Factors Influencing Adolescents’ Responses to Regimens of Naproxen for Dysmenorrhea

The efficacy of different regimens of naproxen sodium for relief of dysmenorrhea in female adolescents was compared and the effect of other social/psychologic factors on the response to treatment tested. Following pretesting, 45 female adolescents were randomly assigned in a double-blind fashion to one of five treatment regimens and were followed up after 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment. There was a dose-related response to naproxen sodium therapy, with subjects receiving loading doses of 550 mg reporting better symptom relief than subjects receiving loading doses of 275 mg. During the first month of treatment, adolescents who reported increased life crisis events experienced greater symptom severity following naproxen therapy. Also, adolescents who reported more severe dysmenorrhea symptoms following three months of naproxen therapy had significantly lower self-concepts than adolescents who reported less symptoms following treatment.