Women with intense hot flushes chronically waking them at night are usually given estrogen therapy, the strongest known treatment. However, some women can't and shouldn't take estrogen (if they've had blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, or breast cancer, for example.) A large number of women have recently been inadequately treated because no other therapy has been scientifically proven to be as strong as estrogen. The Clinical Science paper just published by CeMCOR's Drs Prior and Hitchcock proves that medroxyprogesterone—the synthesized cousin of natural progesterone—is equally effective as estrogen.
This is good news! “Women now have a true choice,” says Dr. Prior. “Since 2002 when the serious risks of taking estrogen were proven, women with severe flushes had to choose between two evils — potential adverse effects of estrogen or continued and poorly controlled symptoms. Now they can get relief without risking their health.”
This was a 1-year, double blind study, in which 41 women who had their ovaries and uterus removed while they were still menstruating were randomized as they left the hospital to therapy with Premarin (the standard estrogen pill) or 10 mg of medroxyprogesterone. Both medicines were taken every day as they recorded their experiences using the Daily Menopause Diary [1]. The 38 women who completed the study were effectively treated and without significant adverse effects—they averaged one or two hot flush episodes a week across the entire year.
See the press release here [2].
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Those of us at the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research integrate scientific and practical information for the benefit and empowerment of women. What is posted here is as wise and as accurate as we are able to produce. However, it lacks essential knowledge of your preferences, your life and health histories that are needed before treatment decisions are made. Please work with your primary care health provider to determine what is best for you. Remember we can't take responsibility (liability) for the personal health decisions that you make based on our information, suggestions, and advice.
Links:
[1] http://www.cemcor.org/help_yourself/handouts/daily_diaries
[2] http://www.vchri.ca/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=168267&_Title=Estrogen-therapy-for-hot-flushes-challenged-progestin-as-effective-as-risk-...