Comparison of Fluoxetine Versus Citalopram Therapy to Control Postmenopausal Vasomotor Syndrome

Women's reproductive life goes through a senescence process called transition to menopause, which generates an imbalance in estrogenic hormonal regulation that is more evident between the fifth and sixth decades of life. This condition allows the passage from an active reproductive stage to an inactive one, which triggers an adaptative physiological response to the reduction of estrogens. However, the progressive depletion of estrogen levels causes clinical signs and symptoms in the central nervous system, metabolism, musculoskeletal apparatus, urogenital system, and skin. These symptoms lead to disability, work absenteeism, and health costs, affecting the quality of life of women in this stage. Vasomotor symptoms are the main clinical manifestation for which women seek treatment. Vasomotor syndrome (VMS) occurs in 75 to 80% of all women. The first-line management of menopausal symptoms is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, some patients present adverse effects or contraindications for using it.

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the citalopram for treating menopausal symptoms in Mexican women with vasomotor syndrome (VMS) and urogenital syndrome.

This study was a prospective randomized clinical trial, where 91 post-menopausal participants with severe baseline scores on the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) were randomly selected and treated with citalopram (n=49) or fluoxetine (n=42). Changes from baseline MRS score at three and six months of treatment were evaluated.

Participants were randomly assigned to groups before each consult. Randomization was done using RAND and RANK functions from Excel-Word to generate unique random numbers for every participant´s ID. Fluoxetine is the Gold Standard treatment in Mexico, whereby it was used as the control medication. Loading doses of citalopram 20 mg orally or fluoxetine 20 mg orally were administrated.

Statical analysis was performed using PAST 3.0 and GraphPad Prism 8.4.3. software. Some statical parameters, such as arithmetic median (µ), standard deviation (S.D.), and Hazard ratio, were calculated using Excel-Word. Graphics were constructed with GraphPad Prism 8.4.3. Tables and Forest plots were done in Excel-Word. Odds ratio (OR), Relative Risk (RR), and chi-squared were calculated with PAST 3.0 software. The assigned α value for this study was <0.05.

Inclusion criteria

• Participants who attended the climacteric consultation for the first time, without prior treatment of menopausal symptoms, and who met postmenopausal criteria.
• Participants who met the criteria for vasomotor syndrome and score greater than 17 points in total MRS.
• Participants without psychiatric pathology (psychiatric illnesses such as major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, among others).
• Participants who agreed to participate and gave their written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Participants who had contraindications to receive serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
• Participants who were receiving prior treatment for the postmenopausal or vasomotor syndrome.
• Participants who did not agree to participate or sign the informed consent.