FWD:Ivanhoe Newswire-Antidepressants Ease Nerve Pain

byrd45 Tue Jan 13, 2009 11:58 am

RSD In the News : FWD:Ivanhoe Newswire-Antidepressants Ease Nerve Pain
Choose another message board
Prev Discussion Next Discussion Delete

Reply
Recommend Delete Message 1 of 1 in Discussion

From: byrd45 (Original Message) Sent: 8/4/2005 6:52 AM
ANTIDEPRESSANTS EASE NERVE TISSUE PAIN
Reported July 25, 2005

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New reviews of previous studies confirm antidepressants should be the first-line approach for nerve tissue pain. However, the studies show conflicting results about the benefits of anticonvulsant drugs.

Researchers analyzed 50 studies on 19 antidepressants which involved more than 2,500 study participants. They found tricyclic antidepressants, especially amitriptyline, can help ease the two most common types of neuropathic pain -- that from diabetes and shingles.

While the results are encouraging, researchers stress antidepressants do not eliminate all pain. “The amount of pain reduction is moderate at best. Typically, the pain reduction averages around 40 percent in 50 percent of treated patients,” says Dennis C. Turk, Ph.D, at the University of Washington. “This means a significant proportion of patients do not obtain even moderate reductions in pain and even those who do continue to experience significant pain.”

The researchers suggest more studies on other antidepressants like the newer selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) before they recommend the drugs for neuropathic pain.

The findings on anticonvulsants were conflicting. Researchers reviewed 23 trials consisting of more than 1,000 patients. They suggest more studies on the effectiveness of each anticonvulsant, as well as studies comparing the drugs to antidepressants.

“The evidence here does not support the use of anticonvulsants as first-line remedies,” the authors write. They add tricyclic antidepressants should be the first choice.

Neuropathic pain can result from nerve injuries or problems including chronic high blood sugar, complications from shingles, or some cancer treatments. Antidepressants are believed to work by dampening pain signals. Anticonvulsant drugs may help by quieting abnormal firings of nerves in the brain and central nervous system.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe Newswire

SOURCE: The Cochrane Library, published online July 20, 2005