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).

In a recent study presented at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society, 568 women (mean age, 54 years) with an average of more than 7 to 8 moderate to severe hot flashes daily or 50 to 60 moderate to severe hot flashes per week were randomized to receive low dose paroxetine (LDMP) 7.5 mg or placebo for 24 weeks.

At 4 weeks, women taking LDMP had a mean weekly reduction from baseline of 28.9 fewer hot flashes compared with reduction of 19.0 fewer hot flashes for women taking placebo.

Read More:  Menopausal Hot Flashes Relieved by Low-Dose Paroxetine (Medscape)

 

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