Comparision the effect of fennel and Ibuprofen on primary dysmenorrhea in highschool students

Present study was designed for "comparision the effect of fennel and ibuprofen on primary dysmenorrhea in highschool students." 120 girls between 15-19 from 4 highshools in Mashhad, who comlained of dysmenorrhea and their pain was moderate or severe were enrolled in this study. Totally 20 cases excluded from study, parents disconsent (3), fennel´ s odor(4), caraccident (1), changing school (5), and incomplete information(7). Verbal multidimensional scoring and qustionaire and check list were used for gathering data. In the first cycle by Ibuprofen (400mg q4h-q6h orally). They used this treatments for two cycle at the beginning of the cycle. Statistical analysis were performed by the independent samplet-test, paired t-test, mann-withney test and signed ranked wil-coxon test. The study results showed the effect of fennel and Ibopfn are smllarin the intensity of pain (p=0.416), the frequency of use of drug (p=0.584), duration of menstrual flow (p=0.153), the cases’ satisfaction of drug 9p=0.66), ability of workperformance (p=0.349), the increase of menstrual flow (0.79). The persecuting signs with dysmenorrhea hadn’t decrease in two groups. The mean duration of initiation of action was 1.85 hour for Ibuprofen and 1.26 hour for fennel. In ibuprofen group9(18%) cases and in fennel group 13 (26%) cases reported a mild increase in menstrual flow. The number of pads had decreased in ibuprofen group (p=0.038) but not in fennel group (p=0.308). The essence of fennel can be used as a safe and effective herbal drug for primary dysmenorrhea, however, it may have a lower potency then ibuprofen in the dosage used for this study.