Abstract

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is one of the most common gnaecological problems among adolescent females which interferes with daily activities, affecting their physical and emotional aspects and has a negative impact on quality of life. Self-medication for primary dysmenorrhea is a very common practice. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to observe and evaluate self-medication practice in primary dysmenorrhea among medical and paramedical students.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire study conducted among 250 female students from Bangalore medical college and Research Institute. The self-medication practice and features of dysmenorrhea were assessed with a 19 item pre-validated questionnaire and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: A total of 250 female students participated in the study. Dysmenorrhea was reported in 210 participants with self-medication practice among 131 (62.98%) students. The majority were medical students (64.88%) followed by paramedical students (35.11%). Drugs commonly used for self-medication were fixed dose combination of mephenamic acid + dicyclomine (60.1%), followed by paracetamol (14.9%) and ibuprofen (9.21%). Medical consultation was sought only in 15.38%, mainly in paramedical students (73.3%) followed by medical students (26.6%). 36 students (17.30%) used medications along with home remedies. Conclusion: Self-medication practice for dysmenorrhea was more among medical students probably due to the knowledge of drugs, better awareness and greater access to drug information during their curriculum. Most commonly used drugs were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which are known for its adverse drug reaction. This highlights the importance of creating awareness among students to consume drugs only in severe discomfort after prescription by the registered medical practitioners.