Skip to content

Effectiveness of PEA Compared to Placebo on Acute Menstrual Pain

Effect of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) Compared to a Placebo on Acute Menstrual Pain in an Adult Population - a Double-blind, Crossover, Randomised Controlled Trial.

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05810116
Enrollment
80
Registered
2023-04-12
Start date
2023-05-19
Completion date
2023-12-20
Last updated
2024-11-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Menstrual Pain

Brief summary

This is a double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate orally-dosed Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) compared to placebo on menstrual pain in otherwise healthy participants 18 years and over.

Interventions

Daily dose of 1-2 capsules (1 capsule containing 350mg Levagen+ equivalent to 300mg PEA)

DRUGMicrocrystalline cellulose

Daily dose of 1-2 capsules (1 capsule containing 350mg)

Sponsors

RDC Clinical Pty Ltd
Lead SponsorINDUSTRY

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Women who experience mild to moderate menstruating pain * Aged 18 years or over * History of over the counter (OTC) analgesic use for the treatment of menstrual pain * Self-reported history of menstrual cramp pain occurring during four of the past six menstrual cycles. * Typically requires at least one dose of an OTC analgesic medication such as naproxen, aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen taken on at least 1 day of menstrual cycle for the treatment of mild to moderate menstrual cramp, and normally experiences pain relief from these medications. * Otherwise healthy * Able to provide informed consent * Regular menstrual cycle (28 days ± 7 days) and period * Agree not to participate in any other clinical trial while enrolled in this trial

Exclusion criteria

* Secondary cause for dysmenorrhea (i.e. endometriosis, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids or infection) * Any bleeding disorders, recent surgery or concurrent blood thinning treatment * Unstable or serious illness (e.g., kidney, liver, GIT, heart conditions, diabetes, thyroid gland function, lung conditions, chronic asthma, diagnosed psychological or mood disorder) (1) * Current malignancy (excluding BCC) or chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment for malignancy within the previous 2 years * Currently taking Coumadin (Warfarin), Heparin, Dalteparin, Enoxaparin or other anticoagulation therapy * Pregnant or lactating women * Active smokers, nicotine use or drug (prescription or illegal substances) abuse * Chronic past and/or current alcohol use (\>14 alcoholic drinks week) * Allergic or hypersensitive to any of the ingredients in active or placebo formula * Any condition which in the opinion of the investigator makes the participant unsuitable for inclusion * Participated in any other clinical trial during the past 1 month 1. An unstable illness is any illness that is currently not being treated with a stable dose of medication or is fluctuating in severity. A serious illness is a condition that carries a risk of mortality, negatively impacts quality of life and daily function and/or is burdensome in symptoms and/or treatments.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in acute menstrual pain severity, analgesic effect via Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)4 menstrual pain events over a maximum of 16 weeksReduction in acute menstrual pain severity, analgesic effect via Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) a pain assessment tool commonly used to assess pain severity at that moment in time using a 0-10 scale, with zero meaning no pain and 10 meaning the worst pain imaginable. The higher the score the worse the pain.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in categorical pain levels via categorical pain relief scale4 menstrual pain events over a maximum of 16 weeksReduction in categorical pain levels via categorical pain relief scale (better, much better, no change, worse, much worse)
Effectiveness of the Treatment via Global Satisfaction scale of the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM)4 menstrual pain events over a maximum of 16 weeksEffectiveness of the Treatment via Global Satisfaction scale of the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM). To assess the overall level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with medication patients are taking. Higher scores indicate higher satisfaction.
Change in rescue medication use via self-report4 menstrual pain events over a maximum of 16 weeksChange in rescue medication use via self-report
Safety of UseFrom enrolment and until 4 menstrual pain events are recorded - a maximum of 16 weeksSafety via Adverse Event reporting

Countries

Australia

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026