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Evidence summaries

The Efficacy of Ssris in the Management of Chronic Pain

There is limited evidence of the efficacy of SSRIs in the treatment of chronic pain. There is no consistent evidence of their efficacy in the treatment of headache (migraine or tension), diabetic neuropathy and fibromyalgia. Level of evidence: "C"

A systematic review 1 including 19 studies (10 of headache, n=550; 3 of diabetic neuropathy, n=83; 3 of fibromyalgia, n=83; 3 of mixed chronic pain, n=119) was abstracted in DARE. The results were inconsistent in all studies with the exception of mixed chronic pain where SSRIs were more effective than placebo.

Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by sparse data and inconsistency.

Primary/Secondary Keywords