The influence of acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol on menstrual blood loss in women with and without an intrauterine contraceptive device

Abstract

The influence of ASA and paracetamol on menstural blood loss and on some hematologic parameters was investigated in 23 women without an IUD and 10 women with an IUD. Neither in women with normal nor in women with small defects in the hemostatic mechanism were statistically significant increases in menstrual blood losses observed during treatment with ASA or paracetamol when compared to placebo. There was no linear correlation between bleeding time and basal menstrual blood loss or between the blood losses induced by ASA and paracetamol and the bleeding time.

PIP: The effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and paracetamol (PA) on the amount of blood shed at menstruation were studied, in a double-blind fashion, as a model of hemostasis. 33 women were studied: 23 without IUDs and 10 with devices in situ. Neither in women with normal nor in women with small defects in the hemostatic mechanism were statistically significant increases in menstrual blood losses observed during treatment with either ASA or PA compared with placebo. The P values for the differences in blood loss between women with normal and pathologic hematology tests were .06, .02, and .07 on ASA, PA, and placebo, respectively. There was no linear correlation between menstrual blood loss and bleeding time in either the IUD group (r=.08) or the women who did not use an IUD (r=.18). Neither were the values for menstrual blood loss after ASA and PA correlated to bleeding time (for the IUD group r=.28 and .09, for nonusers, r=.08 and .06, respectively).