Menopause and post-menopause is a rough time. Most doctors recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help alleviate the symptoms of menopause. While it is effective, there are many different side effects and issues that come up with hormone replacement therapies that make them undesirable for so many people. Hot flashes and other symptoms are difficult to deal with and finding the best treatment is difficult for some women. At our age, we deserve to enjoy life. I've tried HRT and quite frankly, I didn't like the effects that it gave me. I chose to stop taking the treatments and found natural solutions to deal with my issues.
According to a new study, the antidepressant desvenlafaxine was shown to help control hot flashes in the women involved in the study. A lot of women can't take estrogen and other hormone treatments. Some simply don't like the way that the HRT works. In either situation, having a better alternative is going to help a lot of people. Within 12 weeks, many women saw a 62% reduction in their hot flashes and other symptoms after taking the anti-depressant. While it is effective to take hormone therapies, some women prefer the use of this medication because it offers better solutions with fewer adverse effects.
HRT is also not an option for women who have or have a risk of breast cancer, which is what sparked the search for better alternatives for menopause relief. As it turns out, many different forms of antidepressants can actually help alleviate the hot flashes for women who need an alternative to traditional treatments. These medications are often used for health issues outside of depression, so this news isn't exactly surprising to many people. However, the use of antidepressants to treat menopausal symptoms is definitely going to help many women who are looking for something different.
Studies are still ongoing and in time things will likely get better in time, but for now this health science advance is enough for some people.
Mary Albert is a health advocate and blogger for Lifestyle Health Guide, where she contributes regularly on topics like senior aging, health news, and medical alerts.
3 comments:
I have been taking Effexor for at least 10 years, and have had about 5 hot flashes in that time. Two years ago I had a total abdominal hysterectomy for gyn cancer and expected to hit the menopause/hot flash wall at that time. (I was 53) No hot flashes. I can no longer drink alcohol, because that is a hot flash trigger, but otherwise, it has probably worked for me.
Currently I am thinking about switching to Cymbalta because it also helps knee arthritis pain. But am nervous about the effexor/hot flash issue. If I do go off, I will report.
People who do not prefer to use prescription medications could opt for using natural supplements such as Zanaprin. Until now, this supplement has received very good reviews.
Menopause will always be a part of a woman's life. It is better to know some symptoms to prevent some of it.
Symptoms of menopause
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