Antidepressant Prescriptions Soar for Pain Management Despite Little Evidence They Work: Study

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Chronic pain poses a significant public health crisis, affecting about 50 million Americans, with 20 million unable to work due to its debilitating severity. To alleviate their suffering, millions are prescribed antidepressant medications.

However, a recent comprehensive review of studies reveals that many prescriptions for antidepressants used to manage chronic pain lack adequate and reliable evidence to support their effectiveness. Moreover, the potential risks associated with their usage remain poorly understood.

How Antidepressants Are Supposed to Work to Relieve Pain

Antidepressant drugs are typically prescribed for treating depression, but they’re also used for pain relief, especially for chronic pain conditions. Although the exact mechanism by which antidepressants alleviate pain is not fully understood, various theories have been proposed.