ANTI-DEPRESSANTS USED AS PAIN KILLERS

Antidepressants

Low dose antidepressants can be prescribed to treat long term, persistent pain.

These drugs were originally developed to treat anxiety and depression. However, when taken at a lower dose they have been found to effectively treat pain. Doctors are now being encouraged to prescribe low dose antidepressants before other pain relief treatments.

If you are prescribed antidepressants, they can improve the way your body responds to pain, your mood, emotional state, and sleep quality.

Antidepressants commonly recommended for pain include:

• amitriptyline
• citalopram
• duloxetine
• fluoxetine
• paroxetine
• sertraline.

These drugs may not be suitable for everyone. Because they weren’t originally designed to treat pain, your doctor may first want to discuss the benefits and risks of prescribing them, before deciding whether an antidepressant would help your condition.

Antidepressants can affect other conditions, including:

• diabetes
• epilepsy
• heart problems
• glaucoma
• overactive thyroid gland
• severe liver disease.

Risks and side effects

Many people take antidepressants without experiencing any problems, but they can cause some side effects. Many of the more common ones go once your body gets used to them.

Side effects include:

• constipation
• dizziness
• dry mouth
• feeling sleepy
• blurred eyesight
• difficulty peeing
• headache.

If these side effects don’t improve speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

Occasionally people can experience weakness down one side of their body, or trouble speaking, thinking, or balancing. If you experience these side effects seek urgent medical advice.

Some people also experience changes in their appetite and weight when they start taking antidepressants, if this concerns you speak to your doctor.

Some antidepressants can make you drowsy. You’re advised to avoid cycling, driving, or using machinery for the first few days of taking them, until you know how they affect you.