Menopausal Symptoms - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Pomegranate Seed Oil for Hot Flashes?

While phytoestrogens have gained attention as possible alternatives to hormone therapy for the treatment of menopausal symptoms, placebo-controlled studies have yielded mixed results. Pomegranate seed oil is a very rich source of phytoestrogens. In this prospective randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial, 81 postmenopausal women received two daily doses of either 30 mg pomegranate seed oil (PGS) or placebo. The frequency of hot flashes decreased by 38.7% (P < 0.001) after 12 weeks of treatment with pomegranate seed oil and by 25.6% in the placebo group (P < 0.01). However, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.17). The authors suggest that it may take a longer period of observation to demonstrate a difference between pomegranate seed oil and placebo.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T15:25:03-04:00May 29th, 2012|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

Yaz and Other Oral Contraceptives Will Carry a New Warning Label

The FDA will require Yaz, Yasmin and several other newer oral contraceptives to carry new warning labels that detail the potential risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE or blood clots). All oral contraceptives increase the risk of blood clots; however, recent studies have suggested that birth control pills containing drospirenone, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone, may carry a slightly increased risk of VTE, compared with older birth control pills. The FDA estimates that over a one year period, 10 in 10,000 women taking an oral contraceptive with drospirenone would develop a blood clot , as compared to about 6 in 10,000 women taking older contraceptives.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T15:27:01-04:00May 24th, 2012|Menopausal Symptoms, PMS and PMDD|0 Comments

Heavy Menstrual Bleeding More Common in Midlife Women with Histories of Depression

Menstrual problems are common among premenopausal women and become more frequent with increasing reproductive age, especially just before and during perimenopause. In the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, a multisite study of menopause and aging, information regarding menstrual history was collected in a total of 934 premenopausal and early perimenopausal women between the ages of 42 and 52. History of major depression was associated with an increased likelihood of heavy bleeding (odds ratio, 1.89), adjusting for recent major depression, menopause status, and other confounding factors. History of depression was not associated with other abnormal bleeding or premenstrual symptoms. Future longitudinal studies are needed to explore why past depression increases the likelihood of subsequent heavy menstrual bleeding in midlife women. One possibility is that irregular fluctuations in estrogen levels may be responsible for both abnormal menstrual bleeding, as well as the dysregulation of neurotransmitter systems that mediate depressive symptoms.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T16:16:56-04:00May 22nd, 2012|Menopausal Symptoms|1 Comment

Escitalopram (Lexapro) for Hot Flashes: No Significant Sexual Side Effects

Escitalopram, when used in the treatment of menopausal vasomotor symptoms, did not worsen overall sexual function among non-depressed midlife women.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T16:15:15-04:00May 21st, 2012|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

NAMS Supports the Use of Hormone Therapy in Perimenopausal and Recently Postmenopausal Women

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) has updated its 2010 recommendations regarding the use of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) based on evidence accumulated subsequent to the previous report. In the decade since the first publication of the results from the Women's Health Initiative, we have accumulated evidence to indicate that multiple factors influence the effects of hormone therapy, including the type of estrogen used, the way the hormones are given, and the age and recency of menopause of the woman taking the medication. These factors also determine the risks associated with hormone therapy.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T16:42:55-04:00March 21st, 2012|Menopausal Symptoms|4 Comments

Aerobic Training Improves Menopausal Symptoms and Mood

In this randomized clinical trial, 154 sedentary, symptomatic women were randomly assigned to an aerobic training or a control group. The intervention included unsupervised aerobic training for 50 minutes four times weekly for 24 weeks, whereas the control group attended health lectures twice a month. Night sweats, mood swings, and irritability were reduced more among the women in the intervention group than in the control group.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T16:51:26-04:00March 12th, 2012|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

Raloxifene as Adjunctive Treatment for Postmenopausal Women with Schizophrenia

A few years ago on our blog, we reviewed a paper suggesting that estrogen may be a beneficial treatment for women with schizophrenia. In this study patients with schizophrenia receiving estrogen showed significant improvement in their positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions), but no difference in negative symptoms (reduction in range of emotional expression, poverty of speech, lack of motivation).1, 2 Additional studies have also found estrogen to be effective in improving positive and general symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. 3, 4

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T16:53:07-04:00February 13th, 2012|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

Choice of Antidepressant May Affect Survival in Women on Tamoxifen for Breast Cancer

Tamoxifen is a SERM (selective estrogen receptor modulator) used in women with breast cancer; it reduces the risk of relapse and improves overall survival. Tamoxifen may also be used to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk for the disease. In order to be fully effective, tamoxifen must be metabolized to an active metabolite, endoxifen, by the liver enzyme CYP2D6. Consequently, any co-administered agent that inhibits this enzyme will reduce the conversion of tamoxifen to endoxifen, thereby potentially reducing the efficacy of tamoxifen as a breast cancer therapy.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2019-11-03T22:28:44-04:00May 2nd, 2011|Antidepressants, Menopausal Symptoms|2 Comments

Atomoxetine Improves Memory and Attention in Peri- and Postmenopausal Women

Many peri- and post-menopausal women describe problems with memory and attention. Data regarding the use of estrogen replacement therapy to improve cognitive functioning has been mixed. Furthermore, recent concerns regarding the long-term risks of ERT have limited its use. A recent report from C. Nell Epperson and colleagues from the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine indicates that atomoxetine (Strattera), a treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may improve attention and reduce memory difficulties in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-07-28T14:30:42-04:00March 28th, 2011|Menopausal Symptoms|1 Comment

New Research from the CWMH: Escitalopram (Lexapro) for Hot Flashes

For decades, estrogen has been used to treat menopausal symptoms, including night sweats and hot flashes. However, after studies reported that estrogen increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer, many patients and clinicians have looked into alternative treatments for hot flashes, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) escitalopram (Lexapro) significantly reduces the frequency and severity of menopausal hot flashes compared with placebo.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2016-03-28T13:02:56-04:00February 3rd, 2011|Menopausal Symptoms, New Research|10 Comments