Placenta Injection For Menopause Hot Flashes

The experience of your face suddenly flushing even in the winter cold, of sweat breaking out down your back and then cooling off. It is the story many women going through menopause bring up first in the clinic. The treatment you may have heard of for this kind of facial flushing and sweating is the placenta injection. Today I will lay out, without exaggeration, whether this injection, called by names like JBP Plamon, Laennec, and Melsmon, really helps with menopause, what it is approved for, and how strong the evidence is.

The placenta injection is a medicine made from human placenta as its raw material. In Korean traditional medicine, human placenta is called jahageo (紫河車), and the placenta injections on the market are made into injectables by extracting or hydrolyzing certain components from the placenta of a healthy mother. Looking at the ingredient labeling, it is broadly divided into two branches. One is jahageo hydrolysate, the other is jahageo extract, and even though the names are similar, the uses recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety differ from each other.

The placenta itself is the organ that connects the mother and the fetus while the fetus grows. It delivers nutrients and oxygen, passes some of the mother's antibodies to take part in immunity, and secretes various hormones needed to maintain pregnancy. Because of these physiological roles, it is easy to develop the expectation, "Since it comes from the placenta, surely it must be good for regeneration or recovery." However, the function of the raw material and the clinical effect of the refined injectable must be viewed separately. This is because what the raw material was does not in itself guarantee a treatment effect.

The first thing to address when talking about the placenta injection is the scope of approval. Based on the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approval items, the recognized uses of the two components are as follows.

In other words, what is approved for improvement of menopausal symptoms is the jahageo extract preparation, and what is approved for improvement of liver function is the jahageo hydrolysate preparation. Because they are commonly lumped together under the single word "placenta injection," the two indications are often mixed in the guidance given. In the clinic, many people come in after hearing explanations along the lines of "it's good for fatigue, for skin, and for immunity," but items like fatigue improvement, immune strengthening, and suppression of skin aging are not included in the MFDS-approved indications.

From here on, I think it is right to speak honestly. It is true that the placenta injection is a medicine that has received MFDS approval, but the clinical evidence supporting its effect and safety is still hard to regard as sufficient.

In evaluating human placenta preparations including the placenta injection, the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency concluded that more comparative evaluation research is needed to determine whether they are more effective and safer than other standard treatments, for the approved indications of improving menopausal disorder symptoms and improving liver function in chronic liver disease. It also assessed that for uses beyond the scope of approval, such as fatigue improvement or immune function, the evidence that they are effective and safe is insufficient.

In summary, it is as follows.

• There is approval for menopausal symptoms, but the evidence for superiority and safety compared with standard treatment is limited.
• Fatigue, immunity, skin aging, and the like are not approved indications and the evidence is even weaker.
• Therefore, the honest position is to view the placenta injection not as a "definite menopause solution" but as an option that can be considered supplementarily after consulting a doctor.

This kind of information is not meant to disparage the treatment, but to align expectations with reality. If you are struggling with menopausal symptoms, I recommend calmly checking through a consultation which treatment suits you.

The standard regimen based on MFDS approval items is a subcutaneous injection of 1 ampoule (2ml) three times a week for 2 weeks, 6 times in total. This follows the clinical trial method submitted by the pharmaceutical company at the time of approval, and the actual administration is adjusted by the doctor according to the individual's condition.

There are clear points of caution as well.

• Because it contains amino acid components, reactions such as nausea may rarely appear.
• Allergic reactions may be reported, so any past history of drug allergy must be told in advance.
• Suitability differs depending on underlying conditions, medications being taken, and pregnancy or breastfeeding status.

Rather than starting any nutritional component just because "it's good for the body," it is desirable to decide after looking together at your schedule, underlying conditions, and overall health status and consulting your attending physician. You should always keep in mind that there can be individual differences.

So then, what is the most evidence-based way to manage menopausal facial flushing and sweating, that is, vasomotor symptoms? The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) presents systemic hormone therapy as the most effective treatment for moderate or greater vasomotor symptoms. The basic principle is to use estrogen alone or in combination with progestin at the lowest dose for as long as the symptoms require.

There are also non-hormonal options for cases where hormone therapy is difficult. Some antidepressant classes (SSRIs, SNRIs), gabapentin, clonidine, and the like are reported to be effective at relieving symptoms, and recently non-hormonal new drugs are also being introduced. For lifestyle management, methods such as dressing in layers to regulate body temperature, lowering the room temperature, and using cool drinks may help.

It is important that the placenta injection is not a drug that replaces this kind of standard treatment. If menopausal symptoms are shaking your daily life, the order is to first be evaluated for whether menopausal hormone therapy is suitable for you. When hormone therapy is needed is covered in more detail in this question.

Even within the same menopause, the type and intensity of symptoms, underlying conditions, and whether hormone therapy is possible differ from person to person. So treatment must start not from "what is trendy" but from "what does my body's condition require." In my clinical experience, those with severe facial flushing, those whose sleep has also fallen apart, and those worried about bone density each have different priorities.

It helps to organize it in the following order.

• First priority: based on symptoms and medical history, evaluate suitability for hormone therapy.
• Second priority: if hormone therapy is difficult, review non-hormonal medication and lifestyle management.
• Third priority: if you want an option like the placenta injection as a supplement to the above treatment, decide together with a doctor after fully understanding the scope of approval and the level of evidence.

If flushing and sweating recur, it is good to first have the facial flushing and sweating symptoms accurately evaluated, and if you are pondering the timing of starting, I recommend reading together when it is good to start menopausal hormone therapy.

The placenta injection is a medicine derived from human placenta that has received MFDS approval. However, you should honestly know that what is approved with the menopausal indication is the jahageo extract preparation, and that the evidence for its effect and safety is still limited. The central management methods for menopausal symptoms are evaluation-based hormone therapy and verified non-hormonal therapies, and the placenta injection is an option that can be considered supplementarily after consultation rather than replacing these. If you are uncomfortable with symptoms, accurate evaluation comes before vague expectation. Start a menopausal symptom consultation.

Written by: Lee Dong-hee Director · OB-GYN specialist · View doctor profile

First published December 25, 2023 · Last reviewed May 30, 2026

References: National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency evaluation of human placenta preparations (2015), Ministry of Food and Drug Safety drug approval information, ACOG recommendations on management of menopausal symptoms

This article is intended to provide general health information and does not replace individual diagnosis or treatment. If you have symptoms, please consult through a medical visit.