Acupuncture treatment of hot flushes. A case series of 54 patients

摘要

Introduction: We present a case series of 54 patients suffering intolerable vasomotor symptoms treated with acupuncture. Of these, 43 patients were on anti-estrogen therapy following breast cancer surgery. Eleven were in the natural menopause. Vasomotor symptoms are such a debilitating side effect of tam-oxifen therapy that approximately 10-15% of women are unable to tolerate the drug. This non-compliance increases the risk of cancer recurrence. Acupuncture is a simple, safe and effective adjunctive treatment of hot flushes and compares favourably to many alternatives.Methods: Over a five-year period, 54 patients were referred for acupuncture to an NHS medical acupuncture clinic to control hot flushes. Acupuncture was carried out weekly for six weeks then followed up at three and six months with .further sessions. Symptom severity assessment was carried out using the MYMOP (measure yourself medical outcome profile) scoring system. This is a simple VAS that allows the patient to list and score the severity of their symptoms. Activity levels and patient wellbeing were also scored. A combination of six to eight traditional acupuncture points was chosen.Results: Thirty-nine out of 54 patients were followed up to six months. This group showed a more than 75% improvement in symptom severity. Fifteen patients were lost to six-month follow-up but at three months showed similar improvements. Acupuncture was well tolerated throughout. One patient suffered cellulitis which may have been incidental but was treated successfully with antibiotics. Wellbeing improved at three and six months also.