title: Trazodone: a non-hormonal alternative for neurovegetative climacteric symptoms.
abstract: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the treatment of choice for neurovegetative climacteric symptoms. In some women, however, HRT may either be contraindicated, or the patients themselves may prefer a non-hormonal form of treatment. Trazodone is a drug that acts a weak, but specific, inhibitor of the uptake of 3H-serotonin and is generally used for its antidepressant effects. In this study we have observed the efficacy of oral Trazodone (75 mg/day) in the treatment of the climacteric symptoms in 25 menopausal patients recruited at the Menopause Clinic of Ferrara University Hospital. The symptoms were scored from 0 to 3 according to presence and intensity. The patients were all complaining of climacteric neurovegetative symptoms (average symptom score 2.43). Symptoms scores were recorded before starting treatment and then again after 3 months. The appeared to be particularly effective on the intensity of anxiety (OR: 0.08, CI: 0-0.080), insomnia (OR: 0.15, CI: 0.02-0.71), and irritability (OR: 0.29, CI: 0.04-1.48). The intensity of hot flushes appeared reduced but was not statistically significant (OR: 0.52, CI: 0.08-1.87). However, the average total score of symptoms appearing in the Kupperman scale was reduced (-14%) after treatment. Trazodone should be kept in mind as a possible alternative to HRT. This drug can be particularly useful for those patients whose climacteric symptoms have a marked connotation of anxiety rather than for hot flushes or when HRT are contraindicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pansini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Albertazzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zanotti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Porto
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dossi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campobasso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mollica
mesh_terms: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy; D002979:Climacteric; D000075202:Contraindications; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007508:Irritable Mood; D008593:Menopause; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D014196:Trazodone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D014196:Trazodone