SSRI medications to treat Neuropathy?
 

Under the "Supplements for Peripheral Neuropathy", mrsD made this statement on the subject of B1:

My question is, how do SSRI medications help with Neuropathy? Aren't these typically anti anxiety/anti depressent drugs? Is an imbalance in Seratonin (sp?) levels in the brain a cause of PN?

My limited understanding of this is that these types of drugs interfer with the transmission of pain. Quite how they do this, I am not sure. Many drugs have more than one use, and the antidepressant aspect of these drugs is pretty much irrelevant for us so it pays not to get too hung up on this.

cheers

Raglet

Yes, anti-seizure medicines are also used in the same way.

Thanks. I was curious, as my neurologist first wanted to put me on an SSRI. Citralopam I think it was, but I pretty much slept thru the 4th of July weekend. I couldn't tolerate it. Then they switched me to Neurontin.

Now I have another Dr. telling me I shouldn't be so quick to jump on Neurontin right away, I should try another SSRI first. I thought she just wanted to treat me for anxiety.

Makes more sense now if SSRI's are also pain blockers. Needless to say, I'm having a hard time finding a Dr. who wishes to actually communicate....

Sigh...who to listen too? Rock-paper-scissors?

Believe it or not they do help. The actual medical reason behind this is a mystery to me, but I've been doing this now for some time in conjunction with Lyrica and it helps. I want to say it takes care of all the pain, but that wouldn't be true. I'm looking for more releif like everyone here. And since there doesn't seem to be any cure anything I can find to keep the pain down to a tolerable level helps.

Best of luck to you!

Hi, I am still on vacation, but saw this post ...so briefly...

There are two types of "treatment" available. One is symptomatic treatment only (which most PN drugs do except for IVIG) and actual intervention treatment like the supplements which promote healing. IVIG remains the most useful treatment for reversing some PN.

The SSRI antidepressants work centrally in the brain to suppress some of the chronic pain loop that exists in chronic pain states. They do nothing for the actual healing of PN and do not prevent progression at the peripheral level.

There has been one study showing that amitriptyline may actually stimulate regrowth of peripheral nerves...so that antidepressant is distinct from the SSRIs.