PERIOD PAIN? SIMPLE IBUPROFEN DOES THE JOB

MOST EXPENSIVE:

Feminax Express

£4.50 for 16 tablets at Boots

CHEAPEST: Ibuprofen 200mg Coated Tablets

39p for 16 capsules at Aldi

SAVINGS PER YEAR: £49.32

ABOUT 80 per cent of women suffer period pain at some point in their life, and struggle to find a monthly remedy when paracetamol doesn’t do the job.

There are a number of products on the market that claim to target period pain specifically, including

Feminax Express, which costs £4.50 a pack.

In fact, you’ll get exactly the same active ingredient four times more cheaply, in the form of simple ibuprofen.

Painkillers such as ibuprofen are particularly effective for period pain as they block the release of an enzyme that makes chemicals called prostaglandins, which enhance blood flow and trigger inflammation and pain.

And Feminax contains exactly the same dose of ibuprofen as a 39p tablet from Aldi.

The only difference is the addition of a salt called lysine, which is said to help the body absorb the ibuprofen more rapidly, offering quicker pain relief.

This may be true, but studies show the difference in absorption between generic and ‘fast-acting’ painkillers is roughly only 20 minutes.

Our figures are based on a woman taking one packet of Feminax or ibuprofen pills per period.