Effexor As a Treatment for Menopause

With hormone therapy rapidly dropping in popularity, doctors are now looking to antidepressants such as Effexor to treat menopausal symptoms, namely, hot flashes. While some doctors and patients see this as a medical breakthrough, others who are more skeptical remind society that menopause is not a mental disorder. They also warn of a time decades ago when women were drugged with Valium for anxiety and mood swings.

Menopause

• Women who experience perimenopause and menopause can find themselves experiencing a wide array of emotions and moods. However, some doctors warn that these moods are not the same as clinical depression, while other doctors see this symptom as something that can be treated with antidepressants. Put another way, while some doctors see antidepressants as a creative opportunity to treat age-old symptoms, other doctors see this practice as an overprescribing of antidepressants, which they feel should be given only to those with severe mental health problems.

About SSRIs

• One classification of antidepressants that are being used to treat menopause are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), of which Effexor belongs. These drugs interact with the neurotransmitter 5-HT (serotonin), which helps regulate things such as mood, appetite, sleep and body temperature. Some people's brains do not absorb enough serotonin, thus the need for the reuptake inhibitors.

  According to Dixie Mills, a doctor who writes for Women to Women.com, prescribing antidepressants for something other than depressants, i.e. "off-label," raises several ethical questions but is not illegal.

Hot Flashes

• Another reason Effexor is a desirable choice for menopause is that it can be used to treat hot flashes. Hot flashes still are a point of mystique in the medical world, and there conflicting theories on where they originate. Some doctors theorize that hot flashes are a function of a decrease of estrogen in the body, which can effect serotonin reuptake. As such, prescribing antidepressants has been used as a way to treat this menopausal symptom.

Menopausal Drug?

• A medication currently on the market, called Pristiq, is being developed especially for menopause. While it's not an SSRI, it does include succinate, which is a derivative of the active Effexor ingredient, venlafaxine. The medication is presently awaiting the approval of the Food and Drug Administration.

Other Remedies

• In addition to SSRIs, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) also are prescribed to treat menopausal symptoms. They treat symptoms such as insomnia, hot flashes and mood fluctuations found in menopausal women. They include the brand names Prozac and Paxil.