Antidepressants for pain

What is the best antidepressant for chronic pain? Why would I get an antidepressant for my Pain? How do antidepressants help with pain?

Antidepressants seem to work best for pain caused by: Arthritis. Nerve damage from diabetes ( diabetic neuropathy ).

Nerve pain from other causes ( peripheral neuropathy , spinal cord injury, stroke, radiculopathy). In addition to being a primary treatment for depression, some antidepressants are effective in the treatment of many chronic pain syndromes , such as nerve-related pain disorders (for example, pinched nerves, or sciatica , or herniated disks). Anti-seizure medications can be added to antidepressants if pain relief is incomplete. The class of drugs known as antidepressants is used primarily to treat clinical depression (also called major depression). Approximately years ago, tricyclic antidepressants ( TCAs ) began to be used to treat neuropathic pain.

Eventually, clinical trials emerged suggesting the utility of TCAs for other chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia (FM) and migraine prophylaxis. While antidepressants are primarily prescribed to elevate the mood of clinically depressed patients by affecting neurotransmitters in the brain, antidepressants may also be prescribed as a primary treatment for chronic pain , anxiety disorders , or sleep disorders.

The link between depression and pain may be both psychological and biological. Physical Pain With Depression. Major depressive disorder.

Both nortriptyline and desipramine can be initiated at a starting dose. Recent studies have found that anti-depressants improve pain symptoms regardless of the presence of absence of co-morbid major depression. Tricyclic antidepressants ( TCAs ). Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors ( SNRIs ). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ). Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors ( NDRIs ). TCAs are the most studied antidepressants for the treatment of neuropathic pain and are a mainstay in the treatment armamentarium. These antidepressants inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine at the synapse, but do so differentially according to chemical structure. Combined Reuptake Inhibitors and Receptor Blockers.

It is not clear, however, which antidepressant is more effective, what role the newer antidepressants can play in treating neuropathic pain , and what adverse effects are experienced by patients. In fact, they are so effective, that antidepressants are the mainstay for treating chronic pain. The main use for antidepressants is treating clinical depression in adults.

In most cases, adults with moderate to severe depression are given antidepressants as a first form of treatment.

Alterations in the 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HT) system have been reported in chronic pain patients. A number of medicines used to treat depression ( antidepressants ) are effective in treating pain associated with nerve damage (neuropathic pain ). At least one third of patients with neuropathic pain who took traditional antidepressants (such as amitriptyline) obtained moderate pain relief or better. One of the most effective groups of antidepressants for pain is known as the tricyclics. Apart from treating depression, antidepressants are often used as remedies for chronic pain syndromes such as nerve related pain disorders.

Pharmacists play a key role in assessing the effectiveness of antidepressants used for pain control and identifying potential risks of adverse effects and drug interactions. When a patient presents with depression and chronic pain ,. With advances in medical science, these drugs now have far fewer side effects, which means people can take them comfortably. Anti-depressant Medication Used to Treat Low Back Pain. While several classes of anti-depressants have been used successfully in the treatment of a variety of pain syndromes, the literature most strongly supports the analgesic efficacy of the tricyclics (anti-depressant drug). SSRI antidepressant side effects Some patients taking SSRIs develop insomnia, skin rashes, headaches, joint and muscle pain , stomach upset, nausea, or diarrhea.

These problems are usually temporary or mild or both. Cost and health insurance coverage. Cymbalta), a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI),.

Wellbutrin, Forfivo, and Aplenzin), an atypical antidepressant. Serzone), a serotonin antagonist and reuptake.