500,000 drugs recalled after anti-psychotics are found in packs on Nurofen Plus

PEOPLE have been warned that packs of Nurofen Plus may contain a powerful drug used to treat mental patients.

Regulators yesterday said blister packs of Seroquel XL 50mg - an anti-psychotic - had been found in three batches of 32-packs of the painkillers.

Each batch contains between 4000 and 7500 packs, amounting to around 500,000 tablets. But not all packets were affected.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued the safety alert.

The switch is believed to have happened at a wholesaler's as the drugs are made by different firms.

One line of inquiry is that the anti-psychotic drugs were deliberately placed in Nurofen Plus packs by animal rights activists.

Seroquel XL is a prescription-only anti-psychotic drug used to treat several disorders, including schizophrenia, mania and bipolar depression.

Nurofen Plus - for pain relief - contains codeine.

The large capsules of Seroquel XL 50mg tablets have gold and black packaging, while the Nurofen Plus tablets are smaller and have silver and black packaging.

Ian Holloway, from the MHRA's defective medicines report centre, said: "People should check to see if they have any affected packets of Nurofen Plus.

"If you do, return them to the pharmacy where you bought them. You can also report this to us on 020 3080 6574.

"If you have taken a tablet and you have any questions, speak to your GP."

Reckitt Benckiser, who make Nurofen Plus, said there had been three cases identified so far, which were confined to south London.

They said "serious investigations" are under way to find out how the mix-up happened, especially as Seroquel is made by rivals AstraZeneca.

Reckitt Benckiser added: "After a review of the manufacturing system, manufacturing errors by the makers of Nurofen Plus or Seroquel XL are not thought to be part of the cause at this stage. We are taking this matter very seriously and are working closely with the MHRA and pharmacies.

"The MHRA are investigating the issue and have considerable law enforcement powers.

"Nurofen Plus is a pharmacyonly medicine, which means it is behind the pharmacy counter.

"It is not available for self-selection from the shop floor. Therefore, pharmacists are able to check packs and greatly reduce the likelihood of affected packs being sold."

Dr Aomesh Bhatt, medical director for Nurofen Plus, said: "We are taking this matter extremely seriously and we are working closely with the MHRA to investigate fully.

"We encourage consumers of Nurofen Plus to be vigilant and, while it is very unlikely, should they find they have a suspect pack or if they have any other concerns, we advise them to speak to the pharmacist where they purchased the product."

People who accidentally take Seroquel may experience sleepiness and are advised not to drive or operate any tools or machinery until they know how the tablets have affected them.

Other side effects include dizziness and headache.

A statement from Astra-Zeneca said: "Patient safety is the primary concern of AstraZeneca and the company are taking this issue seriously.

"AstraZeneca are collaborating with the MHRA and Reckitt Benckiser to investigate the root cause."

Recall Batch Numbers Batch Number 13JJ Expiry Date 03/2014 Product Licence No 00327 / 0082 Batch Number 57JJ Expiry Date 05/2014 Product Licence No 00063 / 0376 Batch Number 49JJ Expiry Date 05/2014 Product Licence No 00063 / 0376

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Posted in: bad drug packaging and distribution,health hazards

Poor sleep increases high blood pressure risk

If you sleep poorly, your chances of developing high blood pressure may increase, new research suggest.

In the study, men with the lowest level of the deeper stages of slumber, known as slow-wave sleep, had an 80 percent higher chance of developing high blood pressure than men with the highest level of this restorative sleep.

The link held regardless of other factors, such as obesity or how long the men slept.

"Reductions in the deepest stage of sleep is specifically associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure," said Dr. Susan Redline, the Peter C. Farrell Professor of Sleep Medicine at Brigham & Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

The study, published in the Aug. 29 online edition of the journal Hypertension, reinforces other research that has linked sleep problems with a raised risk of obesity and cardiovascular problems, among other ills.

Redline evaluated 784 men, average age 75, who were part of the Outcomes of Sleep Disorders in Older Men Study. In 2003-05, the men did not have high blood pressure. Ideally, blood pressure readings should be below 120/80. When they returned for a follow up in 2007-09, the investigators found that 243 men had developed high blood pressure.

The researchers divided the men into four groups, from those with the lowest amount of slow-wave sleep to the highest.

After the researchers took into account age, race, body mass index and other factors, the link between low slow-wave sleep and higher blood pressure held. Even when the researchers took into account sleep-disordered breathing and the length of overall sleep, the link held.

Slow-wave sleep decreases with age, Redline said. "Kids may have 40 percent slow-wave sleep 1/8of total sleep3/8," she said, but healthy adults, overall, may have only about 25 percent.

In this study, the men averaged 11.2 percent of slow-wave sleep, she said. Those in the lowest of the four groups averaged only 4 percent or less. Other studies have shown that slow-wave sleep is lower in older men than in women.

While the study found an association between slow-wave sleep and high blood pressure, it did not prove a cause-and-effect.

source:usatoday

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Posted in: effect of sleeping,High blood pressure news

Bird flu could be returning, U.N. warns

The United Nations has issued a warning, saying wild bird migrations have brought the deadly influenza virus back to previously virus-free countries and that a mutant strain of H5N1 was spreading in Asia.

The strain, which can apparently sidestep defenses of existing vaccines, is spreading in China and Vietnam, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement on Monday. It urged greater surveillance to ensure that any outbreaks are contained.

Last week, the World Health Organization reported that a 6-year-old Cambodian girl died Aug. 14 from bird flu, the eighth person to die from H5N1 avian influenza this year in Cambodia.

Vietnam suspended its springtime poultry vaccination this year, the U.N. said. Most of the northern and central parts of the country - where the virus is endemic - have been invaded by the new strain.

Elsewhere, the U.N. says bird migrations over the past two years have brought H5N1 to countries that for years had been virus-free, including Israel, the Palestinian territories, Bulgaria, Romania, Nepal and Mongolia.

"Wild birds may introduce the virus, but people's actions in poultry production and marketing spread it," said the U.N. agency's chief veterinary officer, Juan Lubroth.

Globally, there have been 331 human deaths from 565 confirmed bird flu cases since 2003 when it was first detected, the WHO said.

The virus was eliminated from most of the 63 countries infected at its peak in 2006, but it remained endemic in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The number of outbreaks in poultry and wild bird populations shrank from a high of 4,000 to 302 in mid-2008, but outbreaks have risen progressively since, with almost 800 cases reported in 2010-2011, the U.N. said.

"The general departure from the progressive decline in 2004-2008 could mean that there will be a flare-up of H5N1 this fall and winter, with people unexpectedly finding the virus in their backyard," Lubroth said in a statement.

Avian influenza affects both wild and domestic birds, including ducks, gulls, chicken, and turkey. It can spread to people who have extensive contact with infected birds - but not by eating poultry or eggs that have been properly prepared.

In humans, bird flu can cause problems ranging from eye infections to flu-like symptoms and severe respiratory problems.

source:cbsnews

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Posted in: Avian Ifluenza news,Bird flu news,birdflu outbursts

C-section patients need blood clot protection, obstetricians say

A leading obstetricians group has issued new guidelines for women undergoing C-sections, saying they should be fitted with inflatable compression devices to reduce the risk for blood clots.

The guidelines, issued by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, say that wearing the sleevelike devices on the legs can help prevent thromboembolism. That's a condition in which a blood clot that forms in a leg travels via the bloodstream to the brain or other organs.

If the clot travels to the lungs, it can cause a life-threatening condition known as pulmonary embolism.

"Fitting inflatable compression devices on a woman's legs before cesarean delivery is a safe, potentially cost-effective preventive intervention," Dr. Andra H. James, who helped develop the guidelines, said in a written statement. "Inflatable compression sleeves should be left in place until a woman is able to walk after delivery or - in women who had been on blood thinners during pregnancy - until anticoagulation medication is resumed."

Pregnancy is associated with a fourfold increase in the risk for thromboembolism. The increased risk is linked to physiological changes that occur during pregnancy, including slower blood flow, blood that clots more easily, and reduced mobility.

source:cbsnews

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Posted in: blood cloth protection,C-section news,pregnancy news

Taiwan hospital mistakenly transplants 5 HIV-infected organs

TAIPEI, Taiwan — One of Taiwan’s best regarded hospitals mistakenly transplanted HIV-infected organs into five patients after a hospital staffer misheard the donor’s test results by telephone, the hospital said.

The five are now being treated with anti-AIDS drugs, an official at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei said Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she is not authorized to deal with the media.

The hospital said on its website over the weekend the mistake occurred because a transplant staffer believed he heard the English word “non-reactive” on the donor’s standard HIV test, while the word “reactive” was actually given.

The information on the test result was given over the telephone and was not double-checked, as required by standard operating procedures, the hospital statement said.

“We deeply apologize for the mistake,” the hospital said.

The Health Department will look into the mistaken transplants and decide on possible penalties for NTUH, department official Shih Chung-liang said. If negligence was found to have caused the blunder, Shih said the hospital may have to suspend its transplant programs for up to a year in addition to unspecified fines.

The donor was a 37-year-old man who fell into a coma on Aug. 24 and his heart, liver, lungs and two kidneys were transplanted to five patients on the same day. The heart transplant was conducted at another hospital, while the four other transplants were conducted at NTUH, according to NTUH.

The donor’s mother, who was not identified, told cable news stations that she felt terrible about the transplants and had not been aware of her son’s ailment. She said he died after “falling from a high spot,” without providing details.

Yao Ke-wu, who heads the health department of Hsinchu city, where the donor resided, decried the NTUH transplants as “appalling negligence.”

He said NTUH staffers could have avoided the mistake by asking his department about the donor’s medical history in advance, and deplored that such inquiries were not mandatory in Taiwan.

Yao said the five organ receivers will very likely contract HIV, and their anti-AIDS treatment will be further complicated because they also have to take medication to modify rejection of the new organs.

The five recipients are all Taiwanese. NTUH is among about a dozen well-equipped and highly-respected Taiwanese hospitals offering organ transplants.

There are also concerns among the physicians and nurses who conducted the transplants that they too may contract HIV. Medical staffers routinely take protections against bodily fluids during surgeries, but some experts also warned needle and other accidential cuts could still expose them to HIV.

Lee Nan-yao, a physician with the National Chengkung University Hospital, which performed the heart transplant, told the United Daily News that some physicians and nurses who had conducted the transplant “were depressed, and on the verge of panic.”

 Source:Washingtonpost

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Posted in: health hazards,HIV infections,taiwan hospital transplant error,transplant news

Cholera outbreaks kill 46 in Northern Nigeria

KANO — Health officials say at least 46 people have died from cholera-related symptoms in northern Nigeria over the last month.

Yobe state health chief Fatsuma Talba said Tuesday that 33 people have died in the northeastern state. Community health officer Aishatu Yahaya says 11 others died in the north-central state of Nasarawa.

And Sokoto state health chief Abdullahi Maigwandu says two children died over the weekend in the northwestern town of Gandi.

Authorities say hundreds of cholera cases have been reported since June.

Cholera is a waterborne infection that is easily preventable with clean water and sanitation.

International health officials believe an outbreak last year killed more than 1,500 people in Nigeria alone and spread to neighboring countries.

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Posted in: childrens health,cholera news,health tips,water borne infections

Smoking carries a bigger risk of heart disease for women, study warns

SMOKING is 25 per cent more likely to give women heart disease than men.

Toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke may have a more potent effect on women due to biological differences, says the shock study.

US researchers analysed pooled data on around four million people from 86 studies.

After adjusting for other factors, they found the risk of heart disease linked to smoking was 25 per cent higher for women.

The longer a woman smoked, the greater her heart disease risk compared with that of a man.

A woman's extra risk increased by two per cent for every additional year she had been smoking.

The findings were in an online edition of The Lancet medical journal yesterday.

One of the authors, Dr Rachel Huxley, of the University of Minnesota, wrote: "Women might extract a greater quantity of carcinogens and other toxic agents from the same number of cigarettes than men.

"This could explain why women who smoke have double the risk of lung cancer compared to males."

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Posted in: heart treatment news,smoking news

Eating Disorders in Women

There is disturbing trend nowadays where a significant number of women in the modeling and fashion industry are diagnosed with eating disorders. In women the occurrence may hardly come as a surprise anymore with the pronounced emphasis on looks. Let us take a closer look at how these disorders work, and what its repercussions are...

In today's world of fashion and entertainment, a whole lot of importance is placed on the way a person looks. It is said that physical appearance can make or break an individual's career. In this image conscious world, it is hardly surprising that people go to extremes in order to obtain that perfect body or immaculate look. 

Medication, surgery and starvation or eating disorders are just a few of the extremes being adopted today. The obsession with 'thin is in' has been one of the biggest contributors to the prevalence of eating disorders. 

Let's face it, practically every young girl out there is obsessed with those "flawless" looks. Rather admittedly, it would be nice to look perfect, but not at the cost of losing health, and maybe even one's identity in the process.

 Whether it is a beauty pageant dealing with older people, or even child beauty pageants and eating disorders that we're talking about, fact of the matter is, it just is not right to get so influenced by something that is so transient. Another aspect that has always worked in accordance with each other is, eating disorders and the media. A majority of these obsessions of weight loss probably go all the way back to the "Barbie" days too. But coming back to the disorders, few of the most commonly known ones are, anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive overeating. Let's get a closer look at each of them, in order to see how most women get affected by it.

Common Eating Disorders in Women

As mentioned above, the most commonly known disorders known are Anorexia Nervosa, commonly known as Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa, commonly known as Bulimia, and Compulsive Overeating, commonly known as binge eating. It is hardly news that most women obsessed with beauty and losing weight tend to indulge in severe weight loss methods, leading to either of these disorders. Take a slightly more detailed look at each of them, in order to know what they are about.

Anorexia Nervosa

When I think of eating disorders in women, this is what comes to mind almost instinctively. We've all heard of the disorder known as anorexia. What is best known as an eating disorder only, could also be termed as a psychological disorder. In the simplest of terms and ideas, we know anorexia as being an extreme form of dieting and desire to lose weight. This desire to become ridiculously thin stems from the false misconception of being too fat, and being unable to maintain a healthy body weight. The sad part about a disorder like anorexia is that people who suffer from it are highly disillusioned, and have an extremely distorted idea about their image. The most common reasons for people turning anorexic are either believing that they are fat, or that they fear becoming fat, and so the easy solution is very simply, not eating. It seems almost like a no-brainer that not eating will keep you thin.

It is said that one in every 200 girls / women is affected by anorexia, and believe it or not, one in every 2000 men, is affected by anorexia too. It is important to understand that the backlash of being anorexic is severe, and that the long term effects can get worse than one would imagine. There are certain symptoms which could act as a give away for people suffering from anorexia. They are:

• Living in denial about their weight
• Obsession with diet, calories, and the likes
• Depression
• Excessive weight loss, etc.

Now, if there are symptoms to indicate a problem, there are effects that prove it too. The most common after effects of anorexia are:

• Heart problems
• Osteoporosis
• Kidney problems
• Neurological problems
• Anemia or other blood problems

Those were the most common issues related to anorexia. Take a look a what the effects of bulimia are...

Bulimia Nervosa

Yet another common eating disorder, this one too is seen more commonly in women as opposed to men. Bulimia nervosa, or bulimia, is also known as a form of binge eating. Just like the above mentioned disorder, bulimia too is a condition where the person is obsessed with weight issues, and does not want to become fat, but at the same time has a problem giving up food. What people will do in a case like that then is that they will eat to their hearts content, and then indulge in practices like immediate vomiting, consumption of laxatives and diuretics, etc. In fact, very often, people suffering from bulimia also suffer from anorexia. But this is not a characteristic of all cases. Take a look at some of the factors that help recognize a bulimic...

• Addiction to food, especially high calorie foods
• Lack of control over eating habits
• Absurd eating patterns
• Frequent variation in weight
• Anxiety & depression

Those were some of the more common and frequently noticed symptoms of being bulimic. Very evidently, there would be ill effects that come with it too. Here are some of them...

• Tearing of the esophagus (from the excessive vomiting)
• Throat problems
• Dehydration
• Weight gain (unexpected, right?)
• Tooth decay
• Bloating / swelling of the body, etc.

Obsessive Compulsive Overeating (OCO)
Often known as binge eating disorder, this disorder is all about being terribly addicted to food. Although this may seem fairly similar to bulimia, the difference here is that even though the person indulges in large amounts of food in one go, he / she does feel guilty, but will not take to the consumption of diuretics, laxatives, etc. Most people who suffer from OCO are cases of emotional eating, and find that food acts as a method of drowning those feelings of pain or whatever the emotion that they are consumed by. Common symptoms that help identify compulsive over-eaters are:

• Low self esteem
• Hoarding food
• Constant attempts at dieting
• Insomnia
• Constant fluctuation in weight

So, while those were the symptoms of a victim of compulsive overeating, the side effects of this condition are:

• Diabetes
• Impairment of bones
• Heart disorders
• High cholesterol / high blood pressure
• Arthritis

Unfortunately, these days, the concept of beauty intentionally or unintentionally encourages wrong ideas. This mindset has lead to becoming a major fad amongst most young girls, thus leading to innumerable health problems too.It is essential to get acquainted with a few of the most common eating disorders because inevitably the desire to be "beautiful" these days narrows down to being thin, or rather to "not being fat!". Getting rid of that theory could work wonders for most, and who knows, the concept of eating disorders in women could become a thing of the past.


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Posted in: eating disorders in women,eating habits

The Effects of Late Night Eating

Many of us are prone to eating during the night, not aware of the effects it has on our body. In the following article, we have discussed the effects of eating late at night along with some easy tips to avoid it.

Let's share our secrets. How often have you sneaked into the kitchen in the darkness of night to steal that cup of ice cream in the refrigerator? Or on how many occasions have you treated your stomach with your favorite food at the time of night when you should ideally be in a deep slumber? On more than one occasion correct!

 Eating in the middle of the night is something we all are 'vulnerable' to, and it is nothing but a result of failure to control the food cravings.

As per research findings, the frequent late night eating tendency in some people could be provoked by stress during the day. Giving into the urge frequently can have a disastrous obvious effect on your weight loss plan and also on your health. This article focuses on finding the various consequences of eating late at night along with some tips to restrict your feet from heading to the kitchen; yes at the odd hours of night!

Why Eating Late Should Be Avoided...

Occasionally treating yourself with some food during the sleeping hours is not harmful. But daily treats during these hours is not recommended. However many people are prone to this tendency and in medical terms it is referred to as late night eating syndrome.

 People with the syndrome daily consume something heavy after the ideal dinner time. It has been found that people with the syndrome also suffer from depression and low self esteem.

Now getting back to our earlier point of discussion, there are valid reasons we should avoid late night eating. Did you know there are some religious cultures in the world that restrict eating after sunset? And science also opines that avoiding high calorie food after seven in the evening is good for health. But why so? The consequences have been summarized below...

Affects Your Sleeping

It is so funny that we never pick up a fruit or something healthy to eat at night! Late night eating is always about high calorie fattening food, be it a cheese burger, pizza, chocolate or ice cream (I am hungry now...) As per scientific research, consuming foods high on caffeine and spice makes sleeping tough. The system of the body finds it difficult to digest high calorie foods and this indirectly affects sound sleep. Eating high caffeine food at night will make you stay awake and can cause nervousness and irritability, apart from leaving you exposed to the probability of an upset stomach. It is but obvious that eating late at night disturbs your sleep; you wake up in the night to provide to your stomach and end up troubling your sleep.

Can Cause Weight Gain

People on a weight loss diet are more prone to eating late at night. If you fail to control your hunger and give into eating high calorie food, it can run havoc on your weight loss plan. Although this has not been proven, eating late could be a major reason for unnecessary weight gain. You will definitely gain weight if you daily consume high calorie foods during the night hours. To suppress the late night hunger pangs, the key lies in eating something that is light and nutritious, say a fruit or an oatmeal biscuit.

Makes You Prone to Other Consequences

If you consistently eat spicy and oily food at night, it will increase the chances of making you susceptible to acid reflux. Acid reflux has milder symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that is a mild burning sensation in the chest and pain the heart area. In diabetic and non diabetic patients, eating late can affect the insulin resistance ability. For preventing these effects you should avoid eating tomato and spicy food during the night. Stick to something light for a sound sleep.

These were the harmful effects of eating late in the night hours. To handle your demanding stomach, plan a proper diet plan rich in all the nutrients. Segment your meals thoughtfully and exercise and meditate. All of these will help control your desires and help you get sound sleep. The conclusion is that late night eating is something you should avoid getting into even if you are super thin or calorie conscious!

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Posted in: eating habits,Effects of late night eating

Heart Patients Gets New Technique-From Clydebank Hospital

The veins in the leg which connect to the heart are used to carry out the
 procedure

A pioneering procedure for heart patients has been made available in Scotland for the first time.

Doctors at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Clydebank have started using the technique to replace the pulmonary valve.

They have been able to avoid the need for open-heart surgery by sliding the replacement valve into place through a vein.

The introduction of the procedure has reduced recovery time for patients.

Younger patients at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, at Yorkhill in Glasgow, have also benefited from the technique.

Dr Nikki Walker, who carried out operation, said: "The veins that connect from the leg up into the heart are actually in a relatively straight line.

"That allows you to pass a catheter with a wire in it that acts then like a railroad through which you can pass balloons or the valve itself.

"There's an inner balloon and an outer balloon that lets you mould it into the optimum position within the heart and then, as you deflate the balloon, the valve starts working immediately."

One of the first patients to undergo the procedure was Ernie Donnelly, who has in the past undergone more conventional operations.

He said: "I woke up twice after heart surgery and I can say I was in pain."

But he found the new technique quite different.

"Elation wouldn't be a strong enough word because I really couldn't believe it," he said.

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Posted in: clydebank hospital news,heart treatment news

No Proof That Aspirin Aids Conception, Review Shows

There’s no strong evidence that taking aspirin while undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) improves a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant, researchers say.

Routine use of aspirin during IVF treatment is controversial. Proponents believe that aspirin may improve blood flow to the womb and ovaries, but there are concerns that taking aspirin may cause pregnancy complications or miscarriage.

To investigate the issue, researchers reviewed data from 13 clinical trials that included a total of 2,653 women undergoing IVF. Many of the women were taking a 100-milligram dose of aspirin per day.

One large study did suggest there was some benefit to taking aspirin while having IVF treatment, but the overall conclusion of the review was that there was no evidence that aspirin improved the likelihood of getting pregnant, the researchers said.

The review appears in the August edition of The Cochrane Library.

“Couples undergoing IVF often feel so desperate that they are prepared to try anything that may improve their chances of conceiving,” lead researcher Charalambos Siristatidis, of the assisted reproduction unit at the University of Athens in Greece, said in a journal news release. “But given the current evidence, there is still no basis to recommend that women take aspirin to help them become pregnant.”

The researchers said large clinical trials showing beneficial results would be required to change their conclusions.

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Posted in: Aspirin intake news,pregnancy news

The truth about period pain

Pain during periods is usually worst in the first few years of menstruation

Nine out of 10 women suffer from period pain – sometimes crippling – but many say their problem is dismissed. So what can be done?

The science lesson in which we covered human biology focused primarily on puberty – things would change, we were told in a serious voice: hair would grow in new places, br*asts would sprout, shoulders would broaden and voices would break. Girls were informed of the menarche – their first menstrual cycle – one of approximately 500 over the course of a lifetime. We were told to expect "some discomfort", but given no hint that for some this pain would go beyond mild and descend into pretty damn awful.

Period pain is caused by contractions in the uterus. The blood vessels in the muscle wall are compressed by the contractions, which cut off blood supply to the womb, starving it of oxygen and adding to the discomfort.

Dysmenorrhea, as period pain is medically known, generally falls into two camps: secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by a specific underlying condition such as endometriosis (when cells that normally line the uterus are found at other sites in the body – usually the ovaries and fallopian tubes). The more common primary dysmenorrhea, which affects nine out of 10 women, has no specific cause. It is generally worst in the first few years after starting your period, with symptoms tending to improve with age or after childbirth. Yet many women who report having primary dysmenorrhea well into their 20s and 30s say their pain is dismissed.

My request for painful period stories brought a barrage of responses. A colleague said she experienced such agony she collapsed in the street. Two women wrote to tell me their GP had told them they were exaggerating how painful it was ("I get such cramps . . . there's nothing that makes the pain less"), while another with endometriosis had been told by her mother (who also suffered from the condition) that the pain was "normal". I suffered such cramps and other symptoms – vomiting, migraines – that I routinely missed school as a teenager.

Researchers at Oxford University recently found that women with painful periods show increased sensitivity to pain (and lower levels of cortisol, the hormone released by the body in times of stress) throughout their cycles – not just when they are menstruating.

Yet Deborah Mason, from Wellbeing of Women, a charity that has been funding research into all aspects of reproductive health since 1964, says there is little new information in the area – partly because women don't complain. "Too often we don't want to make a fuss and this is one of the reasons why so little research is done in this area," she says. "If period pain is preventing you from continuing your normal activities for more than a few hours, seek medical advice. Just because period pain has been around for millions of years doesn't mean women should suffer in silence."

Marilyn Glenville, a nutritionist specialising in women's health, agrees. "I think women still don't know how much they can ask for," she says."Women should know that they can be referred to a gynaecologist – and not just be fobbed off with painkillers when there may be an underlying cause or something else that could be done to actually treat the problem."

Yet Gabrielle Downey, a consultant gynaecologist, says things are getting better. "GPs are much more aware of quality-of-life issues," she says. "If it's interfering with a woman's life, we need to get that under control." And she says there's a logical progression to follow in treatment. "Mefenamic acid [an anti-inflammatory] is specifically for period pain. If you don't get better with that and/or the pill, you should be investigated to make sure you don't have an underlying condition," she says. "If it's not endometriosis, I'd prescribe the pill for three months and see if that helps. 

If that doesn't work, the next step is giving something like Implanon – the contraceptive that is progesterone-only – so you don't have periods, or a Mirena coil, which gets rid of the lining of the womb so there's less bleeding and less pain."

And if all this doesn't work? "If you fail to respond to medical treatment, you need a laparoscopy to make sure we're not missing something."

Glenville, meanwhile, suggests that the anti-inflammatory effect of omega-3 fish oils mean they can lessen the cramping. While Helen Knox, a qualified nurse specialist and director of S*xplained, a resource that promotes safer s*xual and reproductive health, says women should listen to advice to take the pill.

 "A lot of women say they don't want to take hormones. You're only taking what your body makes anyway, in a synthetic form, and at a controlled level. The pill has so many non-contraceptive benefits but it doesn't get promoted properly. Spending a little bit of time with someone who's a specialist in that area helps."

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Posted in: female health news,period pains