Anti-depressants can help people with some rheumatological conditions
A new report has suggested that anti-depressant drugs could be useful for patients with a variety of rheumatological conditions.
Researchers from Paris Descartes University, Hautepierre Hospital in Strasbourg and the Henri Mondor Hospital in Creteil published their findings in the journal Rheumatology.
They analysed results from 78 clinical studies and 12 meta-analyses that looked at the use of anti-depressants in patients with rheumatological conditions, such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
It was found that the strongest pain killing effect of anti-depressants were observed in patients with fibromyalgia. Some analgesic effects were also seen in patients with chronic low back pain.
However, the team said that there was no pain killing effects for patients with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis.
It was also noted that tricyclic anti-depressants (TCAs), even at low doses, had analgesic effects equivalent to those of serotonin and noradrenalin reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). However, TCAs were less well tolerated.
Interestingly, the researcher said that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) had analgesic effects in chronic rheumatic painful states in which analgesics and NSAIDs are not very efficient, such as fibromyalgia and chronic low back pain.
Dr Serge Perrot and the rest of the team concluded: "In inflammatory rheumatic diseases, anti-depressants may be useful for managing fatigue and sleep disorders.
"Further studies are required to compare anti-depressants with other analgesics in the management of chronic painful rheumatological conditions."
A spokesman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said that amitriptyline, an anti-depressant, was used in the treatment of fibromyalgia to reduce muscle pain and restore sleep patterns.
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