Study of the Effectiveness of Clinical Hypnosis and Self-hypnosis in Relieving Hot Flashes in Menopausal Women

Study of the Effectiveness of Clinical Hypnosis and Self-hypnosis in Relieving Hot Flashes in Menopausal Women With no Indication for Menopausal Hormone Therapy

The onset of menopause is accompanied by a significant drop in blood estradiol levels, the main symptom of which is hot flashes. These are present in 80% of menopausal women and are debilitating in 25% of cases.

Although estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment for managing menopausal symptoms, numerous non-hormonal alternatives, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, have been evaluated for managing menopausal symptoms. Among these, hypnosis has shown promise in several studies.

However, to our knowledge, there are no studies that evaluate the longer-term effectiveness of hypnotherapy on menopausal symptoms (beyond 3 months after the start of treatment). Furthermore, there is very little data on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy on the overall quality of life of these women, independent of hot flashes, nor on other symptoms related to menopause. A first pilot study, neither randomized nor controlled, is currently underway, and we hope to continue the project with a robust controlled study.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patient
• Patient with amenorrhea for at least 12 months or with a history of bilateral oophorectomy.
• Patient with debilitating symptoms related to menopause, who consulted a physician at the Menopause and Osteoporosis Prevention Center at Paule de Viguier Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital, and was referred for hypnosis consultation by that physician.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient under 18
• Patient undergoing menopausal hormone therapy
• Patient using another therapeutic alternative for hot flashes validated against placebo in the literature at the time of inclusion: neurokinin 3 receptor antagonists, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, clonidine, gabapentin, acupuncture
• Patient who had a hypnosis session within the last 6 months