New study shows antidepressant may reduce hot flashes.

2003 JUL 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Paxil CR (paroxetine HCl Controlled-Release tablets) reduced hot flash symptoms and was well tolerated in women suffering from menopausal hot flashes.

Findings from this trial showed that women taking Paxil CR experienced more than a 60% reduction in hot flashes, compared to 38% for the placebo group. This was the first large-scale, placebo-controlled study to look at the efficacy of an antidepressant, like Paxil CR, as a treatment for hot flashes in a general cross-section of menopausal women.

Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was considered the gold standard treatment for hot flashes, recent clinical findings have called the safety of the long-term use of HRT into question. Experts are currently seeking alternatives to treat menopausal symptoms over an extended period of time. Researchers of the government-funded Women's Health Initiative (WHI) discontinued the HRT arm of the study last summer when they reached the groundbreaking conclusions that the risks of HRT, when used long-term, outweighed its benefits. Currently, HRT is the only approved treatment for hot flashes.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study, 165 menopausal women meeting a clinical definition for menopause who experienced at least two to three hot flashes daily, or at least 14 bothersome hot flashes per week, were randomized to receive Paxil CR (paroxetine HCl Controlled-Release tablets) 12.5mg/day, Paxil CR 25mg/day or placebo for six weeks. The participants were screened for and excluded if an active psychiatric disorder or substance abuse disorder was detected.

The primary endpoint of this study was the mean change from baseline in the daily hot flash composite ...