The Unexplained Physical Pain of Depression

Physical pain and depression go hand in hand for many people - typically women more than men. Sometimes the mystery pain, called somatoform pain disorder, is just written off as the person being a hypochondriac - but to the person experiencing the pain, it is very real.

A new research study investigated the fairly common problem of unexplained pain in people with depression.

Unexplained Pain Among Depressed Patients

“According to Frieser then, it is possible that patients who report to their doctors with multiple pain symptoms that cannot be explained in clinical terms are very probably suffering from a depressive disorder requiring treatment. In cases of major depression, the affected patients often exhibit dejection, despair, swings in appetite and body weight, insomnia or an increased need for sleep, tiredness, lack of energy, and psychomotor disturbances. These patients not infrequently also consider committing suicide.

The results of the GP survey in Mainz underline the importance of the correct classification and evaluation of pain symptoms for health care services; the general practitioners concluded that pain was somatoform in 73 percent of cases, and could be fully explained in medical terms in only 27 percent of cases.”

Cymbalta is one anti-depressant that is advertised to treat the “pain” of depression. I have not read enough reviews to know how well it works on the physical pain but it may be worth asking your Dr. about if you are suffering.