What are the benefits of antidepressants for menopause?
Antidepressants may provide relief from vasomotor symptoms of menopause. Vasomotor symptoms involve the blood vessels. They include things like:
- hot flashes
- night sweats
- skin flushing
These are also some of the most common menopause symptoms. Almost
80 percentTrusted Source of menopausal women experience these symptoms, notes a 2014 study.
Studies suggest that low doses of SSRIs or SNRIs may help reduce vasomotor symptoms, especially hot flashes and night sweats. For example, a
2014 clinical trialTrusted Source found that a low dose of the SNRI venlafaxine (Effexor) worked almost as well as traditional hormone therapy for reducing hot flashes.
Another
clinical trialTrusted Source from 2015 found that a low dose of the SSRI paroxetine (Paxil) improved sleep quality in women going through menopause. The participants’ improved sleep was due to fewer vasomotor symptoms during the night while taking paroxetine.
The results of these trials are promising, but experts still aren’t sure why SSRIs and SNRIs reduce vasomotor symptoms. It may be related to their ability to balance norepinephrine and serotonin levels. Both of these neurotransmitters help stabilize the body’s temperature.
Keep in mind that antidepressants are only known to help with hot flashes and night sweats. If you’re looking to treat other menopause symptoms, hormone therapy may be a more effective option.