This paper endeavours to provide a critical clinical review of the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the management of pain. Case reports, placebo-controlled trials and trials comparing SSRIs with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are considered. The analgesic effects of TCAs are well known and this review suggests that there is little evidence for their replacement by SSRIs in pain management. There are, at present, too few comparative drug trials to make a definitive statement, although the trend is clearly against SSRIs.
Adly C., Straumanis J., Chesson A. (1992) Fluoxetine prophylaxis in migraine. Headache32: 101-4
2.
Bach FW, Langemark M., Ekman R. et al. (1994) Effect of sulpiride or paroxetine on cerebrospinal fluid neuropeptide concentrations in-patients with chronic tension type headache . Neuropeptides27: 129-136
3.
Bank J. ( 1994) A comparative study of amitriptyline and fluvoxamine in migraine prophylaxis. Headache34: 476-478
4.
Bendtsen L., Jensen R., Olesen J. (1996) A non-selective (amitriptyline), but not a selective (citalopram), serotonin reuptake inhibitor is effective in the prophylactic treatment of chronic tension-type headache. J Neurol Neurosurg Psych61: 283-290
5.
Bolden-Watson C., Richelson E. (1993) Blockade by newly developed antidepressants of biogenic amine uptake into rat brain aynaptosomes. Life Sci52: 1023-1029
6.
Bonazzi A., Giagnorio F. (1991) Fluoxetine versus amitriptyline in the prophylaxis of tension-type headache. Cephalagia11: 341-342
7.
Cantini F., Bellandi F., Niccoli L., Di Munno O. (1994) Fluoxetine combined with cyclobenzapine in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Minerva Med85: 97-100 (in Italian)
8.
Cortet B., Houvenagel E., Forzy G. et al. (1992) Evaluation of treatment of fibromyalgia with fluoxetine. Rev Rhum Mal Osteoartic59: 497-500 (in French)
9.
Dechant K.L., Clissold S.P. (1991) Paroxetine: a review of its pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and therapeutic potential in depressive illness . Drugs41: 225-253
10.
Diamond S., Freitag F.G. (1989) The use of fluoxetine in the treatment of headache . Clin J Pain5: 200-201
11.
Eide P.K. and Hole K. (1993) The role of 5HT receptor subtypes and plasticity in the 5-HT systems in the regulation of nociceptive sensitivity. Cephalagia13: 75-85
12.
Eisendrath S.J. and Kodama K.T. (1992) Fluoxetine management of chronic abdominal pain . Psychosomatics33: 227-229
13.
Finestone D.A., Ober K.S. (1990) Fluoxetine and fibromyalgia. JAMA264: 2869-2870
14.
Foster C.A. and Bafaloukos J. (1994) Paroxetine in the treatment of chronic daily headache . Headache34: 587-589
15.
Geller SA (1989) Treatment of fibrositis with fluoxetine hydrochloride . Am J Med87: 594-595
16.
Goldenburg DL, Felson DT, Dinerman H. (1986) A randomised controlled trial of amitriptyline and naproxen in the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia. Arthritis Rheumatol29: 1371-1377
17.
Gourlay G.K., Cherry D.A., Cousins M.J. et al. (1986) A controlled study of a serotonin reuptake blocker, zimelidine, in the treatment of chronic pain. Pain25: 35-52
18.
Gupta M.A. (1986) Is chronic pain a variant of depressive illness ? A critical review. Can J Psychiatry31: 241-248
19.
Johansson F., von Knorring L. (1979) A double blind controlled study of a serotonin uptake inhibitor (zimelidine) versus placebo in chronic pain patients. Pain7: 69-78
20.
Kishmore-Kumar R., Schafer S.C., Lawlor B.A. (1989) Single doses of the serotonin agonists buspirone and m-chlorophenylpiperazine do not relieve neuropathic pain. Pain37: 223-227
21.
Langemark M., Olesen J. (1994) Sulpiride and paroxetine in the treatment of chronic tension-type headache. An exploratory double-blind trial. Headache34: 20-24
22.
Manna V., Bolino F., Di Cicco L. (1994) Chronic tension-type headache, mood depression and serotonin: therapeutic effects of fluvoxamine and mianserin. Headache34: 44-49
23.
Max M.B. (1990) Towards physiologically based treatment of patients with neuropathic pain. Pain42: 131-133
24.
Max M.B., Lynch S.A., Muir J. et al. (1992) Effects of desipramine, amitriptyline and fluoxetine on pain in diabetic neuropathy. New Engl J Med326: 1250-1256
25.
McQuay H.J., Moore R.A. (1997) Antidepressants and chronic pain. BMJ314: 763-764
26.
Norregaard J., Volkmann H., Danneskiold-Samsoe B. (1995) A randomized controlled trial of citalopram in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Pain61: 445-449
27.
Peroutka S.J. (1990) Developments in 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor pharmacology in migraine. Neurol Clin8: 829-839
28.
Petitto J.M., Mundle L.B., Nagy B.R. et al. (1992) Improvement of arthritis with fluoxetine . Psychosomatics33: 338-341
29.
Power-Smith P., Turkington D. (1993) Fluoxetine in phantom limb pain. Br J Psychiat163: 105-106
30.
Rani P.U., Naidu M U R, Prasad V B N et al. (1996) An evaluation of antidepressants in rheumatic pain conditions. Anesth Analg83: 371-375
31.
Saper J.R., Silberstein S.D., Lake III A.E., Winters M.E. (1994) Double-blind trial of fluoxetine: chronic daily headache and migraine. Headache34: 497-502
32.
Scudds R.A., McCain G.A., Rollman G.B., Harth M. (1989) Improvement in pain responsiveness in-patients with fibrositis after successful treatment with amitriptyline. J Rheumatol16 (Suppl): 98-103
33.
Sindrup S.H., Gram L.F., Brosen K. et al. (1990a) The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine is effective in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy symptoms. Pain42: 135-144
34.
Sindrup SH, Gram LF, Skjold T. et al. (1990b) Concentration-response relationship in imipramine treatment of diabetic neuropathy. Clin Pharmac Ther47: 509-515
35.
Sindrup S.H., Grodum E., Gram L.F.Beck-Nielsen H. (1991) Concentration-response relationship in paroxetine treatment of diabetic neuropathy symptoms: a patient-blinded dose-escalation study. Ther Drug Mon13: 408-414
36.
Sindrup S.H., Bjerre U., Dejgaard A. et al. (1992) The SSRI citalopram relieves the symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Clin Pharmac Ther52: 547-552
37.
Sullivan M. (1991) Integrated treatment of a woman with chronic hand pain. Hosp Commun Psychiat42: 474-475
38.
Theesen K.A., Marsh W.R. (1989) Relief of diabetic neuropathy with fluoxetine. DICP23: 572-574
39.
Turkington D., Power-Smith P., Grant J. (1992) Idiopathic genital pain and fluvoxamine. Br J Psychiat160: 871
40.
Watson C P N, Evans R.J. (1985) A comparative trial of amitriptyline and zimelidine in post-herpetic neuralgia. Pain23: 387-394
41.
Wolfe F., Cathey M.A., Hawley D.J. (1994) A double blind placebo controlled trial of fluoxetine in fibromyalgia. Scand J Rheumatol23: 255-259
