Viagra could become a lifesaver for women too — but for a different problem, scientists believe

In recent years, researchers have discovered that the drug and its active ingredient sildenafil can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, and can also be used in the treatment of an enlarged prostate.

Now, scientists have also turned their attention to a problem faced by a huge number of women — dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation. This is not just about discomfort, but severe pain in the lower abdomen and pelvic area, which can radiate to the back and thighs. Some women also suffer from nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fatigue, nervousness, and dizziness during menstruation.

Today, the main methods of combating dysmenorrhea remain hormonal contraception, over-the-counter painkillers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and home remedies — for example, a hot water bottle. But they don't help everyone.

In severe cases, women are sometimes forced to undergo a hysterectomy — an operation to remove the uterus. Such a procedure completely stops menstruation, but at the same time eliminates the possibility of having children.

The New York Post drew attention to a study conducted by scientists from Croatia. The experiment involved women aged 18 to 35 who suffered from moderate or severe dysmenorrhea.

Previous studies have already examined the effect of Viagra on the intensity of menstrual pain. Scientists found that the drug can relieve pelvic pain. However, when taking pills orally, many women experienced side effects — most often headache. Therefore, researchers decided to try another method and administered a single dose of 100 milligrams vaginally.

As the authors of the article published in the journal Human Reproduction noted, this method of administration is very effective for locally acting drugs. When medication reaches close to the target organ, it helps to reduce side effects. Among the main advantages of this method are good blood supply and the fact that the drug does not first pass through the liver.

The results were encouraging. Women who received sildenafil reported reduced pain and improved blood flow during their menstrual cycle. At the same time, the researchers did not record any serious side effects.

However, the study could not be fully completed. Only 25 women participated: 13 received the drug, and the rest received a placebo. The scientists lacked participants, and later the project lost funding. In addition, the authors of the study acknowledged that the four-hour observation of patients might have been too short to assess the full effect of the drug.

Funding problems were not the only obstacle. Researchers reported that grant applications for the study of premenstrual syndrome and menstrual pain were rejected due to the perception that such problems were allegedly exaggerated or not significant enough for serious science.

Nevertheless, interest in the topic has not waned. Last month, information about a new study planned by scientists from Chicago (USA) appeared in the American government registry of clinical trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, which publishes information on medical experiments from around the world.

They want to check whether vaginally administered sildenafil can indeed reduce excessive uterine contractions and relieve pain during menstruation. For now, researchers are only preparing to recruit participants, but the very fact of launching a new clinical trial indicates that the idea has not been abandoned.

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