vasomotor symptoms - MGH Center for Women's Mental Health

Soy Supplements: No Effect on Cognition in Postmenopausal Women

Soy-based products have long been touted as a treatment for menopausal symptoms. However, many of the clinical studies measuring the effectiveness of dietary sources of soy isoflavones (e.g., soy beverages, soy powder) for the treatment of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (i.e., hot flushes, night sweats) have been negative. Less is known about the effects of soy on cognition. A large clinical trial suggests that soy may not have any positive effects on cognition in postmenopausal women.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T12:31:30-04:00July 18th, 2012|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

In Brief: Menopausal Symptoms Usually Go Untreated

In this study, half of women aged 45 to 60 years reported experiencing menopausal symptoms. 69% of these women reported that their symptoms have negatively affected their lives. Among the women who endorsed menopausal symptoms, 72% had not received any treatment for their symptoms and 77% reported that they had not discussed treatment options with their healthcare providers.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2016-07-22T13:44:53-04:00June 18th, 2012|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

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

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

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

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines for Menopausal Hot Flashes

Approximately seventy percent of all women experience hot flashes and/or night sweats (also called vasomotor symptoms) during the menopause transition (Stearns et al. 2002). Until recently, estrogen therapy was the treatment of choice for most women who sought treatment for hot flashes. Since the results of the Women's Health Initiative in 2002 noted risks of prolonged use of hormone therapy in older postmenopausal women (Roussouw et al. 2002), many women pursue other treatments for their hot flashes, including over-the-counter complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs), including soy isoflavones, black cohosh, and omega-3 fatty acids. However, there is limited evidence to support the use of these treatments for hot flashes to date.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T14:41:43-04:00May 29th, 2009|Menopausal Symptoms|3 Comments

Phytoestrogens and Menopause

For decades, estrogen was used as a component of hormone replacement therapy to treat menopausal symptoms and for anticipated preventative health benefits in women with prostesterone, or as a monotherapy hormone treatment in women after hysterectomy, but after studies reported that long-term estrogen increase the prevalence of cardiovascular events and breast cancer, many patients and researchers have looked into alternative treatments such as food or products containing phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are weak plant-derived estrogens that are structurally similar to estrogen hormones produced by the body.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-12T12:26:11-04:00January 20th, 2009|Menopausal Symptoms|3 Comments

Acupuncture for Hot Flushes in Women with Breast Cancer

Many women report vasomotor symptoms, including hot flushes and night sweats, during the menopausal transition. While estrogen is clearly one of the most effective treatments for vasomotor symptoms, recent concerns regarding the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have made treaters much more reluctant to recommend HRT, even for short-term management of vasomotor symptoms.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-08-11T15:17:58-04:00September 30th, 2008|Menopausal Symptoms|0 Comments

Sleep Problems in Menopausal Women

Peri- and post-menopausal women frequently complain of insomnia or poor sleep quality. Sleep disturbance is often attributed to nocturnal hot flashes; however, a recent study from researchers at Wayne State University School of Medicine suggests that about half of these women may have a primary sleep disorder.

By MGH Center for Women's Mental Health|2015-07-28T10:44:52-04:00November 3rd, 2007|Menopausal Symptoms|11 Comments

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|Menopausal Symptoms|1 Comment