Many women undergoing breast cancer treatment experience hot flashes, fatigue, night sweats and excessive sweating. This could be treated by anti-depressant drug Effexor also known as venelafaxine.
Study author Dr. Eleanor M. Walker, director of breast radiation oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit carried out acupuncture in 47 patients of breast cancer. Each woman suffered at least 14 hot flashes a week.
When the women were further diagnosed after 12 weeks of treatment, symptoms were reduced for an extra 15 weeks for women who had undergone acupuncture, compared with two weeks for those who had taken Effexor. The women given acupuncture also reported a better sense of well-being clarity of thought, sexual desire, and more energy.
While women taking Effexor also had negative side effects including nausea, dry mouth, headache, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, double vision, increased blood pressure, constipation, fatigue and anxiety, WebMD reports. Women getting acupuncture had none of these side effects.
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment that involves the placement of very slender needles into the skin along certain pressure points.
