Chronic pain is an unbearable problem for many, but some find reprieve through alternate methods. For some, these
methods include techniques, acupuncture or physical therapy, but others manage their pain through the use of
varying types of medicine. Antidepressants have been used not just for treating depression and anxiety, but they
have also been used for pain management.
When one thinks of antidepressants, they may quickly think of drugs like Prozac, but researchers have
developed lines of newer, cleaner antidepressants. These antidepressants may include Ciprolex and Cymbalta. One
could also ask their doctor about Gabapentin, which is an antiepileptic drug, for their pain management.
Antidepressants are not used for every type of pain management. Most often, they are used to treat neuropathic
pain disorders such as damage to the nerves or the peripheral nervous system. Antidepressant drugs are particularly
effective in treatment of these conditions because they act on the central nervous system, which is related to
one’s nerves.
Gabapentin is a very commonly prescribed at the pain clinic for the off-label use of pain management. In particular,
it is used to treat neuropathic pain because of its direct relationship with the central nervous system. In
particular, it helps people who live with post-operative chronic pain, nerve pain associated with a spinal cord
injury, migraine headaches and reduces pain in multiple sclerosis patients. The drug is prescribed for other uses,
such as smoking cessation, restless legs syndrome and hot flashes.
The differences between antidepressants and Gabapentin are important to distinguish. They are both prescribed
in the mental health context, but they do not cure all of the same conditions. For example, Gabapentin shows little
results for treating depression and anxiety and antidepressants have not been proven to have the wide use that
Gabapentin has. However, they do share the ability to manage pain, particularly for those who live with chronic
pain due to nerve damage.
Antidepressant medication can also be used to offer pain management for complex regional pain syndrome. This
incurable condition is one that involves severe pain, swelling and changes in the skin. CRP can be found in two
types: reflex sympathetic dystrophy and causalgia. These two type of CRP involve nerve damage, the pain from which
can be managed through antidepressants.
Anyone who plans to ask their doctor about antidepressants needs to consider the side effects and whether or
not it would be beneficial for them. One side effect that comes from antidepressants is either an increased or
reduced appetite as doctors sometimes prescribe antidepressants to treat eating disorders. Because a person feels
less depressed, their appetite may increase. Drugs such as Ciprolex can cause one’s appetite to become
significantly reduced.
Other common side effects from antidepressants include sexual dysfunction, such as impotence or anorgasmia
(the inability to achieve orgasm) in men, and vaginal dryness in women. Because these are drugs that concern the
brain, one can become dizzy or drowsy in the first few days of use. Typically, antidepressants take several weeks
of use to achieve their desired effect and should be taken at the same time daily. Gabapentin also comes with some
side effects, which also include dizziness and drowsiness, but also peripheral edema (swelling of the extremities).
Such a side effect is more likely to occur either in high doses or in the elderly.
Typically, antidepressants are not advised for patients under the age of 18. A person using antidepressants or
antiepileptic drugs for an extended period of time should not stop using them suddenly as doing so can put them at
risk of having a seizure. When ceasing the medication, one must do so gradually