Researchers are investigating other remedies, including low doses of antidepressants and gabapentin, an anticonvulsant used to treat epilepsy, says JoAnn V. Pinkerton, M.D., medical director of the Midlife Health Center, professor of obstetrics and gynecology and vice chair of academic affairs at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.

Even in low doses, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants reduce hot flashes by about 50%; with gabapentin, there's a 70% decrease, Dr. Nelson says.

For a non-drug approach, natural methods − meditation, yoga, hypnosis, acupuncture and paced breathing − also help, Dr. Pinkerton says.

So does the herb black cohosh and soy products, according to Mary Jane Minkin, M.D.^[1], professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine and author of A Woman's Guide to Menopause and Perimenopause^[2] (Yale University Press).

For black cohosh, she recommends Remifemin. The standardized extract of the herb has been shown to work better than a placebo and other similiar supplements in European and American studies.

Vitamin E also works, but it cuts down on hot flashes by only one a day, according to a Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation study.

Dietary changes also can combat hot flashes, including avoiding caffeine and alcohol, says Isaac Schiff, M.D., chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

But steer clear of magnet therapy, reflexology, homeopathy and the herbs dong quai, ginseng, licorice and red clover, Dr. Pinkerton adds. Studies show that they don't relieve hot flashes any more than a placebo does.