Millions of people use antidepressants to treat chronic pain, but commonly prescribed drugs have not been proven effective. Scientists talked about this Speech.
One in five people in the world lives with chronic pain. Antidepressants are often prescribed, but a new study has proven that only one drug is effective.
The review authors analyzed 178 existing studies involving 28,000 people. The new study is the largest review yet of the effectiveness of antidepressants on chronic pain.
43 studies (11,608 people) examined the drug duloxetine. They confirmed that this drug was moderately effective in treating pain. It may also improve the mobility of people suffering from chronic pain. Moreover, a dose of 60 mg was no less effective than 120 mg.
Evidence for the effectiveness of amitriptyline, citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and sertraline was of low quality. This means that no conclusions can be made about their ability to relieve pain. Moreover, nearly 16 million prescriptions were written for amitriptyline in 2023.
“Since amitriptyline is no longer recommended for the treatment of depression, it is reasonable to assume that most of them may be for pain relief,” the scientists said.
The review’s findings informed new treatment guidelines in the UK; Duloxetine is now recommended for the treatment of chronic primary pain (i.e., pain without a clear cause) and pain associated with neurological disorders.
“But it is important to keep in mind that pain is a highly individual experience and the evidence in our review is based on groups of people. We recognize that some drugs may work in people, even if the scientific evidence is insufficient or incomplete,” the review authors emphasized.
Previous scientists developed A 20-minute procedure to relieve lower back pain.
What are you thinking?
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.