A recent research by Dr. Winfried Hauser, of Klinikum Saarbrucken in Germany indicates that certain antidepressants can be effective in relieving pain in fibromyalgia patients. But it is unclear if they should be used for a long time.

Researchers conducted 18 studies on 1,427 fibromyalgia patients who were prescribed different classes of antidepressants, including low doses of tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors
(MAOIs).

It was found that fibromyalgia patients had less pain, fatigue and depression when certain anti depressants were given to them. Though a wide range of anti depressants could be used to treat the condition of fibromyalgia patients but Eli Lilly and Company's Cymbalta has received a special approval.

"Since evidence for a long-term effect of antidepressants in fibromyalgia is still lacking, their effects should be re-evaluated at regular intervals to determine whether benefits outweigh adverse effects," the authors wrote in a news release from the journal.

"The identification of patient characteristics associated with positive and negative therapeutic outcomes are needed to better target antidepressant therapy for fibromyalgia."