| Reader, Drug makers know that their antidepressant pills don't work for most people with depression...
And that the "chemical imbalance" theory related to low levels of brain serotonin has been thoroughly discredited.1
So they need a new use for the dozens of antidepressants currently on the market.
It's known as off-labeling – and it's a common practice for drug makers and the doctors they influence.
The latest example is prescribing depression medication as a "cure" for chronic pain.
It's an idea supported by some of the biggest names in mainstream medicine – including Harvard, the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and the National Institutes of Health.
The theory is that antidepressant drugs work by modulating chemicals in the brain, like serotonin and norepinephrine, which play a role in reducing pain perception.
Increasing levels of these neurotransmitters disrupt pain signals sent by nerves.
And that, say the drug makers, turns antidepressant medications into a powerful "weapon" that can block pain signaling pathways in the nervous system.
So now, Big Pharma is pushing these potentially damaging drugs as an alternative to opioids.
While I agree that it's vital to offer patients alternatives to potentially addictive drugs, there's a major problem with using antidepressants to cure chronic pain...
They don't work...and can cause more harm than good.
A two-year review of more than 175 clinical trials analyzed the effects of various antidepressants on almost 30,000 participants who had three kinds of chronic pain: nerve pain, musculoskeletal pain, and fibromyalgia.2
As the lead study author put it, the review found "no reliable evidence for the long-term efficacy of any antidepressant and no reliable evidence for their safety for chronic pain at any point."
Of the 25 different depression drugs the study reviewed, only one – duloxetine – showed modest pain-relieving "promise."
That drug is duloxetine, sold under the brand name Cymbalta. Earlier research found that it provided a "small to moderate effect" on pain.
But even these results are tainted because the study was sponsored by the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug!
As a regular reader, you know that clinical trials sponsored by Big Pharma are more likely to have outcomes favoring the sponsor than were studies with other sponsors.
But pain isn't the only off-label use drug makers are trying to convince doctors to prescribe antidepressants for.
Big Pharma wants you to take their antidepressants for: - Migraines
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Urinary incontinence
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Gastroenterological conditions
I don't recommend antidepressants for pain or depression. They won't improve your condition, and they come with a long list of nasty side effects including insomnia or difficulty staying awake… weight gain… sexual dysfunction… Confusion and dizziness… stroke and death.3,4,5,6,7,8 Try My 2-Pronged Natural Pain Prescription Treating your pain with any of Big Pharma's drugs should be a last resort. Fortunately, there are safe, natural, and side-effect-free alternative ways to relieve pain. Here's what I suggest you use instead: - Use the herbal pain reliever with no nasty side effects. The medicinal properties of CBD have been known since at least the ancient Egyptians. Today, studies prove that it's a highly effective, drug-free, and affordable treatment for a wide variety of disorders, including depression and chronic pain. It not only works against pain, but it also attacks the inflammation at the source. Dozens of scientific studies prove it.9,10
One study examined more than 2,700 patients living with the chronic pain of fibromyalgia. After using CBD, around 40% of participants reported "much" or "very much" pain relief improvement. Another study by researchers at NYU Langone Health gave either CBD or a placebo to patients recovering from surgery. On the first few days after surgery, patients receiving CBD experienced, on average, 25% less pain compared to patients receiving a placebo. No major side effects were reported.12
You can buy CBD drops that are placed under the tongue or as a lotion made for local pain relief. For chronic pain, I recommend 20 mg of oral CBD twice daily. Increase the amount every three or four weeks until you get the necessary relief.
- Try ashwagandha (especially for chronic arthritis pain): This "smart plant" is also called Indian ginseng and winter cherry. In a recent study, researchers gave 60 arthritis patients ashwagandha or a placebo. After 12 weeks, those taking the herb had significantly less pain, according to three different pain-score tests.13
I recommend 300 mg to 500 mg twice a day. Or you can buy dried ashwagandha root powder. Look for a product that's 100% organic with no artificial flavors or colors. I like to add one teaspoon to a cup of boiling organic milk. I let it simmer for five minutes. Then I add a little honey to sweeten it.
To Your Good Health, 
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References: - Piore A. "Antidepressants work better than sugar pills only 15 percent of the time." 2022. www.newsweek.com. Accessed on June 20, 2024.
- Birkinshaw H, et al. "Antidepressants for pain management in adults with chronic pain: a network meta‐analysis." Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023 May 10;5(5):CD014682.
- Zhou S, et al. "Adverse effects of 21 antidepressants on sleep during acute-phase treatment in major depressive disorder: a systemic review and dose-effect network meta-analysis." Sleep. 2023;46(10): zsad177
- Deshmukh R, Franco K. "Managing weight gain as a side effect of antidepressant therapy." Cleve Clin J Med. 2003 Jul;70(7):614.
- "King's study finds link between antidepressant use and weight gain."www.kcl.ac.uk/kings-study-finds-link-between-antidepressant-use-and-weight-gain. Accessed on June 20, 2024.
- Higgins A, et al. "Antidepressant-associated sexual dysfunction: impact, effects, and treatment." Drug Health Patient Saf. 2010;2:141-150.
- Juang H, et al. "Using antidepressants and the risk of stroke recurrence: report from a national representative cohort study." BMC Neurol. 2015; 15: 86.
- Smoller J, et al. "Antidepressant use and risk of incident cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative Study." Arch Intern Med. 2009; 169 (22): 2128-2139.
- Canabo Medical Clinic. "5 health benefits of CBD." Accessed on June 20, 2024.
- Project CBD: Inflammation. Available at: https://www.projectcbd.org/inflammation. Accessed on June 20, 2024.
- Boehnke K, et al. "Cannabidiol use for fibromyalgia: prevalence of use and perceptions of effectiveness in a large online survey." J Pain. 2021 May;22(5):556-566.
- Press Release. "Tablet containing cannabidiol shows promise in reducing postoperative pain." Accessed on June 20, 2024.
- Chopra A, et al. "Ayurveda–modern medicine interface: A critical appraisal of studies of Ayurvedic medicines to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis." J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2010;1(3):190-198.
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