Adjuvant Antidepressants

A group of antidepressant medications called tricyclics help with nerve pain. Nerve damage and nerve pain are caused by tumor pressure on sensitive nerve tissue or by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Nerve pain has been described as constant, with a burning sensation; as a shooting or dagger-like pain or a deep, aching feeling; and as tingling, numbness or aching in the hands or feet. The most commonly used antidepressant medications for pain are amitriptyline, available as Elavil® doxepin, or Sinequan® nortriptyline, or Aventyl®, and desipramine, or Norpramine®. Some newer antidepressants, such as Cymbalta®, have also been found to relieve pain.