Acupuncture as effective as venlafaxine for management of hot flashes

[Celebration]

http://www.hemonctoday.com/article.aspx?rid=59656

To determine if a nonpharmacologic treatment, specifically acupuncture, could reduce vasomotor symptoms, researchers conducted a randomized controlled study. They assigned women to 12 weeks of therapy with acupuncture (n=25) or venlafaxine (n=25).

The two treatment arms had similar outcomes with decreases in hot flashes, depressive symptoms and other menopausal quality of life symptoms. Improvement was noted in mental health from pre- to post-treatment as well. Changes over time were similar with both groups experiencing improvement at post-treatment followed by a return toward baseline values.

At post-treatment, both groups had a 50% decrease in hot flashes; however, at two-weeks post-treatment, hot flashes increased in the venlafaxine group but remained low in the acupuncture group.

Eighteen incidences of adverse effects, including nausea, headache, difficulty sleeping and dizziness, were reported with venlafaxine; whereas, no adverse effects were reported with acupuncture.

“Given the results of this small randomized study, we feel that integrative therapies have a role in improving the quality of life of cancer patients and should be explored further as an option for treatment of cancer-related adverse effects,” the researchers said.

[peacebird]

1. a few leaves of plain old garden sage tossed in a cup of tea to steep for 5 minutes

can bring relief from hot flashes for over a day.... Used it for several years when I was flashing, a nice easy and very inexpensive remedy which worked well for me, and several other women I know.
Any woman experiencing the change might want to read Susn Weed's "Menopausal Years - The Wise Woman Way Alternative Approaches for Women"

[sam sarrha]

2. i had really bad carpal tunnel, acupuncture cured it.. about 6 years no.. no symptoms

[midnight]

3. k&R..... Do you know how much a treatment is?

[Alameda]

4. it probably depends on where you are. Around here it's around $80

a treatment.....more or less. There are schools that are cheaper, but I prefer someone who has been doing it a while. BTW Medicare will not pay for it.

[TalkingDog]

5. What? Are the author's of the story suggesting that alternative medicine isn't a ruse????

A money-sucking grab at the gullible?
A way for the gullible to have ignorant beliefs in implausible things?


Oh, yeah. I recommend this thread. I recommended the hell out of it.

[HuckleB]

7. This is a single preliminary study, comparing acupuncture to an already dubious treatment.

The other preliminary studies on the matter are not as promising.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=3314

Whoops! Looks like the scam is still the scam.

[BuddhaGirl]

6. I was having several flashing episodes a day

and more at night...typical experiences - waking up drenched, couldn't go back to sleep, etc.

Thank god for my acupuncturist...two weeks of treatment and they subsided. I go once or twice a month for maintenance, but I haven't had any more hot flashes!