Claim: Menopause 'hot flash' medicine could cut symptom by three quarters, trial shows
Verdict: REFUTES

Retrieved passages:
title: Hot flash
text: them to narrow and widen. While not all women respond to clonidine as a hot flash medication, it can reduce hot flashes by 40% in some peri-menopausal women. Isoflavones are commonly found in legumes such as soy and red clover. The two soy isoflavones implicated in relieving menopausal symptoms are genistein and daidzein, and are also known as phytoestrogens. The half life of these molecules is about eight hours, which might explain why some studies have not consistently shown effectiveness of soy products for menopausal symptoms. Although red clover ("Trifolium pratense") contains isoflavones similar to soy, the effectiveness of this

title: Hot flash
text: treatment. If a woman chooses hormones, they suggest she take the lowest dose that alleviates her symptoms for as short a time as possible. The US Endocrine Society concluded that women taking hormone replacement therapy for 5 years or more experienced overall benefits in their symptoms including relief of hot flashes and symptoms of urogenital atrophy and prevention of fractures and diabetes. When estrogen as estradiol is used transdermally as a patch, gel, or pessary with micronized progesterone this may avoid the serious side effects associated with oral estradiol HRT since this avoids first pass metabolism (Phase I drug metabolism).

title: Menopause
text: hot flashes. It is the most effective treatment option, especially when delivered as a skin patch. Its use, however, appears to increase the risk of strokes and blood clots. When used for menopausal symptoms some recommend it be used for the shortest time possible and at the lowest dose possible. Evidence to support long term use however is poor. It also appears effective for preventing bone loss and osteoporotic fracture, but it is generally recommended only for women at significant risk for whom other therapies are unsuitable. HRT may be unsuitable for some women, including those at increased risk of

title: Hormone replacement therapy
text: incidence of colorectal cancer and bone fracture. Some of the WHI findings were again found in a larger national study done in the United Kingdom, known as the Million Women Study (MWS). As a result of these findings, the number of women taking HRT dropped precipitously. The WHI recommended that women with non-surgical menopause take the lowest feasible dose of HRT for the shortest possible time to minimize associated risks. The current indications for use from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include short-term treatment of menopausal symptoms, such as vasomotor hot flashes or vaginal atrophy, and prevention

title: Hot flash
text: (VMS)—the clinical name for hot flashes—has not yet been fully studied. There are hints at reduced levels of estrogen as the primary cause of hot flashes. There are indications that hot flashes may be due to a change in the hypothalamus's control of temperature regulation. More recent research points to mitochondrial uncoupling due to a lack of oestrogen. Transgender men on hormone blockers to halt their female puberty also commonly experience hot flashes, because hormone blockers simulate or induce menopause. Hormone replacement therapy may relieve many of the symptoms of menopause. However, oral HRT may increase the risk of breast

title: Menopause
text: when their hormone levels fell. Following the removal of the uterus, symptoms typically occur earlier, at an average of 45 years of age. In the years before menopause, a woman's periods typically become irregular, which means that periods may be longer or shorter in duration or be lighter or heavier in the amount of flow. During this time, women often experience hot flashes; these typically last from 30 seconds to ten minutes and may be associated with shivering, sweating, and reddening of the skin. Hot flashes often stop occurring after a year or two. Other symptoms may include vaginal dryness,

title: Hot Flash Havoc
text: billion women in menopause and over 1.5 billion women in perimenopause. The women interviewed in the documentary talk about their sex lives with candor and humor. The film addresses the use of hormone therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause and confronts the 2002 Women's Health Initiative study that led women to forgo estrogen-replacement medications and, in some cases, jeopardize their health. The documentary was selected for several film festivals around the United States including The Aspen Film Festival, The Film Festival of Colorado, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Gig Harbor Film Festival, Port Townsend Film Festival, LA Femme Film

title: Hot flash
text: commonly used in the treatment of depression. They have been found efficient in alleviating hot flashes. On 28 June 2013 FDA approved Brisdelle (low-dose paroxetine mesylate) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms (e.g. hot flashes and night sweats) associated with menopause. Paroxetine became the first and only non-hormonal therapy for menopausal hot flashes approved by FDA. Clonidine is a blood pressure-lowering medication that can be used to relieve menopausal hot flashes when hormone replacement therapy is not needed or not desired. For hot flashes, clonidine works by helping reduce the response of the blood vessels to stimuli that cause

title: Hot flash
text: Hot flash Hot flashes (American English) or hot flushes (British English) are a form of flushing due to reduced levels of estradiol. Hot flashes are a symptom which may have several other causes, but which is often caused by the changing hormone levels that are characteristic of menopause. They are typically experienced as a feeling of intense heat with sweating and rapid heartbeat, and may typically last from 2 to 30 minutes for each occurrence. Hot flashes, a common symptom of menopause and perimenopause, are typically experienced as a feeling of intense heat with sweating and rapid heartbeat, and may

title: Menerba
text: Menerba showed a statistically significant reduction in the number of hot flashes after 12 weeks of treatment and had a statistically significant reduction in nighttime awakenings from hot flashes (-67%, p=0.05). There was no difference in uterine bleeding between treatment groups and placebo, and no uterine abnormalities were observed during the study. The only side effect observed was mild loose stools (12% in treatment group vs. 3% in the placebo group). Further studies have shown that most active estrogenic compound in Menerba is liquiritigenin, derived from the root of "Glycyrrhizae uralensis" Fisch, one of the 22 botanically derived ingredients found

title: Hot flash
text: herb for menopausal symptoms at relatively low concentrations points to a different mechanism of action. It is believed that dietary changes that include a higher consumption of phytoestrogens from sources such as soy, red clover, ginseng, and yam may relieve hot flashes. Acupuncture has been suggested to reduce incidence of hot flashes in women with breast cancer and men with prostate cancer, but the quality of evidence is low. It has been speculated that hot flashes are less common among Asian women. Hot flash Hot flashes (American English) or hot flushes (British English) are a form of flushing due to

title: Menopause
text: Gabapentin or clonidine may help but does not work as well as hormone therapy. Clonidine may be associated with constipation and sleeping problems. One review found mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy decreases the amount women are affected by hot flushes. Another review found not enough evidence to make a conclusion. There is no evidence of consistent benefit of alternative therapies for menopausal symptoms despite their popularity. The effect of soy isoflavones on menopausal symptoms is promising for reduction of hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Evidence does not support a benefit from phytoestrogens such as coumestrol, femarelle, or the non-phytoestrogen black

title: Lydia Pinkham
text: cohosh may improve some of these symptoms for up to six months. However, most studies are not well designed and results are not conclusive. The National Institutes of Health performed a "...12-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, compared several herbal regimens and menopausal hormone therapy (estrogen with or without progesterone) to placebo in women ages 45 to 55... Newton and colleagues found no significant difference between the number of daily hot flashes and/or night sweats in any of the herbal supplement groups when compared to the placebo group." Advertisements for Lydia E. Pinkham's vegetable compound included popular myths of women's health,

title: Menopause
text: of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. While typically not needed, a diagnosis of menopause can be confirmed by measuring hormone levels in the blood or urine. Menopause is the opposite of menarche, the time when a girl's periods start. Specific treatment is not usually needed. Some symptoms, however, may be improved with treatment. With respect to hot flashes, avoiding smoking, caffeine, and alcohol is often recommended. Sleeping in a cool room and using a fan may help. The following medications may help: menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), clonidine, gabapentin, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Exercise may help with sleeping problems. While

title: Side effects of bicalutamide
text: of hot flashes was 9.2% for bicalutamide monotherapy relative to 5.4% for placebo, which was regarded as relatively low. In the subgroup of the trial, the rate of hot flashes with bicalutamide monotherapy was 13.1% (relative to 50.0% for castration). At 5.3 years follow-up, the incidence of depression was 5.5% for bicalutamide monotherapy relative to 3.0% for placebo in the trial, and the incidence of asthenia (weakness or fatigue) was 10.2% for bicalutamide monotherapy relative to 5.1% for placebo. Androgens are known to stimulate the formation of red blood cells and increase the red blood cell count and circulating hematocrit

title: Menopause
text: "deficiency disease" in need of management. In Japanese culture, reporting of vasomotor symptoms has been on the increase, with research conducted by Melissa Melby in 2005 finding that of 140 Japanese participants, hot flashes were prevalent in 22.1%. This was almost double that of 20 years prior. Whilst the exact cause for this is unknown, possible contributing factors include significant dietary changes, increased medicalisation of middle-aged women and increased media attention on the subject. However, reporting of vasomotor symptoms is still significantly lower than North America. Additionally, while most women in the United States apparently have a negative view of

title: Hot flash
text: are surgically menopausal, hot flashes are generally more intense than in older women, and they may last until natural age at menopause. Hot flashes in men could have various causes. It can be a sign of low testosterone. Men with prostate cancer or testicular cancer can also have hot flashes, especially those who are undergoing hormone therapy with antiandrogens, also known as androgen antagonists, which reduce testosterone to castrate levels. Men who are castrated can also get hot flashes. Some menopausal women may experience both standard hot flashes and a second type sometimes referred to as "slow hot flashes" or

title: Vagina
text: which can lead to vaginal itching, burning, bleeding, soreness, or vaginal dryness (a decrease in lubrication). Vaginal dryness can cause discomfort on its own or discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse. Hot flashes are also characteristic of menopause. Menopause also affects the composition of vaginal support structures. The vascular structures become fewer with advancing age. Specific collagens become altered in composition and ratios. It is thought that the weakening of the support structures of the vagina is due to the physiological changes in this connective tissue. Menopausal symptoms can be eased by estrogen-containing vaginal creams, non-prescription, non-hormonal medications, vaginal estrogen

title: Breast cancer management
text: of difficulty with sleep initiation and frequent nighttime awakenings. There is a study, first to show sustained benefits in sleep quality from gabapentin, which Rochester researchers already have demonstrated alleviates hot flashes. Lifestyle adjustments are usually suggested first to manage hot flushes (or flashes) due to endocrine therapy. This can include avoiding triggers such as alcohol, caffeine and smoking. If hot flashes continue, and depending on their frequency and severity, several drugs can be effective in some patients, in particular SNRIs such as venlafaxine, also oxybutinin and others. Complementary medicines that contain phytoestrogens are not recommended for breast cancer patients

title: Estrogen (medication)
text: in order to prevent osteoporosis as well as treat the symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, urinary stress incontinence, chilly sensations, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, and sweating. Fractures of the spine, wrist, and hips decrease by 50 to 70% and spinal bone density increases by approximately 5% in those women treated with estrogen within 3 years of the onset of menopause and for 5 to 10 years thereafter. Before the specific dangers of conjugated estrogens were well understood, standard therapy was 0.625 mg/day of conjugated estrogens (such as Premarin). There are, however, risks associated with conjugated estrogen therapy.