대한약국학회

Map of medication by ingredient of menstrual 

painkillers sold at pharmacies 

Seoyeon Chung 1 , Seounghyo Kim 2  and M.KANG 3  

College of Pharmacy, Woosuk University, Wan-ju 55338, Korea 1,3  

Cheil choen pharmacy, Jinju, Korea 2  

Abstract 

Introduction  According  to  a  survey  of  1,000  women  aged  25-39  through  a  mobile  research  company,  91.2 

percent  of  them  were  experiencing  menstrual  pain.  When  purchasing  painkillers,  97.8  percent  of  them  are 

purchased, and the standard of judgment for purchasing drugs was mainly based on effects (61.7 percent) rather 

than ingredients or recommendations. However, four of the women who take painkillers are not working. 

The fact that many people lack effectiveness even though 79.1 percent of local pharmacies are where patients 

buy drugs seems to require more detailed medication guidance at pharmacies. There are many medicines related 

to menstrual pain that are marketed in Korea for medication guidance, but we will take a look at some of the 

famous medicines. Let's focus on the compound rather than the single one. Since the effect of the compound is 

different  from  that  of  the  main  components,  let's  look  at  what  effects  the  components  have  and  what 

precautions are needed. 

Purpose The number of patients hospitalized for menstrual pain was recorded at 2,258 in 2016 alone, which is 

very important for women, but it is a problem only for women and there is a large personal difference, so it does 

not pay much attention to society. But since many women are suffering from menstrual pain, they learn about 

medication guidance that pharmacies can provide for pain management. 

Method Primary menstrual pain is usually caused by muscle contraction. It is known to be caused by muscular 

ischemia and causes the release of abundant phospholipids (mainly omega-6 fatty acids) in cell membranes due 

to  a  decrease  in  progesterone  before  menstruation.  This  phospholipase  is  converted  to  arachidonic  acid by 

phospholipase A2. In this process, large amounts of arachidonic acid are accumulated in the endometrium of the 

uterus and converted to prostaglandin by PGH2dp during menstruation. 

Therefore, inhibiting prostaglandin is important for primary menstrual cramps. 

NSAIDs are most commonly used to treat menstrual pain. NSAIDs reduce pain by inhibiting COX and preventing 

PG generation.   

Certain NSAIDs that are most effective in relieving menstrual pain are currently unknown. However, it is said that 

the phenamate system is more effective than the phenylprionic acid derivative because it blocks up to the pg 

receptor. 

This is how we looked at the ingredients and based on this, we will find out what physiologic painkillers are 

circulating in Korea. 

etc. 

Other medications may be recommended if they are not treated with NSAIDs. 

- anticonvulsive: anticonvulsive acts in the area where convulsions occur and relaxes muscles. This is also helpful 

because menstrual pain is usually caused by muscle contraction. Typical ingredients are scopolamine, alverine, 

phloroglucinol and diyclomine. The most commonly used ingredient is scopolamine. 

You can also try contraceptives. Over-the-counter contraceptives can also relieve menstrual pain. 

something other than general medicine 

Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, fish oil (omega 3) and magnesium are known to have pain-killing effects, so if you have 

severe menstrual pain, it is recommended to eat such healthy foods on a regular basis. 

Result  The  representative  physiologic  drugs  on  the  market  in  Korea  were  identified  by  combination  and organized what was different. Based on this, it would be good to recommend it at the pharmacy to match the 

symptoms of menstrual pain. 

If it is not severe, it is okay to take the medicine from the beginning of the menstrual pain, and in severe cases, 

it is recommended to take it a day or two before the menstrual pain begins. However, if taken in advance, it 

should be noted that it affects PG levels and may vary slightly from the original period. For primary menstrual 

pain, painkillers are a good solution, but if these drugs do not solve it for three weeks, you need to visit the 

obstetrics and gynecology clinic for professional counseling and close examination. 

Conclusion Many people who suffer from menstrual pain rely on the empirical effects they felt before rather 

than on those who know what the ingredients are and where they work. Only about 20 percent of people took 

drugs on good grounds such as ingredients. As many as 40 percent of patients do not get better even if they take 

medicine, they need to take ingredients based on accurate self-problems.   

However, it is not easy for ordinary people to take it on their own and I think there is a pharmacist in the 

pharmacy for such counseling. For him, we first looked at what effect each ingredient had and what to pay 

attention to and what the maximum capacity was. The first recommended drug is good for NSAIDs, and among 

NSAIDs, if there were no major side effects, then cheap ibuprofen drugs would be recommended, and if the pain 

was severe, Naproxen drugs would be recommended. If it still doesn't work out, you can recommend going to 

the  gynecologist.  However,  there  are  studies  that  suggest  that  hot  packs  also  have  a  pain-killing  effect 

comparable to ibuprofen, so at the same time you take your medicine, you should also introduce other non-

pharmaceutical treatments.    In that way, there are the aforementioned steaming and exercise, low-fat diets and 

intake of vitamins. 

  Next,  we  selected  and  organized  the  most  famous  physiologic  drugs  on  the  market  in  Korea.  The  first 

recommended medicine will be affectionate that day. It contains less ibuprofen, less side effects of digestive tract, 

and the effects of pain through caffeine do not decrease significantly due to the increase in the effect of pain, 

and it is more effective in menstrual unification due to stress. Of course, you should avoid caffeine if you are 

hypersensitive. When it comes to caffeine-free drugs, Carol-F is also seen as a good option. But if you want a 

strong pain-killing effect, you can recommend Ezn 6 double or naproxen tablets. If you have pain caused by 

edema such as breast pain, Ezn 6 Eve with pamabrom will be good, and if you are sick with convulsions, you may 

recommend Buscofan Plus with scopolamine. To make these recommendations, 1. If you had a stomach disorder 

2. See what pain is the main symptom and 3. You need to check if you are drinking. 

Key word: Medicine, community pharmacy, pharmacist, menstrual pain, NSAIDs