Nasrin Akter1, Sarker Hafiz Mahmud2, Md. Shamsul Islam3, Jamila Khatun4,
Smita Roy5, Md. Abul Khaer Chowdhury6
1. Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, North East Medical College, Sylhet.
2. Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Army Medical College, Cumilla.
3. Assistant Register, Department of Medicine, Sylhet M.A.G Osmani Medical College, Sylhet.
4. Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet.
5. Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, North East Medical College, Sylhet.
6. Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, North East Medical College, Sylhet.
Abstract
Hot flashes are very common and distressing symptoms associated with menopause, occurring in more than 75% of postmenopausal women. Hormone therapy is the gold standard treatment for vasomotor symptoms (VMS) that is hot flashes and night sweats, but some female are refuse to take it because of various type of riska. The serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine is used broadly in treatment of VMS as a non-hormonal treatment. This studies aim is to find out the safety and effectiveness of venlafaxine in the treatment of hot flash in sylhet MAG osmani medical college. Seventy patients of postmenopausal VMS treated with 75 mg venlafaxine once daily for 12 weeks. In each follow up visit severity of VMS rating was recorded by using 21 point in Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS). There was meaningful reduction in psychological score, somatic score, vasomotor symptoms score and sexual symptoms score (p<0.001) at the end of the treatment period, compared to base line level. The percentage reduction of vasomotor symptoms score was significant (p<0.001) throughout the treatment period. Decrease of psychological score was more pronounced at 4th week (p=0.019), at 8th week (p<0.001), and at 12th week (p<0.001) of treatment.
Key Words: Postmenopausal VMS, venlafaxine.