It turns out ibuprofen is actually proven to reduce period flow

Publish date: Thursday, 30 May 2024, 9:15AM

Warning: This article may contain explicit language.

We loved it for cramps, but it turns out Ibuprofen can do a lot more!

The humble ibuprofen not only fixes those monthly pains but actually reduces the amount of blood you shed - and it seems a lot of people had no idea.

I learned that ibuprofen reduces menstrual flow BY 50% and the only reason I can come up with for why no one else knows about this is that we're such a fucking misogynist culture, we can't talk about something that women have to deal with every four weeks for 30 years.
— holly (@girlziplocked) January 19, 2020

Oh, and it’s actually been scientifically proven to work. Ob-gyn Dr. Jen Gunter replied to the thread, saying she's always sworn by it!

She even discusses it in a Ted Talk!

I’ve been preaching about NDAIDs reducing flow by 30-40% for years, written about it in @NYTStyles and discussed it in my recent TED talk so I’m trying https://t.co/ubFBQyTvuW
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) January 21, 2020

While it's different for each person, a woman may experience 30 per cent less bleeding if she uses ibuprofen (make sure you check with your own doctor if this could be right for you), according to Heather Beall, MD.

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, or NSAID, which reduces the amount of blood loss by causing a decline in the rate of prostaglandin synthesis in the lining of the uterus, ob-gyn Eduardo Hariton, MD explains to Cosmopolitan.

The decline in prostaglandin synthesis leads your blood vessels to constrict, which reduces bleeding. (BTW, prostaglandins also cause period poops.)

How interesting is that! We'll be getting some for next month!