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Clinical Hypnosis vs Gabapentin for Hot Flashes
A side-by-side comparison of two menopause relief methods — efficacy, cost, how they work, and who shouldn't use them.
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Side-by-side comparison
- Clinical Hypnosis A therapist-guided technique using relaxation, mental imagery, and suggestion to reduce hot flash frequency and severity.
- Gabapentin for Hot Flashes An off-label gabapentin prescription that may reduce hot flashes. Pregabalin is a related gabapentinoid but is not recommended for hot flashes.
| Method | Clinical Hypnosis A therapist-guided technique using relaxation, mental imagery, and suggestion to reduce hot flash frequency and severity. | Gabapentin for Hot Flashes An off-label gabapentin prescription that may reduce hot flashes. Pregabalin is a related gabapentinoid but is not recommended for hot flashes. |
|---|---|---|
| Efficacy | Clinical Hypnosis Recommended Recommended by the Menopause Society for symptom relief. Trial average: 80% reduction in hot flash score, across the whole group (not a share of people). | Gabapentin for Hot Flashes Recommended Recommended by the Menopause Society for symptom relief. Trial average: 45% reduction in hot flash frequency, across the whole group (not a share of people). |
| Cost | Clinical Hypnosis Contact provider Insurance: Varies | Gabapentin for Hot Flashes $9+ monthly Insurance: Varies |
| Duration | Clinical Hypnosis 5 weekly sessions (about 45 minutes each) | Gabapentin for Hot Flashes Daily pill (ongoing) |
| Reversibility | Clinical Hypnosis Reversible | Gabapentin for Hot Flashes Reversible |
| STI protection | Clinical Hypnosis No | Gabapentin for Hot Flashes No |
| How it works | Clinical Hypnosis Clinical hypnosis uses a deeply relaxed state, mental imagery, and suggestion, such as imagery of coolness, to reduce hot flashes. The exact mechanism is unknown; one hypothesis is that regular practice improves parasympathetic tone, part of the autonomic nervous system. | Gabapentin for Hot Flashes Gabapentin binds to the alpha-2-delta subunit of voltage-activated calcium channels; how this reduces hot flashes is not known. Pregabalin is structurally related to gabapentin, but NAMS 2023 does not recommend it for hot flashes. |
| Prescription | Clinical Hypnosis Not required Professional Service | Gabapentin for Hot Flashes Required Telehealth Prescription |
| Side effects | Clinical Hypnosis
| Gabapentin for Hot Flashes
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| Who shouldn't use this | Clinical Hypnosis None reported | Gabapentin for Hot Flashes
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Key differences
The Menopause Society rates both recommended. How long it lasts: Clinical Hypnosis, 5 weekly sessions (about 45 minutes each); Gabapentin for Hot Flashes, daily pill (ongoing). A prescription is needed for Gabapentin for Hot Flashes, not for Clinical Hypnosis. Clinical Hypnosis: Contact provider. Gabapentin for Hot Flashes: costs $9+ monthly.