Anti-Depressants for Pain Relief

Chronic pain can be depressing. It hurts. It may force changes in daily activities. As a result, you may feel hopeless and depressed. The pain may prevent you from going to physical therapy sessions. This, in turn, can set off a vicious cycle of a slower recovery, more depression, less mobility, more pain, more depression, and so on.

Antidepressants can benefit a person by providing:

Better sleep
Pain relief. Anti-depressants, particularly the tricyclic type, can help reduce chronic pain.
Depression relief. Nearly one out of every five people who has chronic pain also has depression.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac®, Paxil®, Zoloft® and zyban (an antidepressant that is prescribed for helping people to quit smoking and sold as Wellbutrin®). This is a class of anti-depressants that works by increasing the amount of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, in the gaps between nerves.

These drugs have relatively few side effects. They do, however, interact in a life-threatening way with another type of drug, monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Brand name examples include Nardil®, Parnate® and Marplan®.

Teenagers who are prescribed anti-depressants should be monitored closely. Anti-depressants can sometimes increase teens' depression and thoughts about harming themselves.