• postmenopause

    Hypnotherapy for Hot Flashes

    Peri- and post-menopausal women have various options for the management of hot flashes, including hormone replacement therapy, SSRIs, and gabapentin. It looks as if hypnosis may also be helpful.  In a recent study, researchers randomly assigned postmenopausal women to hypnotherapy or "structured attention," which was used as a control intervention.

    Testosterone Patch Improves Sexual Functioning in Postmenopausal Women

    Sexual dysfunction is common among postmenopausal women and include a spectrum of problems, including low (or hypoactive) sexual desire, decreased satisfaction, and discomfort.   Reports indicate that the prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire ranges from 9% in naturally postmenopausal women up to 26% in younger surgically postmenopausal women.   A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluates the effectiveness of the testosterone patch for postmenopausal women with low sexual desire.

    By |2015-08-12T12:08:50-04:00December 1st, 2008|Menopausal Symptoms|1 Comment

    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.

    Venlafaxine (Effexor) for Postmenopausal Hot Flushes

    During the menopausal transition, up to 85% of women experience vasomotor symptoms of hot flushes and night sweats. For many women, hot flushes may be severe; they can interfere with work and other daily activities and affect sleep quality. Hot flushes may be associated with fatigue, poor concentration, and depression. Given the recent data from the Women's Health Initiative regarding the risks associated with long-term use of estrogen, many peri- and post-menopausal women are understandably reluctant to take menopausal hormone therapy for the treatment of hot flushes, despite its proven efficacy. Given these concerns, there is a clear need for alternative non-hormonal therapies for the treatment of hot flushes and other menopause-related symptoms.

    Go to Top