Strangely, no. By the way that you descibe your pain, it sounds as if it could be neuropathic, or have a neuropathic component to it. This nerve pain does not respond well to typical analgesics, so there has been a move to use other drugs to treat it. Psyciatric meds such as gabapentin and amitryptaline (sorry about the spelling!!) work on nerves and have been found to be useful in neuropathic pain. This may be why it was prescribed. Whatever the reason though, it sounds like your doc didn't explain thiings very well.

As you know anti depressants are not the answer and may compound the problem...I have the CD "help i can't get off my anti depressant" by Dr. Ann Tracy...and here is part of what she says these drugs (high seratonergic drugs) can do...

I was on them for years and I now...have a horrible problem with a pinced nerve.


Dr Tracy says:
With the high seratonin constricting the muscles, the back can be pulled out of place easily causing the vertebrae to pinch nerves.

I would see a chiropractor, not a regular doctor.