Recently, Internet users have denounced the placebo effect of Spasfon, a drug used to reduce menstrual pain. But what do we know about its effectiveness against dysmenorrhea? Explanations.
- Menstrual pain can occur later, in adulthood, and be related to a disease.
- Spasfon should not be used in case of wheat allergy (other than celiac disease).
Cramps, back pain, nausea, spasms in the lower abdomen… In the event of painful periods, many women resort to Spasfon. This treatment, known to relieve menstrual pain, has recently been accused of not being effective against dysmenorrhea.
For the past few days, the #Spasfon hashtag has been trending Twitter and has accumulated multiple negative comments. “The Spasfon is useless against the evil of the periods”, “it’s a candy”, “I’m not crazy to repeat that it has always been useless”, this is what Internet users have reported on the platform. According to them, this drug would be useless but would also have a placebo effect. Clearly, the Spasfon would only act on the psychological aspect.
Spasfon, an antispasmodic
As a reminder, Spasfon belongs to a class of drugs called “antispasmodics”, according to the public drug database. Thus, it acts against spasms, namely contractions. Spasfon, which is composed of phloroglucinol, is prescribed to treat spasmodic pain in the intestine, bile ducts, bladder and uterus.
An “additional treatment”
According a report published by the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) in 2008, this drug has been shown to be effective in the disappearance of pelvic pain after three days of treatment. However, “No recommendation recommends the use of antispasmodics during pelvic pain, whatever its etiology (dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, IUD placement, etc.). These proprietary medicinal products should be considered as an adjunctive treatment. The efficacy/adverse effects ratio of these proprietary medicinal products is low. There are therapeutic alternatives to these proprietary medicinal products, in particular level I analgesics (NSAIDs, paracetamol)”, can we read in his opinion.
A drug that remains effective
According to Bruno Maleine, director of the National Order of Pharmacists, Spasfon remains an effective treatment “to respond to a request at time T in order to try to relieve the patient”. Because, for now, “we don’t have many alternatives to offer either” to women, he explained to 20 minutes. He added that it was not possible to qualify this drug as a placebo, because “it is an antispasmodic which acts on the muscles”.
