Barton, D.L., LaVasseur, B.I., Sloan, J.A., Stawis, A.N., Flynn, K.A., Dyar, M., ... & Loprinzi, C.L. (2010). Phase III, placebo-controlled trial of three doses of citalopram for the treatment of hot flashes: NCCTG trial N05C9. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 28, 3278-3283.
To evaluate three different doses of citalopram for management of hot flashes
Women were randomly assigned to receive 10, 20, or 30 mg citalopram or corresponding number of placebo pills daily for six weeks. Treatment was titrated weekly to achieve the target dose.
Placebo controlled RCT
There was some improvement in hot flash interference with several areas, and those on 20 and 30 mg of citalopram had significant improvement in sleep interference compared to placebo (p ≤ .01). There were no group differences in overall POMS scores. Adverse effects on sexual health were greater with 30 mg compared to placebo, but this difference was not statistically significant.
Findings show that citalopram in a dose as low as 10 mg daily can significantly improve hot flash symptoms and is not associated with toxicity. Further benefits were seen with higher doses.
Findings show that citalopram was beneficial to reduce hot flash severity. The duration of treatment in this study was only six weeks, so longer term efficacy is not clear. Patients on any longer term management with citalopram need to be monitored for side effects of the medication.