Menopause (cont.)
Bioidentical hormone therapy
There has been increasing interest in recent years in
the use of so-called "bioidentical" hormone therapy for perimenopausal women.
Bioidentical hormone preparations are medications that contain hormones that
have the same chemical formula as those made naturally in the body. The hormones
are created in a laboratory by altering compounds derived from
naturally-occurring plant products. Some of these so-called bioidentical hormone
preparations are U.S. FDA-approved and manufactured by drug companies, while
others are made at special pharmacies called compounding pharmacies, which make
the preparations on a case-by-case basis for each patient. These individual
preparations are not regulated by the FDA, because compounded products are not standardized.
Advocates of bioidentical hormone therapy argue that the products, applied as
creams or gels, are absorbed into the body in their active form without the need
for "first pass" metabolism in the liver, and that their use may avoid
potentially dangerous side effects of synthetic hormones used in conventional
hormone therapy. However, studies to establish the long-term safety and
effectiveness of these products have not been carried out.
Other pharmaceutical therapies
Antidepressant medications: The class of drugs known as
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and related medications have been shown to be
effective in controlling the symptoms of hot flashes in up to 60% of women.
Specifically, venlafaxine (Effexor), a drug related to the SSRIs, and the SSRIs
fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), and citalopram
(Celexa) have all been shown to decrease the severity of hot flashes in some
women. However, antidepressant medications may be associated with side effects,
including decreased libido or sexual
dysfunction.
Other medications: Other prescription medications have
been shown to provide some relief for hot flashes, although their specific
purpose is not the treatment of hot flashes. All of these may have side effects,
and their use should be discussed with and monitored by a doctor. Some of these
medications that have been shown to help relieve hot flashes include the antiseizure drug gabapentin (Neurontin) and clonidine
(Catapres), a drug used to treat high
blood pressure.
Next: Alternative therapies »
- gabapentin, Neurontin, Gabarone - Read about the medication gabapentin (Neurontin, Gabarone), a drug used for treating seizure disorders, shingles, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, hot flashes, restless leg syndrome, and hyperydrosis.
- Dilation and Curettage (D&C) - Read about dilation and Curettage (D&C), a procedure performed for a variety of reasons including determining the cause of abnormal uterine (vaginal) bleeding, tissue removal after miscarriage, or abortion.
- Night Sweats - Night sweats have many different causes. A doctors must take a complete medical history and order tests to find the cause of the underlying medical condition that is responsible for night sweats.
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