Vasomotor Symptoms - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Hormone Replacement Therapy Revisited

As a result of dramatically increased life expectancies in industrialized countries, healthy women today expect to spend nearly 40% of their lives after menopause. For these postmenopausal women, lack of estrogen may contribute to long-term adverse effects, including cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Many postmenopausal women might benefit from hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with estrogens and progestins; however, a number of recent studies in the USA and Europe suggest that the potential risks of hormonal replacement therapy may sometime exceed the expected benefits. Thus, many treaters now avoid the use of hormone replacement therapy in peri- and postmenopausal women.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-11T10:42:52-04:00March 13th, 2008|Hormone Therapy, Menopausal Symptoms, Vasomotor Symptoms|Comments Off

Paroxetine CR May Be Helpful for Menopausal Women Discontinuing Hormone Therapy

Estrogen was first approved by the FDA for the treatment of menopausal symptoms in 1942, and for many decades estrogen replacement therapy had been widely prescribed for peri- and post-menopausal women. In 2002, however, data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) suggested that hormonal therapy may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. These findings have led to a dramatic decrease in the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), with many women abruptly discontinuing its use.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-07-28T10:53:58-04:00November 12th, 2007|Menopausal Symptoms, Treatment, Vasomotor Symptoms|Comments Off

Duloxetine for the Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms and Mood in Postmenopausal Women

Depression is common in postmenopausal women suffering from menopausal vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes, night sweats) and insomnia. While estrogen replacement therapy may alleviate these symptoms and may also have a positive impact on mood, the use of estrogen has declined over recent years. There has been great interest in finding alternative strategies for the management of menopausal symptoms, and recent data suggest that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants (SSRIs) and the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), venlafaxine, may be effective for the treatment of depression and vasomotor symptoms in peri- and postmenopausal women. In a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Hadine Joffe and her colleagues at the Center of Women’s Mental Health presented data on the use of duloxetine (Cymbalta), a new SNRI, for the treatment of mood, vasomotor symptoms, and insomnia in postmenopausal women.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-07-28T10:00:40-04:00July 30th, 2006|Depressive Disorders, Medication, Menopausal Symptoms, Treatment, Vasomotor Symptoms|Comments Off

Escitalopram for Menopause-Related Depression and Vasomotor Symptoms

Every year more than 1.7 million women in the United States enter into menopause. During this time of hormonal fluctuations it is typical for women to experience hot flashes, night sweats and sleep disturbance. More recently, studies have identified an association between menopausal transition and an increased risk for developing depressive symptoms (Harlow et al., 2003; Freeman et al., 2004). It is not clear how physicians and patients should deal with menopause-related physical and emotional symptoms. While hormone therapy effectively treats insomnia and hot flashes, the results have been mixed in treating mood and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, the safety of long-term use of hormone therapy is not known.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-07-23T14:19:33-04:00December 30th, 2005|Depressive Disorders, Medication, Menopausal Symptoms, Treatment, Vasomotor Symptoms|Comments Off