Appendix 1. Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Group (CGF) specialised register search

PROCITE platform

From inception until present

Keywords CONTAINS "dysmenorrhea" or "Dysmenorrhea‐Symptoms" or "dysmenorrhoea" or "pain‐dysmenorrhea" or "pain‐pelvic" or "pelvic pain" or "menstrual cramps" or "menstrual pain" or "primary dysmenorrhea" or "*Dysmenorrhea" or "menstrual distress" or "*menstrual pain" or "primary dysmenorrhea" or Title CONTAINS "dysmenorrhea" or "Dysmenorrhea‐Symptoms" or "dysmenorrhoea" or "pain‐dysmenorrhea" or "pain‐pelvic" or "pelvic pain" or "menstrual cramps" or "menstrual pain" or "primary dysmenorrhea" or "*Dysmenorrhea" or "menstrual distress" or "*menstrual pain" or "primary dysmenorrhea"

AND

Keywords CONTAINS "Nifedipine" or "calcium antagonists" or Title CONTAINS "Nifedipine" or "calcium antagonists"

Appendix 2. CENTRAL Register of Studies Online (CRSO) search strategy

CRSO platform

From inception until present

#1MESH DESCRIPTOR Dysmenorrhea EXPLODE ALL TREES
#2Dysmenorr*
#3(pain* period*):TI,AB,KY
#4((menstrua* cramp*)):TI,AB,KY
#5((menstrua* adj3 distress*)):TI,AB,KY
#6((period* adj3 cramp*)):TI,AB,KY
#7((menstrua* adj3 pain*)):TI,AB,KY
#8#1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4 OR #5 OR #6 OR #7
#9MESH DESCRIPTOR Nifedipine EXPLODE ALL TREES
#10Nifedipine*:TI,AB,KY
#11(calcium antagoni*):TI,AB,KY
#12(calcium channel blocker*):TI,AB,KY
#13Adalat*:TI,AB,KY
#14Procardia*:TI,AB,KY
#15cordipin*:TI,AB,KY
#16corinfar*:TI,AB,KY
#17fenigidin*:TI,AB,KY
#18#9 OR #10 OR #11 OR #12 OR #13 OR #14 OR #15 OR #16 OR #17
#19#8 AND #18

Appendix 3. MEDLINE search strategy

OVID platform

From 1946 until present

1 exp Dysmenorrhea/
2 pain$ period$.tw.
3 menstrua$ cramp$.tw.
4 (period$ adj3 cramp$).tw.
5 (menstrua$ adj3 pain$).tw.
6 Dysmenorr$.tw.
7 (menstrua$ adj3 distress$).tw.
8 or/1‐7
9 exp Nifedipine/
10 Nifedipine$.tw.
11 calcium antagoni$.tw.
12 calcium channel blocker$.tw.
13 Adalat$.tw.
14 Procardia$.tw.
15 cordipin$.tw.
16 corinfar$.tw.
17 fenigidin$.tw.
18 nifangin$.tw.
19 or/9‐18
20 randomized controlled trial.pt.
21 controlled clinical trial.pt.
22 randomized.ab.
23 randomised.ab.
24 placebo.tw.
25 clinical trials as topic.sh.
26 randomly.ab.
27 trial.ti.
28 (crossover or cross‐over or cross over).tw.
29 or/20‐28
30 exp animals/ not humans.sh.
31 29 not 30
32 8 and 19 and 31

Appendix 4. Embase search strategy

OVID platform

From 1980 until present

1 exp dysmenorrhea/
2 pain$ period$.tw.
3 Dysmenorr$.tw.
4 menstrua$ cramp$.tw.
5 (period$ adj3 cramp$).tw.
6 (menstrua$ adj3 pain$).tw.
7 (menstrua$ adj3 distress$).tw.
8 or/1‐7
9 exp nifedipine/
10 Nifedipine$.tw.
11 calcium antagoni$.tw.
12 calcium channel blocker$.tw.
13 Adalat$.tw.
14 Procardia$.tw.
15 cordipin$.tw.
16 corinfar$.tw.
17 fenigidin$.tw.
18 nifangin$.tw.
19 or/9‐18
20 8 and 19
21 Randomized controlled trial/
22 Controlled clinical study/
23 Random$.ti,ab.
24 randomization/
25 intermethod comparison/
26 placebo.ti,ab.
27 (compare or compared or comparison).ti.
28 ((evaluated or evaluate or evaluating or assessed or assess) and (compare or compared or comparing or comparison)).ab.
29 (open adj label).ti,ab.
30 ((double or single or doubly or singly) adj (blind or blinded or blindly)).ti,ab.
31 double blind procedure/
32 parallel group$1.ti,ab.
33 (crossover or cross over).ti,ab.
34 ((assign$ or match or matched or allocation) adj5 (alternate or group$1 or intervention$1 or patient$1 or subject$1 or participant$1)).ti,ab.
35 (assigned or allocated).ti,ab.
36 (controlled adj7 (study or design or trial)).ti,ab.
37 (volunteer or volunteers).ti,ab.
38 human experiment/
39 trial.ti.
40 or/21‐39
41 20 and 40

Appendix 5. PsycINFO search strategy

OVID platform

From 1806 until present

1 exp Dysmenorrhea/
2 pain$ period$.tw.
3 Dysmenorr$.tw.
4 menstrua$ cramp$.tw.
5 pelvi$ pain$.tw.
6 (period$ adj3 cramp$).tw.
7 (menstrua$ adj3 pain$).tw.
8 (menstrua$ adj3 distress$).tw.
9 or/1‐8
10 exp Channel Blockers/
11 calcium antagoni$.tw.
12 calcium channel blocker$.tw.
13 Adalat$.tw.
14 nifedipine.tw.
15 or/10‐14
16 9 and 15

Appendix 6. CINAHL search strategy

EBSCO platform

From 1961 until present