Comparison of Effects of Black Cohosh and Fluoxetine in Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms

Introduction: Hormone therapy is the standard treatment for menopause symptoms. But trials have shown serious risks even in short-term use. Recently, tendencies toward use of botanic sources have been increased to meet this goal. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of fluoxetine and black cohosh in treatment of women with postmenopausal symptoms. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 82 women with menopausal symptoms who referred to Qaem Hospital of Mashhad city, from January 2010 to February 2011. Participants were randomly divided into two groups and were treated with fluoxetine or black cohosh. After entry into the study, patients were examined at first, second and third month of treatment period. At the beginning and the end of the third month, they completed questionnaires consisting of menopausal rating scale. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software version 11.5, chi-square, Mann Whitney, t-student and paired t-test. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: A reduction in menopausal rating scale rates was seen at the end of third month in both groups compared with baseline values. But no significant difference was observed between two groups. Adverse effects were significantly lower in black cohosh group than fluoxetine group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Both black cohosh and fluoxetine improve hot flashes, night sweats and depression in menopause women. Additional clinical studies that include placebo and estrogen groups are warranted to confirm the effects of black cohosh on postmenopausal symptoms.