Menopausal flushing: double-blind trial of a non-hormonal medication

A multicentre, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study conducted in general practice on 100 patients has shown clonidine to have a statistically highly significant effect in controlling the number and the severity and duration of menopausal flushes. The relatively mild side effects and the absence of potentially harmful oestrogenic effects suggest that clonidine in the dose range 25 to 75 mug twice daily is a useful addition or alternative to the existing therapy for this common symptom of the menopause.