Hot flashes in a menopausal woman, really test a doctor’s patience! All kinds of treatment modalities (not many with any substantiated evidence) are tried in different permutations and combinations. To advise HRT or not is an ongoing debate. A new study shows promise, both for women as well as physicians treating them.

Team@CMHF

Miracle Cure for Hot Flashes

Clinical trial of escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. The 8-week randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study tested the efficacy and tolerability of escitalopram 10-20 mg/day for the control of hot flashes in 205 healthy menopausal women. The primary outcome measure was the frequency and severity of hot flashes assessed by prospective daily diaries at weeks 4 and 8. Categorical clinical response was defined as a hot flash frequency reduction of at least 50% from baseline. At baseline, participants experienced a daily hot flash frequency of approximately 10 per day. Women taking escitalopram experienced a mean reduction of 4.6 hot flashes per day. Women taking placebo experienced a mean reduction of 3.2 hot flashes per day. Responder rates were 55% for escitalopram vs 36% for placebo.

In this study the proportion of participants who experienced at least a 75% reduction from baseline in hot flash frequency was 19% for the escitalopram group vs 9% for the placebo group, yielding an NNT of 10. Given the distress and discomfort associated with hot flashes for many menopausal women, this treatment option is nonetheless worth considering, particularly when considering the alternatives such as hormonal agents or doing nothing.

Ref: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/737403_2