Being a woman has its ups and downs. It can be very heartwarming to receive flowers from a suitor or loved one. It is also very memorable to give birth to a baby. However, women are also prone to suffering from various sources of pain, like menstruation.

Menstrual pain is one of the most excruciating feelings that women will experience in their lives. It is very common among teenagers. Obviously, this pain only occurs when women are to have their periods. Although it is not a serious problem, it could also be linked with non-cancerous tumors present in the uterus called uterine fibroids.

There is a medical term for menstrual pain- dysmenorrhea. It often starts two to three years after a woman experiences her first period. The pain can be felt a day or two during the menstrual period. However, it could go away when the woman ages or after she bears a child.

Menstrual pain also comes with other symptoms that make the condition worse for women. These associated symptoms include headache, nausea, constipation, frequent urination and heavy menstrual flow.

What causes menstrual pain?

According to research, it is due to the strong contractions of the uterus caused by prostaglandins. These are chemicals in the body that are linked with pain and swelling. So the higher levels of prostaglandins in the body, the more painful the menstrual pain is for women.

Relieving Menstrual Pain

Women who suffer from menstrual pain can deal with this problem through the use of drugs called narcotic analgesics. This type of medication works in the brain to change how the body reacts and responds to pain. Two of the best narcotic analgesics effective for pain associated with menstruation are OxyContin and Celebrex.

OxyContin is a drug that treat moderate to severe menstrual pain. It is taken orally. This medication may be taken on an empty stomach every 12 hours. The OxyContin tablet is swallowed whole, as breaking, crushing or chewing the tablets can increase the risk of overdose.

OxyContin may cause side effects like weakness, constipation, dry mouth, sweating, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. The side effects, however, often decrease after sometime. Women who use this drug for their menstrual pain are advised to eat foods rich in fiber and take lots of water to prevent constipation. This medication may also interact with other drugs like mixed narcotic agonists like butorphanol, pentazocine and nalbuphine and narcotic antagonists like naltrexone.

Another drug that women can use to relieve menstrual pain is Celebrex.  This is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID that relieves pain and swelling. Aside from menstrual pain, it is also given to patients suffering from arthritis.  Celebrex works by blocking the enzymes that makes prostaglandins, which causes the pain during menstruation.  Like OxyContin, this drug is taken orally once or twice a day. It is advised that Celebrex is taken with food to prevent stomach upset which is the most common side effect. Other side effects may include severe headache, swelling of the feet or hands, change in urine amount, difficulty in swallowing and unexplained fatigue.