Evaluation of the efficacy of Fructus agni casti in women with severe primary dysmenorrhea: a prospective comparative Doppler study

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this case-control study was to compare the efficacy of ethinyl estradiol/drospirenone and Fructus agni casti in women with severe primary dysmenorrhea measuring uterine artery blood flow via Doppler ultrasonography.

Methods: A total of 60 women with severe primary dysmenorrhea and 30 healthy women (control) were included in this study. Thirty patients were treated with ethinyl estradiol 0.03 mg/drospirenone (group 1) and another 30 were treated with Fructus agni casti (group 2) during three menstrual cycles. Before and at the end of third month of therapy visual analog scale (VAS) scores, pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI) of uterine artery were recorded before and after receiving therapy on the first day of the menstrual cycle.

Results: Mean PI and RI values in patients with severe primary dysmenorrhea were significantly higher than in the control groups on the first day of the menstrual cycle (P < 0.0001). Mean PI and RI values were significantly lower after the treatment in both groups compared to before values (P < 0.001 for both). After using the drugs for three menstrual cycles, VAS scores were significantly dropped in both groups compared to before treatment values (P < 0.0001 for both); however, there were no significant differences in terms of Doppler findings between group 1 and 2.

Conclusion: The effectiveness of Fructus agni casti was similar to that of ethinyl estradiol/drospirenone in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.

Keywords: Doppler ultrasonography; Fructus agni casti; oral contraceptive; primary dysmenorrhea; uterine artery.