Abstract
Many antidepressants have analgesic effects independent of their antidepressant effects and can be effective analgesics even in patients without concurrent depression. They should be prescribed in a systematic manner and with care to avoid drug interactions.
Key Points
- Antidepressant medications have an important role in the treatment of chronic pain.
- The analgesic effects of antidepressant medications are independent of their antidepressant effect; they can therefore be prescribed for chronic pain syndromes even in the absence of comorbid depression.
- Tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors are generally the antidepressants of choice when treating patients with chronic pain.
- It is important that both prescribers and patients are clear about the indication for prescribing and the symptoms being targeted.
Picture credit: © SPL/Animated Healthcare Ltd
