About using anti-inflammatories

Anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac) work well for period pain, but at high doses or for many days in a row they can be harmful.

The maximum dose and the length of time they are safe to take vary with the medicine, your age, your weight and your medical history.

Do not combine two anti-inflammatories at once, do not raise the dose on your own, and use the lowest effective dose for the shortest time possible.

When should you see a doctor? If the pain does not improve with medication, or you need strong anti-inflammatories every month just to get through the day. Severe pain should not be normalized, and it can be linked to treatable conditions such as endometriosis.