Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial: Comparative Efficacy of Dark Chocolate, Coconut Water, and Ibuprofen in Managing Primary Dysmenorrhea

Abstract

Dysmenorrhea, the pain experienced by women during menstruation, affects a significant proportion of women worldwide and often leads to decreased productivity. Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments are available for pain relief, but information on their effectiveness, particularly regarding green coconut water, dark chocolate, and Ibuprofen, remains limited. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of green coconut water, dark chocolate bars, and Ibuprofen in reducing the intensity of primary dysmenorrhea. In this research, a randomized controlled trial with a quantitative design was conducted, involving 45 participants randomly assigned to receive 330 mL of green coconut water, 35 g of 70% dark chocolate, or 400 mg Ibuprofen. The interventions were administered on the first day of menstruation when dysmenorrhea symptoms typically occur in subjects. This study used a single-dose approach to evaluate the immediate impact of each treatment. The subjects were instructed to consume the given interventional product within 15 min. The pain intensity was measured using a Numeric Rating Scale before the intervention and 2 h after the subjects finished consuming the interventional product. The multivariate Kruskal–Wallis test revealed a significant difference in effectiveness among the three interventions (p < 0.05). The study found that Ibuprofen was the most effective intervention compared to the other interventions. These findings contribute to understanding the treatment options for primary dysmenorrhea and emphasize the efficacy of Ibuprofen (trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05971186).

Development of Herbal Chocolate for Menstrual Cramps.

“…Ibuprofen was the most successful strategy, according to the study, when compared to the other therapies.These results underline the effectiveness of Ibuprofen and advance our knowledge of primary dysmenorrhea treatment choices. [11] Singh K. et al 2022. Since chocolate is a favourite food among people and medicine is a hated substance, the goal of this study was to manufacture medicated chocolate, or chocolate that contains drugs, to prevent various disorders.…”

Sikap dan Perilaku Swamedikasi Dismenore Primer pada Mahasiswi Farmasi Universitas Ngudi Waluyo

“…Penelitian lain menyebutkan, ibuprofen lebih efektif dalam mengurangi nyeri pada dismonera dibandingkan dengan coklat dan air kelapa setelah 2 jam di konsumsi (Nuha et al, 2023). Penggunaan obat dari golongan NSAID mengurangi intesitas nyeri yang mengakibatkan perbaikan pola tidur, gangguan kognitif dan gangguan afektif (Schrepf et al, 2023).…”