USE OF VENLAFAXINE IN THE TREATMENT OF VASOMOTOR SYMPTOMS IN WOMEN IN MENOPAUSE: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.1594472429052

• Palavras-chave: Venlafaxine; Menopause; Antidepressant.

• Keywords: Venlafaxine; Menopause; Antidepressant.

• Abstract:

  During menopause, hormonal levels, especially estrogen and progesterone, gradually decrease, which can trigger a series of physical and emotional symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, difficulty sleeping, vaginal dryness, decreased libido, weight gain, and changes in skin and hair. Not all women experience all of these symptoms, and their severity can range from mild to severe. A low-dose antidepressant for managing hot flashes may be helpful for women who cannot take estrogen for health reasons or for women who need an antidepressant for a mood disorder. This is a systematic review study that was designed based on the criteria established in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guide, considering the flow diagram and the PRISMA checklist. The use of oral estradiol in low doses and venlafaxine show good results in relieving vasomotor symptoms in middle-aged women, which included 546 peri- and post-menopausal female patients, divided into two groups, where one of the groups received escitalopram 10 -20 mg/day and another group is administered venlafaxine XR 75 mg/day compared with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. It is clear that the intervention supports current recommendations for CBT-I as first-line treatment for healthy middle-aged women with insomnia symptoms and moderately bothersome VMS. This review confirms that there is a benefit to venlafaxine in the treatment of patients who have vasomotor symptoms, even if they are not significant. However, venlafaxine has shown excellent results associated with low-dose oral 17-beta estradiol for symptoms of hot flashes and mood disorders in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.