Anti-Depressants and Chronic Pain

Hello,

I found the following article very interesting: http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/patient-corner/disease-management/depression.html

I have been on anti-depressants for 20 years for panic attacks and eating disorders. It wasn't until I had to stop taking them for 2 weeks, in order for an allergist to do allergy tests, for me to discover the excruciating joint pain I had. I did not notice pain until then and actually thought I was going through some type of withdrawal. My psychiatrist explained that I would not experience withdrawal from these meds other than sleep disturbances. This is when I first started the road to my autoimmune inflammatory disease diagnosis.

So I asked my psychiatrist, at my last appointment, if my anti-depressants could have been masking joint pain for many years. He said it was possible...so now it all makes sense...well, not everything...Lupus is non-sensical (is that a word?)

Hugs,
Beth

Hi Beth,

I too find this topic very interesting. I have taken effexor for years, I began taking it because my doctor said it would help my headaches. Effexor is typically used to treat depression and anxiety. I know anytime I have tried to stop taking it I too have experienced severe joint pain, as well as major nausea. I had been diagnosed with lupus many years before beginning effexor, but I can certainly tell a HUGE difference in the severity of the joint pain if I stop the medicine.

Melissa