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Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Both oral and transdermal (applied via a cream or patch to the skin) estrogen are available either as estrogen alone or estrogen combined with progesterone. All available prescription estrogen replacement medications, whether oral or transdermal, are effective in reducing the frequency of hot flashes and typically reduce the frequency of hot flashes by about 80% to 90%. However, as described above, hormone therapy may carry some health risks.

• The drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), commonly used in the treatment of depression and anxiety, have been shown in studies to be effective in reducing menopausal hot flashes. The SSRI that has been tested most extensively is venlafaxine (Effexor), although other SSRI drugs may be effective as well.
  
  
• Clonidine (Catapres) is a drug that decreases blood pressure. Clonidine, taken either by pill or skin patch, effectively relieves hot flashes in some women. It is associated with some side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, drowsiness, or difficulty sleeping.
  
  
• Gabapentin (Neurontin), a drug primarily used for the treatment of seizures, has also been effective in treating hot flashes.
  
  
• Progestin drugs have also been successfully used to treat hot flashes. Megestrol acetate (Megace) is sometimes prescribed over a short-term to help relieve hot flashes. Serious effects can occur if the medication is abruptly discontinued, and megestrol is not usually recommended as a first-line drug to treat hot flashes. An unpleasant side effect of Megestrol is that it may lead to weight gain. Another form of progesterone, medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera) administered by injection, can also sometimes be useful in treating hot flashes, but may also lead to weight gain as well as bone loss.

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