Antidepressants: The Miracle Cure For Hot Flashes?

Menopause can be a very challenging phase in a woman's life, especially now that women had to juggle their time taking care of their family and maintaining a demanding career. The symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, hormonal changes, sleep problems, tension, anxiety, depression, mood swings, night sweating, weight gain and even hair loss, can really wreak havoc to anybody's system, not to mention sex life.

One of the most annoying menopause symptoms that almost all of menopause sufferers experience is having hot flashes, which can last from a few minutes to almost an hour. During an episode of hot flash, you would feel heat emanating from your chest spread across your entire body, making you want to strip off your clothes. Unfortunately, after the hot flash attack, you suddenly feel cold because your clothes are drenched with sweat.

The severity and frequency of hot flashes are different from one woman to another. But everyone who has experienced this frustrating symptom would really want to try almost anything just to get rid of it, along with the other signs of menopause.

Discovering New Use For Antidepressants

A study about the link between cancer drugs and the flare up of hot flashes has helped discover the effectiveness of antidepressants in lessening the incidence of this menopausal symptom. Researchers have found that breast cancer patients who are also taking antidepressant drugs have experienced fewer hot flash episodes.

Studies are presently being conducted to unlock the secret ingredient in antidepressants that make it useful in preventing hot flashes. At present, scientists are as baffled as you and me with regard to the success of these depression-fighting pills in easing some menopause indicators.

Early results of certain researches, however, showed that not all women could benefit from the anti-hot-flash powers of antidepressants. It seems that women who are in the early stages of menopause reaped the most benefits from antidepressant use, while those that have experienced menopausal symptoms for about a year already stand to continue suffering hot flashes.

A Spike In The Prescription Of Antidepressants In Wome

Despite the effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy (also known as HRT), the discovery of the adverse side effects of HRT, including breast cancer and arthritis, have led to a sharp drop in the number of menopausal women using such treatment. As both doctors and patients struggle to find a solution to hot flashes and night sweating, the study about the connection between antidepressants and low frequency of hot flashes have sparked the interest of many women all across the globe.

Nowadays, a lot of doctors are prescribing antidepressants to their patients to help with night sweating and hot flashes because more and more women are demanding to try them just to feel even a slight relief from the above mentioned symptoms.

Possible Side Effects From Using Antidepressants

The irony of using antidepressant during menopause is that it may help with hot flashes and night sweating, but it seems to exacerbate emotional symptoms, such as anxiety, decline in sex drive, and insomnia. Furthermore, many are also concerned about the effects of the long-term use of antidepressants on women's brain functions.

Since the use of antidepressants is also linked to the risk of suicide in children, many are concerned that these depression-fighting medications could also have the same effect with adults, particularly those suffering from menopause symptoms.

Until the safety of using antidepressants for easing hot flashes is confirmed by studies and approved by health agencies, it is wiser to just look for natural and safe remedies for your menopause woes. Sometimes, just a few lifestyle and dietary changes can already work wonders in managing menopause. One product that can help women deal with menopause is Zalestra. For more information, you can visit www.zalestra.com.n