Effects of chicory and fumitory on hot flashes in postmenopausal women; a prospective non-randomized single arm clinical trial

Introduction: Hot flashes are the most common annoying symptom in menopause and impair the quality of life in postmenopausal women. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the effects of a product prepared from chicory and fumitory on hot flashes in postmenopausal women. Patients and Methods: This prospective non-randomized single arm clinical trial study was performed on 43 postmenopausal women with hot flashes. After recording the number and severity of hot flash episodes on a daily basis for one week, an herbal product made of chicory and fumitory was administered for four weeks (5 cc in the morning and 5 cc at night), and they completed the form designed for the daily record of hot flashes. Results: In the week before the intervention, most episodes were severe, and there was only one day without hot flashes among patients. The number and severity of hot flash episodes decreased significantly within 1 to 4 weeks after the intervention, compared to the period before the treatment. Moreover, the mean number of severe and very severe episodes decreased significantly, while the mean number of mild episodes increased during the study period. Furthermore, with the progress of the study, the number of days without hot flashes in patients increased significantly. Conclusion: Based on the results of our study, the use of chicory and fumitory was effective in the improvement of the number and severity of hot flash episodes, and the effect was observed one week after administration. Trial Registration: This trial protocol was approved by the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trial (identifier: IRCT20160722029027N13; ethical code; IR.SBMU.MSP.REC.1398.460).