Hormone Therapy and SERMs

“SERMs is “shorthand” for a class of drug called
selective oestrogen receptor modulators.
They are a versatile group of drugs that can be used to…”.1

Umbrella

What may the Hormone Therapy and SERMs Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Bazedoxifene (BZA)
  • Evista (chemical name: Raloxifene (RLX))
  • Fareston (chemical name: Toremifene)
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  • Hormone Therapy (HT)
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
  • Nolvadex
  • Oestrogen Agonist/Antagonists
  • Ospemifene
  • Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)
  • Soltamox
  • Tamoxifen (TAM) (brand name: Soltamox)

SERMs

What are SERMs?

In SERMs – Their Role In Menopause Management, content updated May 2023, the Australasian Menopause Society (AMS) explain:

“SERMs is “shorthand” for a class of drug called selective oestrogen receptor modulators”.2

In Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs): Overview – What Are Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)? the (United States) Cleveland Clinic note:

“Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) are hormone therapies that manage how estrogen works in your body. SERMs such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex®, Soltamox®) and raloxifene (Evista®) are effective treatments for some types of breast cancer and osteoporosis”.3

Different Kinds of SERMs

What are different kinds of SERMs?

In SERMs – Their Role In Menopause Management: Different Kinds of SERMs the AMS include:

  • “Tamoxifen…
  • Raloxifene…
  • Bazedoxifene…
  • Ospemifene…
  • Lasofoxifene…”.4

Treatment

What can SERMs be used to treat?

In SERMs – Their Role In Menopause Management the AMS elaborate on:

“They are a versatile group of drugs that can be used to treat/ prevent several conditions such as osteoporosis, infertility and hormone responsive cancers. Within the SERM class, different compounds have differing agonist or antagonist effects at the oestrogen receptor in different tissues, therefore they are “selective””.5

In Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs): Overview – What Are Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)? How Do SERMs Work? the Cleveland Clinic note:

“SERMs are medical multitaskers. They block estrogen from connecting with breast cancer cells, keeping the cells from multiplying. At the same time, SERMs act like estrogen, boosting estrogen levels in your bones and preventing osteoporosis”.6

Vasomotor Symptoms

How effective are SERMs for the treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms (VMS) or hot flushes and night sweats?

On page one in Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Nonhormone Treatment Options – Recommended, published 2023, the North American Menopause Society explain:

  • “Fezolinetant: a neurokinin B antagonist that works in the brain to reduce VMS and is FDA approved for VMS management”.7

What is FDA?

In the context above FDA is an abbreviation for the (United States) Food and Drug administration.

In The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Effectiveness: Non-Hormonal Options With Evidence To Support Efficacy, published online 30 October 2023, the authors elaborate on:

“Fezolinetant is a neurokinin 3B receptor antagonist that acts centrally in the brain to reduce VMS. It may improve sleep quality by reducing nocturnal VMS. Fezolinetant has been approved for the treatment of VMS at a dose of 45 mg/day in some countries.

Low-dose oxybutynin has been found to be effective for treatment of VMS either as a standard low-dose or extended-release formulation.

Other potential, but probably less effective, options include clonidine and gabapentin/pregabalin”…8.

Health Care Provider

What if I choose to use SERMs?

If you choose to use SERMs, it may be in your best interest to also choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

In Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) the (United States) Breastcancer.org note:

Hormone Therapy and SERMs“If you’re having problematic side effects from taking a SERM, tell your doctor right away. You may be able to take a different dose or try a different hormonal therapy medicine”.9

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Hormone Therapy and SERMs?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Hormone Therapy and SERMs?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. ACOG Explains: Managing Menopause Symptoms [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists]
  2. BMS TV: Bioidentical Hormones
  3. Hormone Therapy and SERMsBMS TV: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  4. BMS TV: Menopause Explained
  5. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  6. Breastcancer.org [United States]
  7. Build Better Bones.org [International Osteoporosis Foundation]
  8. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Lifestyle Modification and Prevention of Breast Cancer
  9. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
  10. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
  11. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  12. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  13. Evista
  14. Fareston
  15. HRT
  16. HRT – Types, Doses and Regimens
  17. HRT: Benefits and Risks
  18. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  19. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  20. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  21. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
  22. How Fezolinetant Changes Management of Hot Flashes [Video]
  23. How Menopause Impacts Your Health
  24. Is There Still A Role for SERMs In Menopause Management?
  25. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  26. Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  27. Menopause
  28. Menopause
  29. Menopause
  30. Menopause Management Options
  31. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
  32. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
  33. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 3. The Risks & Benefits of HRT
  34. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 4. The Different Types of HRT
  35. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
  36. Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
  37. Menopause and Natural Therapies
  38. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline Published: 12 November 2015 Last Updated: 07 November 2024]
  39. Menopause: Identification and Management: NICE Guideline [NG23] [07 November 2024]
  40. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
  41. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Know the Science: How Medications and Supplements Can Interact
  42. Natural Therapies
  43. Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
  44. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
  45. Pathtogoodbonehealth.org [Your Path To Good Bone Health, Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, United States]
    Osteoporosis
  46. Raloxifene (Oral Route)
  47. Risks and Benefits of MHT
  48. SERMs – Their Role In Menopause Management
  49. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)
  50. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)
  51. Shedding Light on the Menopause Experience and Demystifying Treatment
  52. Tamoxifen
  53. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause
  54. Updated 2024 NICE Menopause Guidance Summary
  55. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  56. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Preventing Bone Loss At Menopause
  57. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
  58. Webinars: Previous – Approach To Bone Health In the Perimenopause and Postmenopause?
  59. Webinars: Previous – Non-Hormonal Pharmacological Interventions For VMS
  60. Webinars: Previous – The Early Menopausal Patient
  61. What Is Osteoporosis and What Causes It? [+ Video: What Is Osteoporosis]
  62. What Is Osteoporosis?
  63. Hormone TherapyWorld Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women [Multiply Languages]
  64. World Menopause Day 2024: Poster for Women

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. SERMs – Their Role In Menopause Management. Content Updated May 2023. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/971-serms-their-role-in-menopause-management Accessed: 10 January 2025
  2. SERMs – Their Role In Menopause Management. Content Updated May 2023. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/971-serms-their-role-in-menopause-management Accessed: 10 January 2025
  3. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs): Overview – What Are Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)? Last Reviewed: 03 February 2023. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24732-selective-estrogen-receptor-modulators-serm Accessed: 10 January 2025
  4. SERMs – Their Role In Menopause Management: Different Kinds of SERMs. Content Updated May 2023. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/971-serms-their-role-in-menopause-management Accessed: 10 January 2025
  5. SERMs – Their Role In Menopause Management. Content Updated May 2023. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/971-serms-their-role-in-menopause-management Accessed: 10 January 2025
  6. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs): Overview – What Are Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)? How Do SERMs Work? Last Reviewed: 03 February 2023. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24732-selective-estrogen-receptor-modulators-serm Accessed: 10 January 2025
  7. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: Nonhormone Treatment Options – Recommended. 2023:1. North American Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/default-document-library/nonhormone-treatment-menonote_f5afc19f-211e-4c1f-8a04-b2d558c6fa66.pdf Accessed: 10 January 2025
  8. Davis, S. R., Taylor, S., Hemachandra, C., Magraith, K., Ebeling, P. R., Jane, F., and Islam, R. M. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Effectiveness: Non-Hormonal Options With Evidence To Support Efficacy. First Published Online: 30 October 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783 Accessed: 10 January 2025
  9. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs). Last Updated: 22 February 2023. Breastcancer.org https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal-therapy/serms Accessed: 10 January 2025
Topic Last Updated: 10 January 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 10 January 2025

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