Loading...
Common treatments for chronic noncancer pain, such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and opioids, provide limited benefit or pose serious risks. Prescribing antidepressants for chronic pain — often off label — seems to have contributed significantly to the rapid increase in antidepressant use in recent years. But the efficacy and safety of antidepressants for chronic pain is unclear.
Researchers conducted an overview of 26 systematic reviews in which any antidepressant drug was compared with placebo for any pain condition in adults. The systematic reviews included 156 trials (at least 69 with ties to industry), >25,000 patients, and 22 different pain conditions. Findings were as follows:
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptak…