Objective: To evaluate the effect of vitamin E on the reduction of pelvic pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea and to compare its effect with placebo.
Study design: A double-blind randomized clinical trial was performed on 120 women suffering from primary dysmenorrhea. They were randomly assigned into 2 groups, and 94 women finished the study. In the study group (n = 42) 400 IU/day of vitamin E was prescribed starting 2 days before the beginning of menstruation and continuing for a total of 5 days, for 2 consecutive cycles. In the control group (n = 52) a placebo was prescribed. Pain severity was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale for 1 month before the study and during the 2 months of study.
Results: Pain severity during the first month of the study was 5.41 +/- 2.4 in the study group and 5.76 +/- 2.08 in the control group and 4.73 +/- 1.89 and 5.35 +/- 2.05 in the study and control groups, respectively, during the second month of the study. Pain severity during the first and second months of treatment with vitamin E and placebo was lower than the pain severity before treatment. The mean reduction of pain in the study group (-2.7 +/- 2.1) was greater than that in the control group (-1.8 +/- 2.4) during the second month of the study.
Conclusion: Both vitamin E and placebo may reduce the pelvic pain of dysmenorrhea, but vitamin E seems to cause a more significant reduction in pain. With regard to its safety, the study indicates it can be a simple and safe option for the treatment of dysmenorrhea.