Carpenter, J. S., Storniolo, A. M., Johns, S., Monahan, P. O., Azzouz, F., Elam, J. L., . . . Shelton, R. C. (2007). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trials of venlafaxine for hot flashes after breast cancer. Oncologist, 12, 124–135.
To examine the efficacy of two doses of venlafaxine: 37.5 mg (low-dose study) or 75 mg (high-dose study) to treat hot flashes after breast cancer.
Women were scheduled for 14 weekly visits. Weeks 1 and 2 provided baseline information, and weeks 3 to 14 included six weeks of treatment and six weeks of placebo.
Outcomes were hot flash (frequency, severity, and bother), hot flash impact on daily life, negative effect, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life (QOL).
The sample was comprised of breast cancer survivors: 57 in the low-dose study and 20 in the high-dose study.
University cancer clinics in the southeastern and midwestern United States
Patients were undergoing the long-term follow-up phase of care.
The study included two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trials.
Venlafaxine resulted in modest decreases in hot flashes, but only hot flash interference improved differentially at the higher dose. The timing of the effect of venlafaxine on hot flashes varied by dose.
Only women with a 50% or greater decrease in physiologic hot flashes experienced significant improvement in fatigue, sleep quality, and QOL. Although side effects were mild, most patients discontinued venlafaxine long-term.