[ad_1]
Some of the most effective and most commonly used medications for chronic pain are drugs developed to treat other conditions. Although they are not specifically intended for the treatment of chronic pain, antidepressants play a vital role in the treatment of many chronic pain conditions, even when depression is not recognized as a factor.
Types of pain relieved
Antidepressants seem to work better against the pain caused by:
-
Arthritis
-
Nerve damage due to diabetes (diabetic neuropathy)
-
Nerve lesion of shingles (post-herpetic neuralgia)
-
Nerve pain from other causes (peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord injury, cerebrovascular accident, radiculopathy)
-
Headache of tension
-
Migraine
-
Facial pain
-
fibromyalgia
-
Lower back pain
-
Pelvic pain
The pain mechanism of these drugs is still not completely understood. Antidepressants can increase neurotransmitters in the spinal cord that reduce pain signals. But they do not work immediately.
An antidepressant may help you after about a week, but maximum relief may take several weeks. Antidepressants are usually relieved by pain.
Drugs belonging to other clbades of drugs with distinct mechanisms of pain relief (such as anticonvulsants) may be used in combination with antidepressants if pain relief by antidepressants is incomplete.
Antidepressants are clbadified according to their chemical structure and function. Tricyclics are one of the most effective antidepressants for pain.
Tricyclic antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants are the most common type of antidepressant used against pain. They understand:
-
amitriptyline
-
Imipramine (Tofranil)
-
Clomipramine (Anafranil)
-
doxepin
-
Nortriptyline (Pamelor)
-
Despramine (Norpramin)
Side effects of tricyclic antidepressants
Side effects of tricyclic antidepressants may include:
To reduce or prevent side effects, your doctor will probably give you a low dose and slowly increase the amount. Most people can take tricyclic antidepressants, especially at low doses, with only mild side effects. Effective pain doses are generally lower than those used for depression.
Other antidepressants that can help
Other clbades of antidepressants have become more popular because they have fewer side effects. These medications can also be used to help relieve chronic pain:
-
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). Some SNRIs, such as venlafaxine (Effexor XR), duloxetine (Cymbalta) and milnacipran (Savella), may help relieve chronic pain. People with chronic pain often develop depression and chronic pain. Venlafaxine and duloxetine have the advantage of being effective against depression and anxiety at the same doses as for the treatment of pain.
Venlafaxine may cause drowsiness, insomnia or elevated blood pressure and may make heart problems worse. Duloxetine may cause side effects such as drowsiness, insomnia, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, constipation, or excessive sweating.
Milnacipran is used to relieve pain badociated with fibromyalgia and can cause side effects such as nausea and drowsiness. However, it has shown only limited effectiveness in relieving other types of pain.
-
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs, which include medications such as paroxetine (Paxil) and fluoxetine (Sarafem, Prozac), may help relieve some types of pain, but there is no evidence that they help relieve nerve pain. However, fluoxetine may increase the anti-pain effects of some tricyclic antidepressants.
SSRIs do not generally work as well as tricyclic antidepressants for pain, but they often produce fewer side effects. Fluoxetine may cause some side effects, such as insomnia and vertigo.
It is important to note that antidepressants are badociated with a slightly increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. Talk to a doctor or counselor promptly if you feel depressed or suicidal.
Updated: 2016-09-13
Publication date: 2001-12-19
Originally appeared on oneself
Source link
