Women’s Health – Hot Flashes

Protocol development in integrative medicine is not typically a simple process. Individuals require individualized care, and what works for one patient may not work for another.

To establish these protocols, we first developed a Rating Scale that could be used to discern the rigor of evidence supporting a specific nutrient’s therapeutic effect.

The following protocols were developed using only A through D-quality evidence.

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Disclaimer

The Fullscript Integrative Medical Advisory team has developed or collected these protocols from practitioners and supplier partners to help health care practitioners make decisions when building treatment plans. By adding this protocol to your Fullscript template library, you understand and accept that the recommendations in the protocol are for initial guidance and may not be appropriate for every patient.

Women’s Health – Hot Flashes

Vitamin E

400-800IU, total per day, minimum 4 weeks1,2

Severity score and frequency of hot flashes was significantly improved compared to placebo1,2

Vitamin E in the Fullscript catalog.

Isoflavones

50-120mg, total per day, minimum 12 weeks3,4

Hot flash frequency and intensity was shown to be decreased compared to placebo4,5
Supplementation for at least 48 weeks is required in order to obtain 80% of maximum effect6

Isoflavones in the Fullscript catalog.

Evening Primrose oil

1000mg, total per day, minimum 6 weeks7

Frequency and severity of hot flashes compared to placebo was significantly improved7
HFRDIS (Hot Flash Related Daily Interference Scale) was ameliorated especially regarding social activities, relations with others, and sexuality score7

Evening Primrose in the Fullscript catalog.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17664882

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9469333

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30475519

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20025635

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4389700/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4386944/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23625331

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28160855

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25581426

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26471215

Women’s Health – Ovarian Wellness

Berberine

500 mg, three times per day, minimum 3 months

Reductions in total testosterone, free androgen index, fasting glucose, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, and increases in SHBG.1
Decreases in BMI, lipid parameters and total FSH requirement, and an increase in live birth rate with fewer gastrointestinal adverse events.1
Decrease the waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and sex hormone-binding globulin.2

Berberine in the Fullscript catalog.

D-Chiro-Inositol (DCI)

1 g, twice per day, minimum 6 months

Improved the regularity of the menstrual cycle, the Acne Score, the endocrine and metabolic parameters and the insulin-resistance 3
Effective in improving ovarian function and metabolism in patients with PCOS, and reduced hyperandrogenism better 4

D-Chiro-Inositol in the Fullscript catalog.

Myo-Inositol

1 g, twice per day, minimum 6 months

Significantly decreased serum total testosterone, modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mF-G) scores and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels5
Meta-analysis demonstrates that myo-inositol improves HOMA index and increases the E2 (estradiol) level6

Myo-Inositol in the Fullscript catalog.

Chromium Picolinate

200 ug, per day, minimum 8 weeks

Demonstrated significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose, insulin levels, homeostatic model of assessment for insulin resistance, and a significant increase in quantitative insulin sensitivity check index 7
Significantly decreased serum triglycerides, VLDL and total cholesterol concentrations
Contributes to increases in plasma total antioxidant capacity and a significant reduction in malondialdehyde values 7
Overall reduction in BMI and free testosterone concentration 8

Chromium Picolinate in the Fullscript catalog.