A comparative crossover study of piroxicam vs. mefenamic acid and diclofenac in France.

A multicenter open crossover study compared piroxicam and mefenamic acid and piroxicam and diclofenac in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in 91 patients. Piroxicam 40 mg/day for two days followed by 20 mg/day was compared with mefenamic acid 500 mg t.i.d. and diclofenac 50 mg b.i.d. for two menstrual cycles on each drug. Assessment of efficacy found that piroxicam was more effective than either comparative drug. All three agents were well tolerated. It is concluded that piroxicam is a safe and effective drug for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea.