This pain killer can make emergency contraception more effective

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Taking a pain killer can make emergency contraception more effective By Alice Park Senior Health Correspondent It’s not a combination that seems to make sense at first—an anti-inflammatory pain killer and an emergency contraceptive pill. But researchers report that taking a single 40 mg pill of piroxicam, an anti-inflammatory drug that’s available by prescription only, with the morning-after pill levonorgestrel can prevent pregnancy better than levonorgestrel alone. Here’s what the study authors, based in Hong Kong and Sweden, found in study results published yesterday: Combining piroxicam with levonorgestrel prevented 94.7% of expected pregnancies, compared to 63.4% of expected pregnancies prevented among women getting levonorgestrel and a placebo. Piroxicam belongs to a class of drugs known as COX inhibitors, which, like levonorgestrel, work on prostaglandins to inhibit ovulation, the first step to pregnancy. The researchers support adding piroxicam to emergency contraception to further reduce pregnancy, but it’s up to regulators to greenlight the combination. READ MORE  Share This Story

What Else to Read Appeals Court Rules to Restrict Abortion Pill Access, Pending Supreme Court Approval By KEVIN McGILL / AP The appeals court ruling would end mail-order access to mifespristone, the most common form of abortion—pending a Supreme Court decision. Read More » Why Disconnecting From Your Phone Is So Good for You—and How to Do It By Angela Haupt Try batching your notifications, hiding social media apps, and setting your screen to grayscale. Read More » Tuning in to Your Most-Ignored Sense Can Make You Happier By Haley Weiss Want to feel happier? Curating your soundscape may benefit your physical and mental health. Read More » Type 2 Diabetes Remission Is Possible. Here's How to Do It By Michael O. Schroeder Patients with Type 2 diabetes can achieve remission, usually via weight loss. Read More » Weight Bias Is a Problem in Health Care. Here’s What Doctors Can Do By Elizabeth Millard Smart ways to address potential bias. Read More »

One Last Read A major health insurer's new plan Pharmacy-benefit managers are a hidden yet massive player in the complex world of drug pricing, negotiating with drug companies on behalf of insurers. The current system has kept prices high, so, as Anna Wilde Mathews reports in the Wall Street Journal, Blue Shield of California is trying something new: ditching a benefit manager and replacing its services with other specialized partners it hopes can drive down costs. Read More »

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