Certain antidepressants are sometimes used to manage symptoms of ME/CFS or its associated conditions.
They can often help manage depressive illness that may affect around a third of patients, as well as insomnia , pain, emotional lability and as a second-line treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
_So, these medicines are not just for depression. The choice of antidepressant will vary depending on the target symptom or condition, since different antidepressants work on different symptoms/conditions. _
_Care needs to be taken to start at the right dose (usually a low dose), monitoring effects and side effects regularly, in order to arrive at the optimal dose to ensure effectiveness and minimise side effects. Sometimes it is necessary to change medicine to achieve the best effects. _
When stopping the medicine, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms sometimes follow too rapid cessation; always take your doctors’ advice before stopping these medicines, which should minimise or avoid these problems.
_The Sussex & Kent ME/CFS Society continues to have the support of top medics in the field. They are some of the most qualified and experienced _professionals that have been assessing and managing those affected by ME/CFS for years. Our medical advisory team is probably the best in the UK field.