MENOPAUSAL-LIKE HOT FLASHES REPORTED IN WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE

Objective: To report the occurrence of menopausal-like hot flashes in women of reproductive age (18-45 years). Design: Observational, prospe ctive cohort study with a retrospective survey component. Setting: Ter tiary care premenstrual syndrome (PMS) clinic and university campus. P atient(s): Patients with confirmed PMS (n = 157) were compared with th ose with chronic menstrual cycle-related symptoms (n = 27). Women with out menstrual cycle-related symptoms were solicited as controls (n = 5 8). Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): The frequency of e pisodes of chills and sweats and the magnitude of menstrual cycle-rela ted symptoms were recorded over one cycle using the Prospective Record of the Impact and Severity of Menstrual Symptomatology (PRISM) Calend ar. Characteristics of the episodes of chills and sweats were ascertai ned by a retrospective questionnaire. Result(s): In each group, the fr equency of episodes of chills and sweats closely patterned the mean da ily PRISM Calendar scores. At least one episode of chills and sweats w as reported by 83.4% of the PMS group and 81.5% of the chronic group c ompared with 43.1% of the control group. The mean (+/-SD) number of ep isodes per cycle was 5.6 +/- 4.9 for the PMS group and 9.5 +/- 9.1 for the chronic group compared with 1.2 +/- 2.0 for the control group (th e difference between ail means was statistically significant). Conclus ion(s): Episodes of chills and sweats similar to menopausal hot flashe s were commonly reported by women with cyclic and chronic menstrual cy cle-related symptoms. (Fertil Steril(R) 1998;70:913-8. (C) 1998 by Ame rican Society for Reproductive Medicine.).