Treatment of pain with antidepressants.

Antidepressant drugs are now an important component of the analgesic pharmacopeia. Their ability to relieve pain is independent of the presence of clinical depression, and their efficacy has been documented in the treatment of migraine and tension headaches, neuropathic pain and chronic pain syndromes, including those associated with cancer. The tricyclic antidepressants are safe for use in patients with prolonged pain. The low doses required for analgesia are well tolerated and do not produce the side effects associated with the classic analgesic drugs.