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Table 2. Conditions That May Cause or Mimic Vasomotor
Events and That Can Be Distinguished From
Menopausal Symptoms by History, Examination,
and Investigations, as Indicated
Hormone excess
yroid hormone excess
Carcinoid syndrome (flushing without sweating )
Pheochromocytoma (hypertension, flushing, and profuse sweating )
Dietary factors
Alcohol
Spicy food
Food additives (e.g., monosodium glutamate, sulfites)
Pharmaceuticals
Chronic opioid use
Opiate withdrawal
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (may cause sweats)
Nicotinic acid (intense warmth, itching lasting ≤30 min)
Calcium channel blockers
Medications that block estrogen action or biosynthesis
Chronic infection (increased body temperature)
Other medical conditions
Postgastric surgery dumping syndrome
Mastocytosis and mast cell disorders (usually with gastrointestinal symptoms)
Some cancers: medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, pancreatic islet-cell tumors, renal
cell carcinoma, lymphoma
Anxiety disorders
