Treating Hot Flashes Without Hormones
Review Shows Estrogen May Work Better Than Nonhormonal Therapies
May 2, 2006 -- Some nonhormonal therapies may help treat hot flashes, but probably not as much as estrogen, doctors report in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Those findings come from a review of 43 previously published studies. The reviewers included Heidi Nelson, MD, MPH, of Oregon Health & Science University.
Menopause isn't a disease. But hot flashes are common and may be severe in menopausal women.
The studies in Nelson's review tested these therapies to treat hot flashes:
- Antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as Paxil, Prozac, Effexor, and Celexa
- Clonidine (Catapres). A blood pressuremedication made in pill or patch form
- Gabapentin (Neurontin). An antiseizure medication
- Red clover isoflavone extracts
- Soy isoflavone extracts
Each treatment was separately compared with a sham treatment (placebo). The women didn't know whether they received the real treatment or placebo. They kept diaries of their hot flashes before and during treatment, which ranged in length from a few weeks to a year.
Interest Beyond Estrogen
Estrogen has long been used to treat menopausal symptoms.
"However, recent studies reporting adverse effects of estrogen, such as cardiovascular events and breast cancer, raise important concerns about its use," write Nelson and colleagues. Those concerns have spurred interest in alternative treatments for menopausal symptoms.
Estrogen may still be used to treat menopausal symptoms. The FDA advises doctors to prescribe "the smallest effective dose for the shortest duration possible," write Nelson and colleagues.
Nelson's study uses the term "nonhormonal therapies" for treatments that weren't based on the hormones estrogen, progestin, progesterone, or androgen.
Isoflavones (natural chemicals in some plants, including soy), may have estrogen-like effects. For simplicity's sake, the reviewers considered isoflavone extracts to be nonhormonal therapies.
Review's Results
The SSRIs, SNRIs, Catapres, and Neurontin studies showed evidence of effectiveness, Nelson's team writes.
However, they were less effective than estrogen. Also, there are few published studies, and most of the studies had design weaknesses, they write.
Side effects and cost may restrict use for many women, they write. Side effects included nausea, headache, dry mouth, and decreased appetite.