Biglia, N., Sgandurra, P., Peano, E., Marenco, D., Moggio, G., Bounous, V., … Sismondi, P. (2009). Non-hormonal treatment of hot flushes in breast cancer survivors: Gabapentin vs. vitamin E. Climacteric, 12, 310–318.

• Assess efficacy and tolerability of gabapentin 900 mg/day compared to vitamin E for the control of vasomotor symptoms.
• Secondary objective to evaluate effect of the treatments on quality of sleep and other aspects of quality of life (QOL).

Patients were randomized to gabapentin 900 mg/day or vitamin E 800 IU/day for 12 weeks.

The study population included 115 adult postmenopausal women with history of breast cancer experiencing eight or more hot flushes per day. Sixty women completed the study. 

• Median age: 50 years
• Inclusion: Previous breast cancer surgically treated one year prior; no evidence of systemic disease; eight or more hot flushes per day; postmenopausal status; adjuvant tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors or gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs allowed if started at least two months prior.
• Exclusion: Use of any antidepressant treatment, progestagens, or other medication to treat hot flashes within three months; concomitant chemotherapy; uncontrolled hypertension; impaired renal or hepatic function or diabetes.

Oncology Department University of Turin, Italy

Non–placebo-controlled, non-blinded trial

• Hot flush diary completed daily
• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
• Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) 
• SF-36 Health Survey

Hot flush frequency and score decreased by 57.05% and 66.87%, respectively (p < 0.05) in the gabapentin group. Hot flush frequency and score were reduced by 10.02% and 7.28% respectively (p > 0.05) in the vitamin E group. Gabapentin improved the quality of sleep (PSQI score reduction: 21.33%, p < 0.05).

• Small sample size
• High dropout rate