Treatment Options for Hot Flashes

Basic Truths about Hot Flashes

Menopause has been happening since Eve was in the Garden of Eden. And three things have been true about it ever since:

It happens to every woman who lives long enough
Most women and doctors haven’t learned enough about it, and
Four out of five women will have menopause symptoms that impact their lives and aren’t getting treated.

What Are the Levels of Hot Flashes

Of all the menopause symptoms, hot flashes are one of, if not the, most common. They can be mild, causing only a sense of warmth that doesn’t prompt sweating. Others will have moderate hot flashes that cause a sensation of heat with some sweating, but they can continue whatever activity they were doing. The remainder will experience more severe hot flashes, with sensations of heat and sweating that prevent them from continuing whatever activity they were engaged in.

But life doesn’t have to stop for a hot flash!

Don’t tough it out; figure it out!

Even though moderate to severe hot flashes create real challenges for women, the vast majority are toughing them out without treatment!

Why Don’t Women Treat Their Hot Flashes?

Some believe they are strong women and can “tough it out.”
Some don’t realize that treatments are available to help them.
Some are consulting with healthcare providers who are not knowledgeable enough about menopause to help them, or who are too busy to spend the time needed to discuss treatment options
Some have medical conditions that prevent them from using specific available treatments.
Some have tried one form of therapy, and it didn’t work, or they had a complication, and they aren’t aware of all the other/newer options.

If you are one of the seventy percent of women with moderate to severe hot flashes who are toughing out their hot flashes and opting not to treat them, help is here. There are many treatments currently available for hot flashes, and we’ll discuss those in a moment.

What Hot Flash Treatments are Available?

The key to turning down the heat is to have an open and honest conversation with your healthcare provider about your hot flash experience to learn about treatment options and find one that fits your medical history and preferences.

The newest and one of the most exciting treatments for moderate to severe hot flashes is Lynkuet® (elinzanetant) 60 mg capsules, a new FDA-approved, hormone-free prescription option that is both safe and effective. New treatments for hot flashes have recently come out.

Speaking the Unspoken

Women in menopause with hot flashes aren’t alone; it’s an experience that millions of women go through—often silently. They often don’t realize that five to ten percent of women are already in menopause before age 45, one percent are in menopause before age 40, and symptoms such as hot flashes can begin years before that.

It doesn’t have to feel taboo. There are a number of options for controlling or minimizing symptoms. Women just need to talk about it and understand that there are many options. They just need to talk about their symptoms with their healthcare provider. Not doing that can affect mental health, self-image, relationships, work, and daily functioning.

It’s important to understand that aging and menopause do not erase confidence, talent, or relevance. Menopause is a transition, not a decline. But to get the help they need, women need to speak openly and honestly with their healthcare provider about their symptoms. Come prepared to appointments with a list of questions and notes about the frequency and intensity of hot flashes, which can help women feel more prepared to discuss symptoms and get the support they need.

Hot Flash Treatment Options

Like all treatments, finding the right one for you may take some time and requires working with your healthcare provider to discover which treatment works best for you. To help you start a discussion with your healthcare provider, I’ve divided the major hot flash treatment options into five categories (see the table below), along with examples, how they work, and considerations to guide your selection. There are effective hormonal and non-hormonal choices if you want a hormone-free option. But after considering your specific needs, you realize you have many options. Nothing works for everyone, and everything works for some.

Which Hot Flash Treatments Are Best For You?

Treatment Type	Examples	How It Helps	Considerations
Lifestyle Changes	Dressing in layers, cool room, avoiding triggers, weight loss, quitting smoking	Helps reduce frequency/intensity; supports general health	Best for mild symptoms; requires consistency
Over-the-Counter	Black cohosh, soy isoflavones, vitamin E, evening primrose oil	May help some; useful in early menopause	Variable effectiveness; possible interactions
Mind-Body Approaches	CBT, meditation, yoga, and acupuncture	Reduces perceived intensity; improves well-being	Non-invasive; effective with regular practice
Non-Hormonal Prescription	SSRIs/SNRIs, gabapentin, clonidine	Reduces hot flashes by 50–60%	Possible side effects. Good for those avoiding hormones
Hormonal Therapies	Estrogen therapy, combined therapy, low-dose vaginal estrogen	Most effective for moderate/severe hot flashes	Not suitable for women with breast cancer/clot risk

Want More Personalized Guidance?

Menopause can be confusing, and many women feel they aren’t getting enough time or guidance to fully understand their symptoms. If you’d like help making sense of what’s happening in your body and learning how to partner more effectively with your healthcare provider, you can learn more about menopause coaching at menopausecoaching.com.

References
1. Thurston RC, Joffe H. Vasomotor symptoms and menopause: findings from the Study of Women’s Health across the Nation. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2011;38(3):489-501.

2. Kronenberg F. Menopausal hot flashes: a review of physiology and biosociocultural perspective on methods of assessment. J Nutr. 2010;140(7):1380S-5S.

3. Shepherd JA, Shiozawa A, Schild AL, et. al. Retrospective text and qualitative analyses of patient experience and management of vasomotor symptoms due to menopause: voices from the PatientsLikeMe community. Menopause. 2024;31(9):789-795.

4. US Food and Drug Administration. Estrogen and estrogen/progestin drug products to treat vasomotor symptoms and vulvar and vaginal atrophy. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/estrogen-and-estrogenprogestin-drug-products-treat-vasomotor-symptoms-and-vulvar-and-vaginal-atrophy. Accessed October 23, 2025.

5. Seibel M, Seibel S, Pinkerton JV. Working Through Menopause: The impact on women, businesses, and the bottom line. HealthRock Publishing, 2022.