Mentha longifolia syrup in secondary amenorrhea: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trials

Abstract

BackgroundAmenorrhea is defined as the cessation of menses. Hormone therapy is the most common treatment. Due to the contraindications and side effects of it and the increasing demand for alternative medicine substitutes, Mentha longifolia L. was used in this study. Mentha longifolia L. is a known medication in Iranian traditional medicine to induce menstrual bleeding in women with secondary amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea.MethodsA double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study was conducted in 120 women with secondary amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea. Treatment consisted of sequential oral syrup, 45 ml (15 ml three times a day) for 2 weeks. If the patients did not have menstruation after 2 weeks of taking the medication, we would wait for two more weeks. If the patients had menstruation at each stage of using the drug, we started it one week after the end of menstruation. But if the patients had not menstruate after four weeks (two-week using of drug and waiting for two more weeks), the previous steps were repeated. The drug and placebo were repeated in three cycles of menstruation. Bleeding was documented by the patient on diary cards. The primary outcome variable was the occurrence (yes/no) of bleeding during the first treatment cycle. The secondary efficacy outcome was the regularity of bleeding pattern during the three cycles of the study.ResultsThe number of women with bleeding during the first cycle were higher in the drug group as in the placebo group (68.3% vs. 13.6%; p < 0.001). The regularity of bleeding throughout the study was markedly better in the drug group compared with those given placebo (33.3% vs. 3.3%; p < 0.001). No notable complication or side effect was reported in relation to Mentha longifolia L. syrup.ConclusionIn conclusion, Mentha longifolia L. syrup is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective choice in inducing bleeding and maintaining regular bleeding in women with secondary amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea.

Sesame a Treatment of Menstrual Bleeding Cessation in Iranian Traditional Medicine: Results From a Pilot Study

“…Treatment consisted of sequential oral syrup, three times a day for two weeks. 68.3% of women in the drug group experienced bleeding during the first cycle (68.3% vs. 13.6% in the placebo group; P < 0.001) (34). In our study the length of treatment was shorter (once daily for a week vs. three times a day for two weeks) and the response rate in our drug group was higher.…”

Heart palpitation relief with Melissa officinalis leaf extract: Double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial of efficacy and safety

“…Traditional Iranian Medicine (TIM) roots back to nearly 10,000 years ago (Rezaeizadeh et al, 2009), and it has a great potential for solving some of the present medical problems, as shown in some recent research in the field (Asghari et al, 2013;Faridi et al, 2014;Mokaberinejad et al, 2012;Mozaffarpur et al, 2012). As far as palpitation is concerned, it has been explained thoroughly in TIM and various therapies have been suggested for it (Ershadifar et al, 2014).…”

Mentha longifolia protects against acetic-acid induced colitis in rats

“…The plant is widely used in traditional medicine for treatment of many gastrointestinal disorders such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, ulcers, and gut spasm (El-Badry et al, 2010;Shah et al, 2010) and respiratory disorders such as cough, cold, and influenza (Naghibi et al, 2009). In addition, ML is used as flavoring agent and it is reported as safe and effective therapy in diabetes, hypertension, inflammation, and secondary amenorrhea in human through different mechanisms (Mokaberinejad et al, 2012). The plant is rich in volatile oil which contains mainly menthone, pulegone, eucalyptol, and piperitone (Ibrahim et al, in Press;Oyedeji and Afolayan, 2006).…”