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Benzos Benzos & Pain Relief: Any Connection?

muie

muie

Bluelighter
Joined
Dec 18, 2008
Messages
849
Location
Canada
Its known that most drugs which work on the GABA receptors also have an indirect effect on pain generally dulling it down as in the case of alcohol/ghb or carisoprodol.

I am naturally wondering if benzos reduce pain as a result of their activity on GABA receptors. In many cases benzos have been given for painful injuries especially those consisting of muscle pains however for many other painful conditions benzos are often prescribed (many times along with a weak opiate like codeine if ur in canda or vicodin if ur in the states). There are many cases where reputable doctors have prescribed benzos for pain and painful injuries so should I assume there is a correlation between the two?

Can anybody please tell me if benzodiazepines are at all effective at reducing pain?
 
For myself, benzos do nothing for my pain, which is mainly caused by severely damaged nerves, so nerve pain. I have however heard of them helping nerve pain occasionally. Gabapentin helps my pain a little, and it works with the gaba receptors in some way. Since at times anxiety and stress is thought to effect pain and increase it you would think benzos can help those people as well.
 
Inflamation Related Injuries, Benzos & Pain

I understand the muscle pain factor but can benzos induce general pain relief like Soma can for example, or NSAIDs?

I was thinking of pain like sprains and/or inflamation in a specific part of the body resulting in pain throughout the entire body...that kind of injury.

Can benzos help an injury that caused a part of the body (say your arm or leg) to be inflammed due maybe to a sprain for example?

Obviously I don't think it could hurt but I am honestly very curious about inflamation related injuries & benzos as the above poster said they can help distract from the pain though obviously not in the traditional narcotic way but more like a marjiuana or alcohol time flies though your still in pain kind of thing.....I was however hoping they could help more than just doing that.
 
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They definately help by potentiating whatever opiate you've been scripted, as well as helping take your mind off your pain.

If you're UK based tho, you'll have to get your benzo from another source than your doctor...they'll prescribe codeine or maybe a stronger opiate depending what/how serious is your condition, but NO WAY will they prescribe a benzo for pain relief.
 
They can help certain types of pain, like muscle spasm, as has been discussed, and nerve pain in some cases (klonopin has been studied for this indication and demonstrated some efficacy).

I think a large part of the analgesia is more indirect. The pain-spasm cycle often aggravates pain substantially and anxiety certainly plays a large role there. Pain is stressful and stress exacerbates pain so relaxing someone can go a long way in treating pain. Psychiatric comorbidities with chronic pain are exceedingly prevalent as well and more often than not, also intensify the pain.

Along the same lines as the last point, pain is psychological. You'll notice if you get engrossed in a movie, conversation, etc you become less aware of the pain and it doesn't seem as bad. Benzos can help people to take their mind off it and simply doing that will lessen the subjective severity of the pain.

Personally, I have chronic pain and I always received beneficial effects with or without taking opioids concomitantly.
 
Dear Cane2theLeft, that was briantly put together! I don't think I will get any answer more concrete than that so I thank you very much for answering my question and thanks to everybody who contributed to the thread!
 
Cane2theLeft said:
They can help certain types of pain, like muscle spasm, as has been discussed, and nerve pain in some cases (klonopin has been studied for this indication and demonstrated some efficacy).

I think a large part of the analgesia is more indirect. The pain-spasm cycle often aggravates pain substantially and anxiety certainly plays a large role there. Pain is stressful and stress exacerbates pain so relaxing someone can go a long way in treating pain. Psychiatric comorbidities with chronic pain are exceedingly prevalent as well and more often than not, also intensify the pain.

Along the same lines as the last point, pain is psychological. You'll notice if you get engrossed in a movie, conversation, etc you become less aware of the pain and it doesn't seem as bad. Benzos can help people to take their mind off it and simply doing that will lessen the subjective severity of the pain.

Personally, I have chronic pain and I always received beneficial effects with or without taking opioids concomitantly.
Click to expand...

Yep. This line of treatment has a name- 'Palliative Care'. Meaning, not treating the cause of your illness/problem, but giving you something to make you feel better. It's the reason, at the end stages of most diseases, or when people are most likely going to die, they are given opioids. The opioids do nothing for the root cause of their condition, or why they're dying, they just make them feel better. 'Make them comfortable'. The Brompton Cocktail is based on this. It's also why Propoxyphene is a useful drug despite its potential negative side effects. In elderly patients who suffer from genralized pain and discomfort, it is a palliative. Has been used that way for decades.
 
I suffer from atypical trigeminal neuritis (face pain, jolts of lightning) and I'm on Klonopin for it and it's approved. I take xanax from an IOP but I'm weening off that and trying to "go straight"
 
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