Chronic pain is a common disease worldwide. Researchers at the University of Sydney report that regarding one in five people is affected. In some countries, antidepressants are widely prescribed to treat the condition. However, a new study now shows that antidepressants are not particularly effective for most chronic pain.
side effects instead of relief
The study in BMJ trade magazine published, compiles scientific findings on the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of antidepressants for the treatment of pain. The team, led by Giovanni Ferreira from the University of Sydney, studied 26 reviews on the topic. For this purpose, pain values from over 25,000 subjects were continuously divided into a scale and compared. The clinical pictures examined included headaches, back pain and joint pain.
The results show that none of the papers might provide reliable evidence for the effectiveness of antidepressants for the treatment of chronic symptoms in adults. Moderate pain-inhibiting effects might only be determined in nine diseases. For example with back pain. However, in 31 disorders, the drugs were either ineffective or inconclusive. Antidepressants can have harmful side effects.
“These findings suggest that a more differentiated approach is needed when prescribing antidepressants for pain conditions,” said Ferreira. “The usefulness of these drugs in chronic pain is limited, and the potential harms outweigh the small benefits.”
Differentiated approaches to treatment required
In fact, recent data suggest that chronic pain is the most common reason for antidepressant prescription among older people, even more so than depression. And the tendency is still rising, because long-term use of these medications is particularly common with these complaints.
The international team therefore calls for the provision of a comprehensive overview of the tolerability of antidepressants depending on the disease. Differentiated therapy options and the integration of exercise and physiotherapy are an alternative to purely medicinal treatment. Painkillers should only be viewed as part of the solution, and the authors of the study advise sufferers to weigh up the individual benefits and potential harms of such treatment with a doctor. “We encourage clinicians, researchers, and policy makers to be aware of these caveats as they read our review and consider the use of antidepressants for pain management,” said Ferreira.
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