The Rochester study is the first to compare gabapentin (marketed as Neurontin by Pfizer) and estrogen head-to-head against a placebo. Although it showed a substantial placebo effect similar to other menopause studies – women taking the sugar pill reported a 54% reduction in hot flashes – the women taking gabapentin and estrogen reported even better results, with a 71% to 72% decline in symptoms.
Doctors did find that women who took gabapentin complained more often of headaches, dizziness or disorientation. However, researchers believe that slowly ramping up the medication and taking it with meals can alleviate the side effects.
Gabapentin was approved by the FDA in 1994 to treat epileptic seizures but has been used off-label for years to treat headaches, shingles pain and other ailments.
Scientists hypothesize that gabapentin may reduce hot flashes by regulating the flow of calcium in and out of cells, which is one mechanism for controlling body temperature.
Approximately 75% of postmenopausal women between the ages of 35 and 60 experience hot flashes.