"Menstrual cramps are the bane of many women but new research suggests that a form of vitamin D may one day be added to the meager list of pain relievers for the sometimes disabling condition. A small study in Italy found that a single high dose of cholecalciferol  also known as vitamin D  was linked to a marked reduction in menstrual cramps with the largest benefits observed in women reporting the most pain at the beginning of the study. U.S. experts cautioned that its too early to recommend vitamin D to those experiencing cramps  estimated to occur in at least half of all reproductiveage women  because the study didnt delve into possible longterm risks of taking high doses. Its provocative in the fact that the results are pretty amazing said Dr. Robert Graham an internist and vitamin D expert at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. But the dose given is a lot more than conventionally given for any condition. The study was published Feb.  in the Archives of Internal Medicine. In the study  Italian women were split into two groups one receiving a single oral dose of  IUs of vitamin D and the other getting a placebo five days before the expected start of their menstrual periods. After two months average pain scores dropped  percent for women assigned vitamin D treatment while no difference in pain was reported in the placebo group. Also the women who took vitamin D reported no need to use nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs NSAIDS such as the pain reliever ibuprofen to manage their pain in the twomonth study period while  percent of those assigned to placebo reported using an NSAID at least once. Menstrual cramps known by the medical name dysmenorrhea typically begin just before or at the start of a womans menstrual period and can last several days. Experts attribute the pelvic pain to prostaglandins a hormonelike substance that contributes to the contraction and relaxation of muscles and blood vessels. Vitamin D apparently helped hamper prostaglandin production in study participants easing their pain said Dr. Jill Rabin chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park N.Y. The vitamin is also known to have antiinflammatory effects Rabin added. The bottom line is it looked like it worked said Rabin also head of urogynecology at the hospital. It was a very welldone study but my comment is it was one study. It asks more questions than it answers which is the sign of a good trial. The  IU dose of vitamin D given in the study also far exceeds the daily intake of  IUs recommended for American women of reproductive age both Graham and Rabin said. And since the study period lasted only two months there was no way to tell whether such a high dose produced any toxic longterm effects. Currently used methods of controlling menstrual cramps include NSAIDs and  among those with severe pain  birth control pills. But both have potential risks NSAID users can experience stomach or kidney troubles for example while birth control pills are linked to blood clots in certain women. The cost of vitamin D supplements would be roughly comparable with both of these remedies. Vitamin D use has also been widely studied as a possible preventive for many other conditions including heart disease certain cancers and autoimmune disorders. The Italian study participants all had blood levels of vitamin D measuring in the lowest  percent of normal at the studys outset although the researchers didnt report the womens blood levels afterward. Experts wondered if women with higher blood levels would experience such dramatic cramp relief as observed in the study. Graham and Rabin agreed that much larger trials should be done before they would recommend vitamin D use to any of their patients for cramp relief. From a symptomatic standpoint its something to be considered but more studies are needed to see the risks and benefits Graham said. Studies like this are starting to show that vitamin D is ubiquitous in receptors in our bodies . . . but it needs further explanation. More information To find out more about painful menstrual periods head to the U.S. National Library of Medicine http SOURCES Robert Graham M.D. internist Lenox Hill Hospital New York City Jill Rabin M.D. chief obstetrics and gynecology and head urogynecology Long Island Jewish Medical Center New Hyde Park N.Y. Feb.   Archives of Internal Medicine"