Everything You Need to Know About Veozah for Hot Flashes
speciality medications
Hot flashes and night sweats can completely take over your life.
They interrupt sleep. They disrupt work. They can leave you feeling like you’ve lost control of your own body.
For decades, the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms (VMS) of menopause – like hot flashes and night sweats – was hormone therapy. But many people either cannot take estrogen (for medical reasons) or simply don’t want to.
That’s where Veozah (fezolinetant) comes in.
Approved in 2023, Veozah is the first non-hormonal medication specifically designed to treat moderate to severe hot flashes at their source.
It works on a newly discovered brain pathway involved in temperature regulation, giving people a hormone-free option that’s both effective and innovative.
But, since it’s a relatively new menopause treatment, not much is known about it, which can make it feel like a nerve-wracking option for people investing in their health.
Here, we’ll answer the most common questions people search for online about Veozah, including how Veozah works, whether Veozah is an antidepressant, and more!
What Is Veozah Used For?
Veozah is used to treat moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms of menopause, like night sweats and hot flashes.
These menopause symptoms start happening because, during menopause, a person’s brain becomes more sensitive to even small changes in body temperature.
(And during menopause, it can feel like small and big body temperature shifts happen a lot!)
There are a handful of treatment options that people have turned to in order to make the menopausal transition a little more comfortable.
Veozah, as one of those options, is a good idea for people who:
- Prefer non-hormonal treatment options
- Cannot take estrogen due to cancer, clotting disorders, or other medical conditions
- Haven’t found relief through lifestyle changes or supplements, or
- … Just want a treatment that targets the mechanism behind hot flashes, not only the symptoms themselves.
If that sounds like what you’re looking for, you may be in the right place.
That said, Veozah is not a miracle treatment or a cure-all.
It does not, for example, treat vaginal dryness, mood symptoms, or bone loss. It is specifically targeted for vasomotor symptoms.
How Does Veozah Work? (Veozah Mechanism of Action)
If you’ve Googled “how does Veozah work,” that’s a good start. Let’s get you the clear, easy-to-understand information you deserve.
Veozah is something called a “neurokinin-3 (NK3) receptor antagonist.”
To simplify what that means (and what a neurokinin-3 receptor antagonist does), here’s a plain-English process.
- Menopause lowers a person’s estrogen levels and does so kind of quickly.
- That drop causes a small group of neurons in the hypothalamus, a group called KNDy neurons, to become more active than usual.
- One of the KNDy neuron group’s jobs is to help you regulate your body temperature.
- When the KNDy group becomes overactive, the result is often sudden heat surges, flushing, and sweating.
Here’s how Veozah fits in:
Veozah helps calm down the KNDy neuron group.
The result of a calmer neuron group, in this case, can mean “restored normal temperatures.”
How Long Does It Take for Veozah to Work?
Many people do begin noticing improvements in their temperature sensitivity within one week of starting Veozah.
Full results of the medication tend to appear within four weeks to three months after starting the medication.
This may seem like a long time (and we don’t want to invalidate that; it is, especially if you’re dealing with intense night sweats!), but it is significantly faster than many supplements or off-label medications traditionally used for hot flashes.
There are a few factors that may make your personal response time to Veozah a bit longer or shorter.
These factors include your:
- Age and stage of menopause
- Severity of symptoms
- Liver health (important for Veozah metabolism)
- Consistency with daily dosing
In order for Veozah to work as quickly and efficiently as it can for your unique biochemistry, it’s important to take the medication every day, around the same time.
If you miss doses, you run the risk of causing your symptoms to creep back.
How Long Does Veozah Stay in Your System?
Fezolinetant, the main active ingredient in Veozah, has an average half-life of about 9 hours. (“Half-life” is a biochemical term referring to the length of time it takes for a substance to degrade.)
This means the medication leaves your system relatively quickly once you stop taking it.
How soon is “quickly”?
Veozah should clear your body within:
- 24–48 hours for mild users
- 2–3 days for complete elimination
This fast clearance is one reason Veozah withdrawal symptoms, if they occur, tend to be mild and short-lived.
Hot flashes may gradually return if menopause symptoms are still active, but there is no true pharmacological “withdrawal.”
When Is the Best Time to Take Veozah?
Veozah can be taken in either the morning or the evening.
The only constraint is this: Consistency is critical.
Most people choose the morning because:
- It’s easier to remember
- It aligns with daily routines
- It may reduce daytime hot flashes more predictably
However, some prefer taking it at night if they experience more night sweats than daytime flashes.
When you’re taking your Veozah, it may help to keep a couple of best practices in mind, including:
- Take Veozah with a full glass of water
- Avoid grapefruit or grapefruit juice
- Do not double up if you miss a dose
- Keep dosing time regular for best results!
If you need help determining your best possible personal Veozah routine, your provider may suggest morning vs evening, depending on your personal symptoms.
Is Veozah an Antidepressant?
No, Veozah is not an antidepressant.
Although the name may remind some people of SSRIs or SNRIs used for menopause symptoms, Veozah is a different type of medication entirely.
Antidepressants like paroxetine, venlafaxine, or escitalopram are sometimes prescribed off-label to help with hot flashes, it’s true.
And, for a lot of people, that strategy might work – especially if you’re looking for some form of antidepressant action in addition to your need for hot flash relief.
To clarify:
- Antidepressants modify serotonin or norepinephrine.
- Veozah targets neurokinin receptors (NK3) associated with temperature control.
If you’re only looking for something whose first indication is hot flash relief and you don’t want a hormonal treatment or antidepressant treatment, Veozah may be more what you’re looking for.
Veozah Side Effects: What to Expect
All medications have potential side effects.
One of Veozah’s biggest advantages is that – since it’s not a form of hormonal treatment! – it avoids many of the hormone-related risks associated with estrogen therapy.
Still, that doesn’t mean that taking Veozah will result in zero symptoms or side effects.
They should be brief and mild, but they could still happen.
Here’s a brief list of potential Veozah side effects to keep an eye out for:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Abdominal discomfort
- Diarrhea
As your body gets used to your new treatment regimen over those first 2-4 weeks, these symptoms may begin, crest, and fade away.
If they do not, don’t soldier on or accept the pain and inconvenience. Ask your doctor if you need to consider any alteration in your treatment plan, and your team can move forward from there.
In addition to these more common, mild side effects, you may want to keep an eye on the following rare but serious potential concerns:
- Liver enzyme elevations (the primary safety concern)
- Worsening sleep issues
- Mood changes
- Hot flash “rebound” if you stop the medication suddenly
To help you see early on if any of these more serious side effects could be an issue, your clinician will typically order baseline liver function tests before starting Veozah and repeat them at 3, 6, and 9 months to ensure the medication is being metabolized safely.
Even if you feel like there are no issues and your body and Veozah are getting along nicely, it’s important to complete these routine health checks.
Having this data will only make you feel more confident and comfortable with your treatment plans!
Veozah Contraindications and Who Should Avoid It
While Veozah is safe for the majority of people, since it does rely heavily on liver metabolism, there are certain groups of people who may have to either avoid the medication entirely or use it with extreme caution.
Your doctor will, of course, help you determine if you’re in one of those groups. That said, it’s good to be aware, yourself.
Do not take Veozah if you:
- Have cirrhosis or significant liver disease
- Have severe kidney impairment
- Take medications that strongly affect CYP1A2, the enzyme that breaks down Veozah (e.g., ciprofloxacin, fluvoxamine)
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
Use with caution, and only under medical supervision, if you:
- Have a history of liver problems
- Take multiple medications that may stress the liver
- Experience new or unexplained fatigue, nausea, or jaundice while on Veozah
Always tell your doctor about every prescription, supplement, or herbal remedy you take.
Even common agents like turmeric, black cohosh, or CBD may interact with liver enzymes.
How Much Does Veozah Cost?
Since Veozah is a newer, more unique medication, you’d be right to wonder if Veozah comes with a higher price tag.
You wouldn’t be wrong. Brand-name Veozah can cost around $650.00 for a one-month supply of the medication. That, clearly, will add up, fast.
Fortunately, you don’t need to settle for medication costs that will break the bank.
Here, through NorthWestPharmacy.com, you can buy brand Veozah for about $270.00 for the same 30-day supply, or savings of up to 58%.
The Best Alternatives if Veozah Isn’t Right for You
If Veozah isn’t quite as effective as you’d like it to be or if the side effects it causes you aren’t ones you want to deal with, you do have options to consider.
Other hormone-free treatment alternatives can include:
- Antidepressants – e.g., SSRIs/SNRIs. As noted above, medications like paroxetine, venlafaxine can be taken off-label to assist with some of your menopause symptoms.
- Gabapentin, an anti-seizure med, or
- Clonidine, a hypertension med
Treatment options that are hormonal may include:
- Estrogen therapy (ET)
- Estrogen-progestin therapy (EPT), for those with a uterus
Non-prescription support options can also help if symptoms are mild:
- Lifestyle cooling strategies
- Weight management
- Avoiding alcohol, spicy food, and hot beverages
- Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and hot flash perception
Looking for Ways to Access Veozah Affordably?
Veozah is new. New often means expensive.
Many women find that insurance coverage varies widely depending on the plan.
As we’ve noted, buying your medication through an international or online Canadian drugs website can help you save (big) when compared to your corner brick-and-mortar option.
There are a few good reasons why this is the case. For example, international online pharmacies may be able to access lower prices themselves for medications.
Then, since many of these types of businesses have reduced overhead, they’re able to pass on the savings of their lower operating costs and the lower-cost drugs to you (the patient and consumer!).
As long as you pick a safe online pharmacy, this can be an incredibly valid option.
To make sure you’re selecting a pharmacy you can trust, make sure that when you’re perusing their website, you don’t see suspiciously oversized claims or any other pharmacy-related red flags (like the offer to sell you prescription drugs without a prescription).
A quick way, besides performing an all-important gut check on a website, to determine whether the pharmacy you’re considering working with is actually a good option, is to see if it’s on CIPA’s list of safe pharmacies. CIPA, or the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, has unflinchingly high standards for safe pharmacies. If the pharmacy you’re looking at is on CIPA’s list, you should be good to go.
NorthWestPharmacy.com is Here to Help You Conquer Hot Flashes
Whether you’re switching from a menopause hormone therapy to something more targeted or you’re looking for a first-time treatment option, Veozah can be a great option to consider. Talk to your healthcare team to see whether it’s a good fit for you, personally!
When you’re ready to look for a reliable, convenient, and affordable place to buy your medication, know that NorthWestPharmacy.com is here to assist.
If you have any questions about your medication, feel free to reach out to our on-staff pharmacists, or if you would like to know more about our ordering process, our responsive customer service team would be pleased to support. All of us here look forward to supporting you and your healthcare journey!
