background: Primary and secondary dysmenorrhea are frequent gynecological issues in women. Primary dysmenorrhea is painful menstruation without pelvic illness. Some studies have shown that using fish oil can alleviate dysmenorrhea symptoms.
Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids in relieving the pain associated with primary dysmenorrhea in young females
Patients and methods: Our study is a randomized controlled study that was conducted in obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic at Al-Azhar university hospital, Damietta, Egypt. The study included 90 patients with primary dysmenorrhea who were randomized into two groups; Group A included 45 females who received Ibuprofen 400 mg/day during menses for two cycles. Group B included 45 females who received 1000 mg/day of Omega 3 capsules [OMEGA 3 FISH OIL1000 MG 100 TAB] for 2 months. Pain intensity was evaluated by the Visual Analog Scale [VAS].
Results: There was statistically significant decrease in both groups of ibuprofen and omega 3 regarding severity of pain before and after intervention. There were 34 females [75.6%] in omega 3 group needed rescue dose of ibuprofen during menses in first cycle and 26 females [57.8%] needed rescue dose of ibuprofen during menses in second cycle. The mean rescue dose of ibuprofen during menses in first cycle was 288±206.9 while during menses in second cycle was 210±156.3
Conclusion: Our study findings suggested that continuous use of omega 3 for 2 months achieved a significant pain reduction and reduced NSAIDs use with decrease side effects.