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Educational Activity

Evidence-Based Treatment Paradigms for Depressed Patients With Pain and Physical Symptoms

David A. Fishbain

Published: July 21, 2009

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Find more articles on this and other psychiatry and CNS topics:
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders

Article Abstract

Some antidepressants may be efficacious in alleviating pain. While few studies have directly compared antidepressants for the treatment of painful physical symptoms, meta-analyses of efficacy studies have found that antidepressants that act at serotonergic and noradrenergic neurotransmitters, such as some tricyclics and serotonin- norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), may alleviate pain independently of their effects on mood. These dual-action agents have more consistently shown efficacy for pain than single-action agents.


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Volume: 70

Quick Links: Pain , Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders

References