November 2006 · Vol. 18, No. 11Nonestrogen therapies for menopausal symptoms
How gabapentin, MPA, black cohosh, and other options stack up, plus 3 challenging cases from a women’s midlife center
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Fast Track
Hot flashes may be triggered by small elevations in core body temperature in a greatly reduced thermoneutral zone
In RCTs of alternative therapies and nonhormonal prescription drugs, the placebo effect ranges from 1–77%
Whenever possible, use the specific brand of botanical agent studied in clinical trials
Avoid black cohosh and soy products in women with contraindications to estrogen
Initial data on red clover were promising, but the more rigorous metaanalysis does not support its use
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Susan
E.
Fugate,
PharmD, CACP, BCPS;
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy: Clinical and Administrative Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, College of Pharmacy, Oklahoma City Chelsea
O.
Church,
PharmD, BCPSAssociate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, College of Pharmacy, Oklahoma City
With more women steering clear of estrogen in the wake of the Women’s Health Initiative and other trials,1,2 the menopause armamentarium seems increasingly bare.
Into the vacuum have come a host of therapies, most of them unproven. This article focuses on what we know so far about menopausal symptoms and the few alternative therapies shown to be effective:
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