- Home
- Medical news & Guidelines
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology and CTVS
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Obstretics-Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics-Neonatology
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Urology
- Laboratory Medicine
- Diet
- Nursing
- Paramedical
- Physiotherapy
- Health news
- AYUSH
- State News
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttrakhand
- West Bengal
- Medical Education
- Industry
Antidepressants may improve sleep disturbances in women around menopause: Study

Researchers have recently found out that the efficacy of serotonergic antidepressants remained significant for women in perimenopausal and postmenopausal phase without a major depressive disorder.The study is published in The Menopause.Serotonergic antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin–noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs),...
Researchers have recently found out that the efficacy of serotonergic antidepressants remained significant for women in perimenopausal and postmenopausal phase without a major depressive disorder.
The study is published in The Menopause.
Serotonergic antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin–noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), are recommended as first-line pharmacotherapy for major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Depression and anxiety could heighten the perception of respiratory symptoms (such as dyspnoea) in COPD, and by better controlling altered mood, SSRI and SNRI drugs might theoretically indirectly improve respiratory health outcomes in COPD.
According to previous literature, the effects of hormonal treatment against menopausal sleep disturbances, the therapeutic role of antidepressants has not been systematically addressed. Hence, Cheng, Yu-Shian and colleagues from the Department of Psychiatry, Tsyr-Huey Mental Hospital, Kaohsiung Jen-Ai's Home, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan conducted this present study to evaluate the therapeutic benefit and safety of antidepressants in menopausal sleep disturbances.
The authors identified randomized controlled trials assessing the therapeutic effects of antidepressants against menopausal sleep problems. Studies that were clinical trials with placebo controls were included. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to a random-effects model. Analysis of seven eligible randomized controlled trials including a total of 1,949 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women showed the effectiveness of serotonergic antidepressants against sleep disturbances despite the small effect size.
The following findings were drawn-
- The efficacy remained significantly better than that of placebo for postmenopausal women (Hedge g = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.04-0.45), participants with hot flashes (Hedge g = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.02-0.34), and those without diagnosis of major depressive disorder (Hedge g = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.06-0.40).
- There was no difference in therapeutic benefit between sedating and nonsedating serotonergic antidepressants.
- Besides, the dropout rate did not differ between antidepressant and placebo groups.
Therefore, the authors concluded that "that serotonergic antidepressant were effective against sleep disturbances in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. The efficacy remained significant for women without a major depressive disorder. The dropout rates were also comparable between serotonergic antidepressants and placebo groups."
BDS, MDS( Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry)
Dr. Nandita Mohan is a practicing pediatric dentist with more than 5 years of clinical work experience. Along with this, she is equally interested in keeping herself up to date about the latest developments in the field of medicine and dentistry which is the driving force for her to be in association with Medical Dialogues. She also has her name attached with many publications; both national and international. She has pursued her BDS from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore and later went to enter her dream specialty (MDS) in the Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry from Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences. Through all the years of experience, her core interest in learning something new has never stopped. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751