Why Are Antidepressant Medications Used To Treat Pain?

Dr. Benoy Benny answers the question: 'Why Are Antidepressants Used For Pain?'

By
Benoy Benny, M.D., Director, Spine, Sports and Pain Program, Baylor College of Medicine
November 11, 2008, 4:10 PM ET
1 min read

— -- Question: Why Are Antidepressant Medications Used To Treat Pain?

Answer: Initially when antidepressants were used, they were used just for depression. After a few years they were found to have properties that actually help with pain. Most of those properties help with people who have pain that they describe more as a burning type pain.

The different types of antidepressants and especially the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and some of the other types of medications help with people who have more of the burning type pain.

The other reason that antidepressants are used for people who have pain is that most people who have pain find it hard to sleep. Antidepressants also have a property that enable people to sleep better. And we have found with pain research that people who sleep well feel a lot better during the day as well. So for multiple reasons, those antidepressants are used.

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