S2 Ep85: Non-Hormonal Prescription Drugs to Treat Hot Flashes

The 2023 Menopause Society  (NAMS) position statement regarding the non-hormonal treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms- hot flashes and night sweats- was just released. Position statements are expert analyses of current studies in order to determine recommendations based on science, as opposed to what the latest Tik Tok star or celebrity is promoting. Because new studies are constantly being published, there is always new information to inform those recommendations, which is why position statements need to periodically get updated. 

Because the position statement is very extensive and long, I have divided it into 3 episodes. 

Part 1- Non-hormonal prescription options

Part 2 -Over the counter botanicals and dietary supplements 

Part 3- Lifestyle; mind-body techniques; acupuncture and cooling devices. 

In this episode, I am covering non-hormonal prescription options. My guest is one of the authors of The Menopause Society position statement, Dr. Chrisandra Shufelt. Dr. Shufelt is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society, the Chair of the Division of General Internal Medicine, Senior Consultant at the Mayo Clinic Women's Health, and Associate Director of Women's Health Research Center at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

The drugs discussed include:

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) such as Paroxetine, Citalopram, Escitalopram

Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI) such as Desvenlafaxine, Venlafaxine

Gabapentin 

Pre-gabalin

Clonidine

Oxybutynin

Suvorexant 

Fezolinetant

And stick around for the wrap-up at the end. I summarize the recommendations.

Other relevant episodes: 

Episode 2:Think Your Hot Flashes Can't Kill You? Think Again!

Episode 31 The TRUTH About Hormone Therapy: Does it CAUSE or Does it PREVENT Breast Cancer?

Episode 77 Fezolinetant! A New Non-Hormonal Hot Flash Drug 

For more information:  

Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat

Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause. She is a certified menopause practitioner of the North American Menopause Society. 

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Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine. 

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Books by Lauren Streicher, MD

 Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain

Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat

Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever

The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy