Climacteric : the journal of the International Menopause Society
-
Pelvic pain is a frequent complaint in women during both reproductive and post-reproductive years. Vulvodynia includes different manifestations of chronic vulvar pain with no known cause. Many women do not receive a diagnosis and appropriate treatment. ⋯ Clinical characteristics include pelvic pain with sitting which increases throughout the day and decreases with standing or lying down, sexual dysfunction and difficult with urination and/or defecation. To confirm pudendal neuralgia, the Nantes criteria are recommended. Treatment includes behavioral modifications, physiotherapy, analgesics and nerve block, surgical pudendal nerve decompression, radiofrequency and spinal cord stimulation.
-
This systematic review is aimed at assessing surveys which monitor the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by climacteric women living in the UK. ⋯ There is a paucity of high-quality surveys monitoring the prevalence of CAM use by UK climacteric women. The available evidence suggests that the prevalence of CAM use amongst climacteric women is high. Due to the low methodological quality and paucity of the primary data, these results should be interpreted with caution.
-
This systematic review is aimed at assessing surveys which monitor the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by climacteric women living in the UK. ⋯ There is a paucity of high-quality surveys monitoring the prevalence of CAM use by UK climacteric women. The available evidence suggests that the prevalence of CAM use amongst climacteric women is high. Due to the low methodological quality and paucity of the primary data, these results should be interpreted with caution.
-
Breast cancer survivors frequently experience severe hot flushes as a result of their treatment. This can adversely affect their quality of life, compliance with treatment and overall survival. To relieve vasomotor symptoms, a variety of drugs have been used including clonidine, gabapentin, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. ⋯ Desvenlafaxine looks promising as does SGB, despite its invasive nature. The favorable safety profile of SGB is confirmed through the long experience of SGB performed for other medical purposes. The majority of non-HRT treatments for hot flushes are little better than placebo but early results from randomized trials of desvenlafaxine and pilot studies of SGB suggest that it is worthwhile to test their efficacy specifically in breast cancer survivors.
-
To assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment option for menopausal hot flushes. ⋯ Sham-controlled RCTs fail to show specific effects of acupuncture for control of menopausal hot flushes. More rigorous research seems warranted.