Stopping Estrogen Therapy Might Trigger Hot Flashes That Weren't There in the First Place

Vasomotor symptoms and vaginal dryness recur when women stop menopausal hormone therapy (HT; JW Womens Health Feb 4 2010). In a follow-up to the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial of conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) versus placebo, investigators assessed symptom recurrence after study pill discontinuation by participants' age and baseline status. All participants had undergone hysterectomies about 20 years before enrollment; 1717 women who received CEE and 1779 who received placebo completed symptom questionnaires at baseline, 1 year after enrollment, shortly before the trial ended, and 7 months after the trial ended.

At baseline, >20% of women aged 50 to 59 reported moderate-to-severe hot flashes and night sweats, and >12% reported basel…