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Benzodiazepine's analgesic properties?

I believe that the analgesia is mediated by increased inhibition of pain-responsive sensory nuclei in the brainstem and possibly also the thalamus. This should usually occur only at higher doses that cause global decreases in CNS activity.
 
any depresasant oriented drug taken at high doses always engenders reasonable analgesia as well though i would not call benzos analgesics

one can say the same for sure with muscle relaxants
 
Benzos make you not care about your pain, that's how they are very useful for pain.
I don't know the pharmacology of their analgesic effects though....
 
Often sedatives are used as 'opioid sparing' drugs since they increase the effect of opiates.
 
5-HT2 said:
I believe that the analgesia is mediated by increased inhibition of pain-responsive sensory nuclei in the brainstem and possibly also the thalamus. This should usually occur only at higher doses that cause global decreases in CNS activity.
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Yes that was what I was thinking in the first place. I agree with that theoretical mechanism. Evidently, a generalized decrease in CNS activity will provide analgesia in varying degrees. The thing is that I am really interested in a detailed analysis, in specific, of GABA mediated analgesia. Has this been studied yet? I searched around a bit and couldn't find any studies on this matter. I'd be very glad if anyone could send me a link. Thanks guys.
 
jasoncrest said:
Benzos make you not care about your pain, that's how they are very useful for pain.
I don't know the pharmacology of their analgesic effects though....
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Very true indeed....I'm a bodybuilder, and when I taper my clonazepam dosage down to lower my tolerance, I feel EVERY ache, pain, and sore re-surface and cause anxiety......
 
many CNS depressants have an analgesic effect, though i have not seen benzos noted to be such per se even though they certainly have that as a potential minor component -- certainly anxiety will exascerbate pain in general populations

of course as wel most neurotransmitter seem to play a part in analgesic potential effects

Some snippets related to the issue:

Notably, the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil enhances morphine analgesia

The present results demonstrate that prominent interactions occur between members of the benzodiazepine and narcotic analgesic classes; these interactions are dependent upon both the specific combination of drugs administered and upon the test procedure.

Several human and animal studies have shown analgesic effects of benzodiazepines after spinal injection.

INTRAVENOUSLY administered benzodiazepines are not generally considered to have analgesic properties. When midazolam is administered intravenously, it is difficult to demonstrate analgesic effects over and above the drug’s effect on consciousness.

Recent studies have shown that midazolam produces an analgesic action through the benzodiazepine/-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor complex in the spinal cord.1,2 (intrathecally analgesic)

Benzodiazepines provide both sedation and amnesia, and may provide an analgesic sparing effect
 
Clonazepam is indicated for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and other forms of neuropathic pain as well i think. But thats abit different because neuropathic pain of all types is helped by anti-convulsants and clonazepam is one benzo used as a anti-convulsant.
 
Ok? So no one has any information or can suggest a direct GABA related mechanism? 8(
 
robatussin said:
why are they prescribed for migranes and the like then? I think this statement is false feel free to back up your claims
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I'm not exactly making any claims. While it may not be up there with APAP and Liver failure, literature abounds. Why not take 8 seconds and google barbiturate+hyperalgesia.
 
Well, in theory, couldn't you argue that benzo's effects on the GABA receptors could replicate the pseudo-analgesic effects of alcohol? I might be off here but, eh.
 
that falls into what we already discussed, the fact that generalized cns depression will cause analgesia to some degree
 
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