title: Unravelling the efficacy of antidepressants as analgesics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic pain is a large and growing public health concern in Australia. Chronic pain is generally associated with physical, psychological, social and cultural risk factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Several antidepressants have been efficacious in the management of chronic pain. This article illustrates the use of antidepressants in major chronic neuropathic pain conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of psychopharmacology is important in the management of chronic pain. The majority of patients with chronic pain have comorbid psychiatric conditions ranging from mild anxiety, depression and adjustment problems, to severe delusional and psychotic disorders. Depression and anxiety are known to enhance the perception of pain. Not all antidepressants have independent analgesic properties. There is now a convincing body of controlled data, as well as extensive longstanding clinical experience, supporting tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) as analgesics independently of their antidepressant actions.
authors.forename: Raguraman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Janakiraman
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Aston
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wan
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000188:drug therapy; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000928:Antidepressive Agents