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Background and Aims Currently, the opioid crisis in the U.S. is considered an epidemic with the veterans being one of the populations affected. Due to system neglect for appropriate treatment of patients with PTSD and chronic non-cancer pain, patients with newly prescribed Opioid Analgesic Use (OAU) continue with chronic usage. The goal of the study is to examine the efficacy of antidepressants in pain management on veterans in order to provide an alternative to opioids.

Methods Throughout this work, with the use of data collection and data analysis, enough evidence was found of the efficacy of antidepressants and the need for proper guidelines to transition from the drugs currently used for pain management to antidepressants.

Results In general, the use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) for the management of chronic pain has proven to have one of the most significant antihyperalgesic effects. However, SSRIs such as sertraline and fluoxetine have also demonstrated benefits in treating PTSD, fibromyalgia and chronic tension headaches in females. In conclusion, the usage of antidepressants makes it possible to achieve proper treatment of comorbid conditions while also helping with the diminishing of opioid usage.

Conclusions This study underscores the importance of addressing the opioid crisis among veterans by exploring the effectiveness of antidepressants in pain management. These findings support the use of tricyclic antidepressants and SSRIs as a viable alternative to opioids, providing potential relief for chronic pain and comorbid conditions. In the same way this opens opportunities to develop new guidelines for first line treatments in patients with chronic pain.