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Help With Menopause & Hot Flashes

According to the Mayo Clinic, three out of four women experience hot flashes during menopause. Some women do not seek treatment, but women with severe hot flashes do because the symptoms are too severe to ignore. Several treatments are available to treat increased body heat and sweating associated with hot flashes, including hormone therapy drugs, antidepressants and lifestyle changes. These treatments decrease sudden changes in the blood flow in vessels, preventing hot flashes.

  1. Make Lifestyle Changes

    • Avoid menopause triggers that worsen hot flashes. Hormone.org recommends avoiding spicy foods, reducing stress, and avoiding hot places. Incorporate exercise into your lifestyle, too. According to BreastCancer.org, exercise reduces hot flashes and increases endorphin levels, increasing a woman's ability to handle pain. Wearing lighter, more loose-fitting clothes also helps prevent hot flashes by cooling the body.

    Medicine Containing Estrogen or Progestin

    • For severe hot flashes that do not respond to lifestyle changes, use medicine containing estrogen and progestin. According to ConsumerReports.org, these drugs reduced hot flashes by 75 percent for 70 to 90 percent of women. They also reduced other menopausal side effects, including night sweats and vaginal dryness. Drugs containing estrogen and progestin can cause severe side effects, however, such as increasing the risk of developing breast cancer or heart disease.

    Gabapentin

    • Use Gabapentin. According to the Mayo Clinic, Gabapentin is moderately effective in hot flashes and menopause treatment. It decreases hot flashes during the night. Gabapentin also treats pain associated with menopause.

    Antidepressants

    • Use an antidepressant. Antidepressant medications classified as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) relieve hot flashes. Brand name antidepressants classified as SSRIs or SNRIs include Effexor, Paxil, and Prozac. Antidepressants are not as effective as estrogen or progestin drugs, however.

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