RESEARCH - Antidepressants may ease fibromyalgia symptoms

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Antidepressants May Ease Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Meta-analysis Finds Strong Evidence for Efficacy in Pain Reduction,

Improved Sleep

January 15, 2009 — Evidence from a meta-analysis of 18 trials of

antidepressants in the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) shows

that these drugs can improve FMS-associated symptoms of pain, sleep

disturbance, depressed mood, and health-related quality of life

(HRQOL). However, effect sizes vary significantly between classes of

antidepressants.

Overall, there was strong evidence for a reduction of FMS symptoms

with antidepressant use. However, effect sizes on pain with different

classes of antidepressants varied, with small effect sizes associated

with use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and

serotonin- and noradrenalin-reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), medium effect

sizes with use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and large

effect sizes associated with tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants

(TCAs).

The study is published January 14 in the Journal of the American

Medical Association.

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Read the full article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/586884

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