THURSDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Pregabalin (Lyrica) is as effective as other drugs in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes, according to a study published online Nov. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Charles L. Loprinzi, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues randomly assigned 163 women with bothersome hot flashes (severe and at least 28 times per week) to pregabalin at 75 or 150 mg twice daily or placebo.
At six weeks, the researchers found that hot flash scores fell by 50 percent in the placebo group, by 65 percent for 75 mg pregabalin, and by 71 percent for 150 mg pregabalin. Pregabalin was generally well tolerated, although some toxicities were significantly more common in patients receiving pregabalin.
"Pregabalin decreases hot flashes and is reasonably well tolerated," Loprinzi and colleagues conclude. "Its effects appear to be roughly comparable to what has been reported with gabapentin and with some newer antidepressants."
Abstract
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