Acupuncture is equally effective and long-lasting when compared to a conventional drug therapy for efficiently managing the common debilitating side effects of hot flashes, excessive sweating, and night sweats that are associated with breast cancer treatment, according to a study. It was also noted by the study that there are no treatment side effects with acupuncture.

These findings were part of a first-of-its-kind study presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s 50th Annual Meeting in Boston.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Eighty percent of women treated for breast cancer suffer from hot flashes after being treated with chemotherapy and/or anti-estrogen hormones, such as Tamoxifen and Arimidex. Although hormone replacement therapy is typically used to relieve these symptoms, breast cancer patients cannot use this therapy because it may increase the risk of the cancer coming back.

As a treatment alternative, patients are generally treated with steroids and/or antidepressant drugs. These drugs, however, have additional side effects, such as weight gain, nausea, constipation and fatigue. The antidepressant, venlafaxine (Effexor), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is one of the most common drugs used to treat these hot flashes. However, many women decide against this treatment choice because of potential side effects, including decreased libido, insomnia, dizziness and nausea, or because they simply do not want to take any more medications.

Eleanor Walker, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation oncologist at the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology in Detroit, remarked that acupuncture is more durable than a drug that is currently used to treat the vasomotor symptoms.