Antidepressants

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Pain that is resistant to antispasmodics may respond to treatment with low doses of antidepressants. This may be partly due to the alleviation of an underlying depression and partly because of a direct effect on pain pathways in the gut. Anxiety and depression can make people more sensitive to pain and can upset the bowels.

There are two classes of drugs.

Tricyclic antidepressants 

pill

Generic name
Brand name
Amitryptyline
Tryptizol
Nortryptyline
Doxepin
Dothiepin Hydrochloride
Prothiadin

*Tricylic antidepressants tend to make constipation slightly worse.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inbibitors (SSRIs)

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inbibitors (SSRIs)

pill
Generic name
Brand name
Fluoxetine
Prozac
Sertraline
Lustral
Paroxetine
Seroxat
Citalopram
Cipramil

*SSRIs can make the bowels more loose and may be more useful in people with constipation.
NB: Antidepressants can only be obtained on prescription

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