New menopause drug for hot flashes....
New menopause drug for hot flashes....
what is the story...
Is the miracle we have been waiting for? A non-hormonal solution to hot flashes, the commonest and symbolic symptom of menopause.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a once-a-day pill for dealing with uncomfortable hot flashes brought on by menopause.
The new drug, Veozah (fezolinetant), differs from the traditional treatment of boosting the hormones estrogen and progestin to reduce menopause symptoms, which include sweating, flushing and chills. Developed by Astellas Pharma, Veozah blocks a chemical in the brain called neurokinin B (NKB), which regulates body temperature.
Despite the broah in the NY Times and elsewhere, the truth is probably murkier. I suggest popping over the Hotflash Inc over here on Substack for the most comprehensive review of this new drug. But some toplines are that it failed to beat the placebo in a phase 3 clinical trial, it costs $550 USD a month *not even cheap at half the price and the FDA safety report noted one of the side effects was…a hot flash!
I think we are still years away from a manufactured non-hormonal drug treatment that is truly cost-effective so for those who want this option then there are alternatives…
Pycnogenol is a pine bark extract that has been clinically proven to improve common menopause symptoms including hot flashes. Kindra have this for sale,
Kun Bao Wan a herbal blend used in Chinese medicine for over 1000 years can turn around hot flashes in 2 to 4 weeks in clinical trials. I recommend buying this through The Eastern Philosophy where I buy a lot of my TCM products that aren’t readily available in Sweden.
The Lengths Some Will Go
As the debate about MHT or HRT hots up in the US on the back of Oprah’s announcement she is making a document on menopause with Maria Shriver.
I have always deeply respected Oprah for sharing her view on hormones but also how menopause was a spiritual experience for her. But the tonality of the recent discussions is concerning. ‘HT will fight off brain disease and the genitourinary decline is inevitable and forever if you don’t take HT’. None of these extravagant claims is proven. And extremely depressing if you can’t or chose not to take HT.
I went digging and found that sure enough that one of her guests has a website where I can self-refer, no checkup required, to have estradiol +progestin and a dose of testosterone sent to me just as if they were a vitamin supplement. Did the ethics just drop out of medicine, is profit now the only motivator?
For a counter-argument, I suggest tuning into this week’s episode of The Drive where Peter Attia interviewed Dr JoAnn Manson one of the principal investigators of the WHI. She deeply understands the research and steers the conversation on how physicians can move towards better HRT practices.
This week on the Thriving Thru Menopause Podcast
This week on the podcast I had the deepest pleasure to host Dr Keira Barr, world-renowned dermatologist and founder of Skinny Dipping a whole new way to approach your skin as you age. It has far less to do with lotions and potions and so much to do with self-compassion. Hear the full episode here
And stayed for this week's episode with clinical nutritionist Natalie Woodman on the gut microbiome, the gut-brain axis and why healing your gut in menopause has a lot to do with addressing your stress.
Un-Gurl Your Push Ups
If you think you can’t do pushes. Think again! Girls & women are typically encouraged to do "girl" push-ups (starting at the knee) and they are used to assess women's upper-body strength. New study finds most healthy women can perform regular push-ups. It's time to ungender the push-up. Check out the full post here https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/05/10/no-more-girl-push-ups/
Mindset, Stress and Self-Care
If you’re a busy, stressed, tired #menopausal woman, the last thing you want to be told is the 20 things you should be doing to feel better! Instead “What one thing could I do here that would make things easier? Want to learn more? Join my masterclass https://bit.ly/rockyourmenopause… on Wednesday 17th May at 11.00 am EST (that 4pm BST)
I am heading out to enjoy some sunshine and pick tomato and cucumber plants before they sell out.
Clarissa x