Hot Flash Medications for People With Breast Cancer

Sometimes exercise, changes to diet, and other strategies to ease hot flashes simply don’t work. There are non-hormonal medicines that can provide some relief.

The most effective way to ease hot flashes is to use HRT (hormone replacement therapy), which always contains estrogen and may contain other hormones. But using HRT that travels through the bloodstream and reaches your whole body (called systemic HRT), carries risks, especially if you have a history of or are at high risk for developing breast cancer. If using HRT isn’t right for you, other medicines can treat hot flashes.

Elinzanetant

In October 2025, the Food and Drug Administration approved the non-hormonal medicine elinzanetant (brand name: Lynkuet) for the treatment of hot flashes. The typical dosage is two 60-mg capsules, taken at night.

Elinzanetant reduces hot flashes by blocking molecules in the nervous system called neurokinins. When estrogen levels drop, neurokinins tell the cells in your brain’s temperature control center to work overtime. This can cause hot flashes and night sweats (hot flashes that happen while you’re sleeping). Elinzanetant is the first non-hormonal medicine that has been shown to reduce hot flashes in people with a history of breast cancer.

Veozah 

In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Veozah (chemical name: fezolinetant), a new drug for the treatment of hot flashes. It’s taken as a daily pill. 

Veozah works similarly to elinzanetant. Research found that women taking Veozah had less frequent and less severe hot flashes and night sweats — and reported better sleep — than women taking a placebo.

Veozah FDA warning

In 2024, the FDA issued a statement that Veozah could cause rare but serious liver injury and a boxed warning to the medicine’s label.

You should stop taking Veozah immediately and contact your doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms of liver problems, including nausea, vomiting, jaundice, pale feces, dark urine, new fatigue, or pain in the upper right abdomen.

If you’re considering taking Veozah, your doctor will now first give you a blood test to assess your liver function before prescribing you the medicine. These tests will be repeated monthly for the first three months you’re taking Veozah, and then again at six and nine months of treatment.

Antidepressants

A low dose of an antidepressant medicine may lessen the frequency and severity of hot flashes by adjusting epinephrine and serotonin levels, chemicals in the brain that transmit hot flash signals. Clinical trials have shown that antidepressants can lead to a 50% to 60% reduction in hot flashes. Examples include:

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  Effexor XR (chemical name: venlafaxine HCI)

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  Lexapro (chemical name: escitalopram)

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  Paxil and Brisdelle (chemical name: paroxetine)

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  Prozac (chemical name: fluoxetine)

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  Celexa (chemical name: citalopram)

If you’re taking tamoxifen, you shouldn’t take Paxil, Brisdelle, or Prozac, because these medicines can interfere with the body’s ability to convert tamoxifen into its active form and prevent you from getting the full benefit of the medicine.

Blood pressure-lowering medications

Blood pressure medicines may lower the frequency and severity of hot flashes by changing how blood vessels respond to the brain’s command to give off heat quickly. These medicines must be adjusted carefully by your doctor, so they’re not often used just to control hot flashes. But if you have high blood pressure that requires medicine, controlling hot flashes can be an added benefit. Examples include:

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  Catapres-TTS (chemical name: clonidine)

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  Aldomet (chemical name: methyldopa)

Anti-seizure medications

Neurontin (chemical name: gabapentin), known best as a medicine that controls seizures and eases nerve pain, is sometimes used to treat hot flashes. Research has found that people taking Neurontin can have a 50% to 60% reduction in hot flashes after the first four weeks. Neurontin can make you sleepy, so it’s recommended for hot flashes that happen at night.

Overactive bladder medicines

Oxybutynin is commonly used to treat overactive bladder and is sometimes used for hot flashes. Research suggests that oxybutynin can reduce hot flashes by about 70%. Side effects of oxybutynin can include dry mouth, urine retention, and constipation.  Long-term use of oxybutynin seems to be linked with cognitive issues, so it’s usually recommended for younger people.

You may have heard of dietary supplements that may help ease hot flashes, including plant estrogens such as soy, black cohosh, ginseng, dong quai, and vitamin E. Before taking any over-the-counter product or supplement that claims to help ease hot flashes, it’s important to talk with your doctor first. Some of these supplements can have serious side effects, like liver damage, and can also interact with certain medicines.

Learn more about natural remedies for hot flashes.