Anti-Depressants and Chronic Low Back Pain: Not Always a Happy Solution

I used to get stinging nettle type pains in my feet and hands.  Since I've been taking Cymbalta, those pains are gone and I feel overall my mood is better.

My spelling probably sux but thats the gabapentin kicking in.  I took amitryptiline for several years for fibromyalgia, lower back pain and what has finally been diagnosed as polyneuropathy.  It was helpful but I finally reached a point where the neuropathy was just too much for me to take.  Gabapentin has been a hat trick plus.  My migraines have been reduced by half, I sleep much better, the fibro pain is back to a dull roar and although I have constant tingling in my feet I no longer suffer from the shooting pains down my legs.  As a bonus gabapentin also seems to help control the miserable hot flashes peri-menopause had blessed me with.  My rehab doctor did suggest that if my sleep becomes a problem we can add nortriptiline but at present I am much more functional than I had been for almost a year and I am painting again.  The tools available from my physicians are remarkable and I am eternally grateful that chronic pain is finally being addressed by the medical community.  Life is good and with the decrease in pain I find that I no longer feel depressed. 

Dr. Borigini,

Do novo-proprion and lorazepam have any effect in pain reduction?

wanderer 

DEAR DR BORIGINI,

I SUFFER FROM SEVERE PAIN CAUSED BY PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY, THE WORST AREA BEING MY FEET - AND OBVIOUSLY, WALKING IS A PROBLEM.

I HAVE BEEN ON 50MG OF ANAFRANIL AT NIGHT - WHICH CERTAINLY DOES HELP TO RELIEVE THE PAIN. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHILE ON ANAFRANIL I CANNOT HAVE AN ORGASM. I HAVE FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN I WAS TOLD TO TAKE 60MG OF CYMBALTA AT NIGHT.

IS THERE A DRUG THAT I CAN TAKE TO RELIEVE THE PAIN BUT THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE ABOVE SIDE EFFECT?