Diclofenac plus lidocaine gel for pain relief during intrauterine device insertion. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of diclofenac potassium combined with 2% lidocaine gel in reducing the pain of intrauterine device (IUD) insertion.

STUDY DESIGN: We randomized 90 parous women requesting copper T380A IUD insertion in a 1:1 ratio to active or placebo treatment. Active treatment included administration of two 50-mg diclofenac potassium tablets 1h before IUD insertion, application of 3mL of 2% lidocaine gel on the anterior cervical lip 3min before IUD insertion and placement of a cotton swab soaked in 2% lidocaine gel in the cervical canal 3min before IUD insertion. Women in the placebo group received placebo tablets and gel. Participants assessed pain intensity using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS). We considered a 2-cm difference in VAS pain score between both groups during IUD insertion to be a clinically significant difference.

RESULTS: Subjects receiving active treatment, as compared to placebo, experienced less pain during tenaculum placement (1.66±0.85 vs. 2.33±1.19, p=.003) and IUD insertion (3.14±0.92 vs. 3.94±1.3, p=.001). Women who delivered only by cesarean section had higher pain scores with IUD insertion compared with women with previous vaginal deliveries (4.41±1.24 vs. 3.29±1.05, p=.001).

CONCLUSION: Diclofenac potassium combined with 2% lidocaine gel slightly reduced pain scores during tenaculum application and copper IUD insertion in parous women; however, the reduction in pain scores lacked clinical significance.

IMPLICATIONS: Although we found a statistically significant lowering of pain scores with pretreatment with diclofenac potassium and lidocaine gel in parous women having copper IUD placement, the reduction is not clinically relevant. These findings may be more relevant for nulliparous women who experience more pain than parous women with IUD insertion and support studies of diclofenac potassium and lidocaine gel in this population.