Benzos Contrast constipation of Benzos vs Opioids

[LucidSDreamr]

I know this is a hard comparison to make because they are different drug classes and issues like dosage come into play.

I am looking those of your opinions that have used benzos and opioids separately. How much more severe is the constipation effect from ooioids? I haven't used benzos much so I don't know how severe the constipation is from them.

If we have to have a specific comparison let's say dosing 2 or 3 mg of etizolam daily vs. 30 mg of hydrocodone daily. But just general observations are welcome.

Constipation is listed as a side effect of benzos.
I'm suffering from a medical condition that I've found benzos to give some relief from and they are used in medical practice for the condition...but constipation is a big problem than can exacerbate my condition and it's why I can't use opioids anymore for it.

 

[MsDiz]

There’s no reason you can’t use opioids. There are perfect options like osmotic laxatives to ensure you don’t become constipated. Laxido/movicol whatever it’s called where you are is an excellent osmotic laxative that is non habit forming and does not cause cramps. You need to drink a good pint of water with the sachet but it does the job. It should always be prescribed along with opioids as constipation is not good for the body.

As for a comparison, opioids are much worse for constipation. Again though, it shouldn’t matter. You shouldn’t have to deal with it when you’ve got the right medication to treat it.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

There’s no reason you can’t use opioids. There are perfect options like osmotic laxatives to ensure you don’t become constipated. Laxido/movicol whatever it’s called where you are is an excellent osmotic laxative that is non habit forming and does not cause cramps. You need to drink a good pint of water with the sachet but it does the job. It should always be prescribed along with opioids as constipation is not good for the body.

As for a comparison, opioids are much worse for constipation. Again though, it shouldn’t matter. You shouldn’t have to deal with it when you’ve got the right medication to treat it.

I've have pelvic floor dysfunction for sure and possibly IBS-C I'm told. Can't even shit with prescription grade osmotic laxatives and taking zero constipation causing drugs when it's flaring.

My GI specialist is a professor at a top 3 university and says I can't take opioids it it will make it worse. I've tried and verified his hypothesis.

Another specialist gave me benzos which seem to actually relax the muscles and spasm in the pelvis enough to let the stool go through, but there is the paradoxical side effect of constipation (on paper) so I'm not really sure if it's going to be a net improvement or not.

They don't seem terribly constipating to me thus far but my dose is low and sometimes side effects take a while to show up.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Personally I've never experienced any GI-related issues with benzodiazepines. I don't think that it's a very common symptom for the drug class because I've never really heard much about it

 

[MsDiz]

I've have pelvic floor dysfunction for sure and possibly IBS-C I'm told. Can't even shit with prescription grade osmotic laxatives and taking zero constipation causing drugs when it's flaring.

My GI specialist is a professor at a top 3 university and says I can't take opioids it it will make it worse. I've tried and verified his hypothesis.

Another specialist (urologist) gave me benzos which seem to actually relax the muscles and spasm in the pelvis enough to let the stool go through, but there is the paradoxical side effect of constipation (on paper) so I'm not really sure if it's going to be a net improvement or not.

They don't seem terribly constipating to me thus far but my dose is low and sometimes side effects take a while to show up.

I honestly find it hard to believe you can’t have a bowel movement with an osmotic laxative such as movicol. It’s one of the main treatments for IBS-C. I’ve also got IBD and I use it. Maybe you might need a few more sachets and to take it more frequently but there really should be no reason it wouldn’t work. You really need to be drinking plenty of water when taking osmotic laxatives.

Yes of course opioids will make constipation worse but like I say, there are medications to help that. Maybe he’d just rather not prescribe opioids and is using that as an excuse.

 

[Gormur]

Personally I've never experienced any GI-related issues with benzodiazepines. I don't think that it's a very common symptom for the drug class because I've never really heard much about it

I'm obviously not a physician but I can briefly tell you OP, for me at least that I've never gotten constipation from benzodiazepines nor opiates/opioids. On the other hand, if I'd taken NSAIDs I'd end up with bloody stools. My condition probably isn't comparable to yours. I have celiac disease; basically my colon has holes in its lining because I can't digest gluten and certain drugs also mess with it

I think I'd go for a suppository drug. I don't know how that couldn't be safe, but again I'm not an expert. Best of luck to you

 

[GodFatherPoppy]

Benzos have never once made me constipated.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

I honestly find it hard to believe you can’t have a bowel movement with an osmotic laxative such as movicol. It’s one of the main treatments for IBS-C. I’ve also got IBD and I use it. Maybe you might need a few more sachets and to take it more frequently but there really should be no reason it wouldn’t work. You really need to be drinking plenty of water when taking osmotic laxatives.

Yes of course opioids will make constipation worse but like I say, there are medications to help that. Maybe he’d just rather not prescribe opioids and is using that as an excuse

He knows I have another specialist prescribing opioids and he knows him. It's not about trying to get out of prescribing opioids.

 

[G_Chem]

I’ve used them separately, and the constipation from benzos doesn’t even compare. Benzos constipation is on the same level as cannabis edibles, can slightly but correct measures can easily prevent it. Opiates take some more work/planning to be ok.

-GC

 

[negrogesic]

When i was on 380mg/day of methadone and was injecting 20mg or more of fentanyl on top of it i once had constipation so bad that i didn't shit for something like 2 weeks and had to literally reach in there and dig it out. The discomfort was tremendous. Laxatives had no effect. I frankly thought I'd need medical attention.

Now, I've abused benzos at similarly obscene doses and never noticed any significant constipation. So opioids win here a thousand times over.

As far as the brain is concerned however I've been far worse "impacted" (some pun intended, get it?) by benzos than opioids.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

I’ve used them separately, and the constipation from benzos doesn’t even compare. Benzos constipation is on the same level as cannabis edibles, can slightly but correct measures can easily prevent it. Opiates take some more work/planning to be ok.

Do cannabis edibles really cause constipation? A brief search I saw some articles saying cannabis per se relieves constipation. However, you can find articles saying cannabis cures or could potentially treat any disease in existence so its hard to trust cannabis claims.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

When i was on 380mg/day of methadone and was injecting 20mg or more of fentanyl on top of it i once had constipation so bad that i didn't shit for something like 2 weeks and had to literally reach in there and dig it out. The discomfort was tremendous. Laxatives had no effect. I frankly thought I'd need medical attention.

Now, I've abused benzos at similarly obscene doses and never noticed any significant constipation. So opioids win here a thousand times over.

As far as the brain is concerned however I've been far worse "impacted" (some pun intended, get it?) by benzos than opioids.

Damn that's a hell of a habit. I was using the same amount of fent at one point but with not with done on top of it.

 

[MsDiz]

When i was on 380mg/day of methadone and was injecting 20mg or more of fentanyl on top of it i once had constipation so bad that i didn't shit for something like 2 weeks and had to literally reach in there and dig it out. The discomfort was tremendous. Laxatives had no effect. I frankly thought I'd need medical attention.

Now, I've abused benzos at similarly obscene doses and never noticed any significant constipation. So opioids win here a thousand times over.

As far as the brain is concerned however I've been far worse "impacted" (some pun intended, get it?) by benzos than opioids.

You had fecal impaction clearly and I guarantee 8 sachets of movicol for a while and you’d have went. It would have liquidised everything in your bowel.

I honestly don’t understand why people have no idea about this stuff? You’re clearly a smart guy @negrogesic and you even let yourself get to that stage. The mind boggles tbh.

 

[negrogesic]

You had fecal impaction clearly and I guarantee 8 sachets of movicol for a while and you’d have went. It would have liquidised everything in your bowel.

I honestly don’t understand why people have no idea about this stuff? You’re clearly a smart guy @negrogesic and you even let yourself get to that stage. The mind boggles tbh.

Oh it was clearly a case of impaction (thus the impaction joke) but fortunately i dug myself out of that shitty situation as it didn't extend to a case of toxic megacolon .

As far as being smart, it wasn't very smart to be shooting fentanyl ontop of an unheard of methadone maintenance dose. I might place highly on standardized tests but I've never been particularly smart (at least as far as decision making goes ).

 

[MsDiz]

Oh it was clearly a case of impaction (thus the impaction joke) but fortunately i dug myself out of that shitty situation as it didn't extend to a case of toxic megacolon .

As far as being smart, it wasn't very smart to be shooting fentanyl ontop of an unheard of methadone maintenance dose. I might place highly on standardized tests but I've never been particularly smart (at least as far as decision making goes ).

I’m just surprised you dug yourself out of it rather than use drugs. You’re smart enough to know what does what.

Like do Drs get paid to hide the benefits of movicol? How do more people not realise how to use laxatives? It’s so fucking stupid.

 

[Nurse Ratched]

Benzos never constipated me. Codeine and morphine did however. Oxy and Vicodin did not. Those days are over and now I have these lovely large kratom dumps every morning.

 

[negrogesic]

I’m just surprised you dug yourself out of it rather than use drugs. You’re smart enough to know what does what.

Like do Drs get paid to hide the benefits of movicol? How do more people not realise how to use laxatives? It’s so fucking stupid.

When you are taking the equivalent of around 7 grams of morphine a day you're not doing much thinking or caring really, especially considering i was on a minimum of 3 different kinds of benzos topped off with some RC phenazepam during all of that. You essentially just wake up and realize your screwed. OTC laxatives didn't work at that point.

The shame with using a ton of benzos while you are on opioids is that you never really feel the opioids.

 

[MsDiz]

When you are taking the equivalent of around 7 grams of morphine a day you're not doing much thinking or caring really, especially considering i was on a minimum of 3 different kinds of benzos topped off with some RC phenazepam during all of that. You essentially just wake up and realize your screwed. OTC laxatives didn't work at that point.

The shame with using a ton of benzos while you are on opioids is that you never really feel the opioids.

I get it.

Im currently writing a post about how to deal with constipation. People clearly are clueless about it and are using laxatives incorrectly. I’m calling it “Everyone poops, except for opioid addicts.”

 

[Pickledlemons]

Msdiz is right, if polyethylene glycol isn't working for your constipation, it's because you're not taking enough. and I was told that by an ER doctor.

 

[G_Chem]

Do cannabis edibles really cause constipation? A brief search I saw some articles saying cannabis per se relieves constipation. However, you can find articles saying cannabis cures or could potentially treat any disease in existence so its hard to trust cannabis claims.

For me they can, but it’s nothing bad. I feel like any substance which relaxes and relieves pain is going to cause it to some extent or another.

Recently I had to use both lorazepam and edibles to get through my treatments and had noticeable constipation from the two. The doctor tried telling me benzos don’t cause it but I disagree.

-GC