A low dose of antidepressant may be almost as effective as oestrogen at reducing the number of hot flashes menopausal women have to endure. [s]Reuters Health[/s] reports that this is according to a new study, lead by Dr Hadine Joffe of the department of psychiatry at [b]Brigham and Women’s Hospital[/b] in [b]Boston[/b] which compared venlafaxine, the generic form of the antidepressant Effexor, against a lower dose of oestrogen. The reports says the [b]US Food and Drug Administration[/b] approved one antidepressant medication, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) paroxetine, brand name Brisdelle, for treating hot flashes in 2013. Brisdelle, marketed as Paxil when used as an antidepressant, was the first non-hormonal option approved by the FDA. Antidepressants are often used off-label to treat hot flashes. But at high doses, hormones are more effective than antidepressants, Joffe said.
[link url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/29/us-hot-flashes-antidepressant-idUSKBN0E928Q20140529]Full Reuters Health report[/link]
[link url=http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1876676]JAMA Internal Medicine abstract[/link]