Print story: acupuncture beats drug to treat hot flashes: study on yahoo! news

Acupuncture beats drug to treat hot flashes: study
Acupuncture works as well as a drug commonly used to combat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms that canaccompany breast cancer treatment, and its benefits last longer, without bad side effects, researchers said on Monday.
They tested acupuncture, which began in China more than 2,000 years ago and involves inserting needles into thebody, against the Wyeth antidepressant Effexor, for hot flashes in breast cancer patients.
Acupuncture was just as effective as Effexor, also called venlafaxine, in managing symptoms including hot flashes andnight sweats, according to researchers led by Dr. Eleanor Walker of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
After 12 weeks of treatment, symptoms were reduced for 15 additional weeks for women who had undergoneacupuncture, compared with two weeks for those who had taken Effexor, Walker said.
"It was a more durable effect," Walker, whose findings were presented at an American Society for TherapeuticRadiology and Oncology meeting in Boston, said in a telephone interview.
There were no bad side effects with acupuncture, and women reported increased energy, overall sense of well-beingand sexual desire, the researchers said.
Those taking Effexor reported side effects including nausea, headache, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, increased bloodpressure, fatigue and anxiety.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence of the value of acupuncture. Earlier research had shown it can reducechemotherapy-induced nausea and post-operative pain.
"It's been tested directly against a drug that we use regularly. And it's more effective. It has benefits, as opposed to anyside-effects," Walker said.
"If you only have to give women treatment three to four times a year as opposed to having to take a pill every day,that's going to be more cost-effective for insurance companies and the patient," Walker added.
Breast cancer patients can develop menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes after treatment with chemotherapy andanti-estrogen hormones. Hormone replacement therapy is often used to treat such symptoms in women without breastcancer, but breast cancer patients cannot use that therapy because it may raise the risk of the cancer's return.
Effexor, one of a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, is one of the most commonlyused drugs to treat hot flashes in these women.
But the researchers said some women opt not to take such drugs out of concern over side effects.
Forty-seven breast cancer patients took part in the study, about half getting acupuncture and half getting Effexor. Thewomen kept track of the number and severity of hot flashes before, during and after the 12 weeks of treatment.
Walker said it is unclear exactly how acupuncture is working. Experts say it may help the activity of the body's naturalpain-killing chemicals among other things.
Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. Al rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited w ithout the prior w ritten consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Copyright 2008 Yahoo! Inc. Al rights reserved.
Privacy Policy -Terms of Service - Copyright/IP Policy

Source: http://www.jasminedragoncolo.com/uploads/2/8/5/0/2850000/accupunture_hotflashes.pdf