Ironically, these TCAs can help with diabetics. What do TCAs have to do with diabetes? They are often prescribed to diabetic patients for their chronic nerve pain, peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral nerves are those that lie outside of the brain and spinal cord. It is these nerves that are damaged, and diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy. Other causes include viral infections such as the shingles, physical injury to the nerves or side effects of certain medications.

Signs of peripheral neuropathy include numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, arms and legs, loss of balance and coordination, burning, stabbing or shooting pain in affected areas, and muscle weakness, especially in the feet.

Antidepressants have proven less effective with non-neuropathic pain. But they benefit those with chronic neck or back pain, and fibromyalgia – the most common form of musculoskeletal chronic pain. A selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) helped cut pain levels by 50 percent after taking the drug for 28 weeks. This use has been FDA approved since 2009.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the nerve pathways of the brain and spinal cord. Another SNRI has been used successfully in MS patients for their symptoms of spasticity, difficulty with balance and coordination, vision, and problems with muscle movements.

Premature Ejaculation

This can be a surprising selection, but it’s true; antidepressants can be a big help for those men with premature ejaculation. This form of sexual dysfunction is number one in the pantheon of male problems and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the drugs of choice to resolve it.