Diazepam and pain

[mynameiscalypso]

For the avoidance of doubt, I know MN is not a doctor but I'm after anecdotes rather than anything else (and will speak to my doctor on Monday).

I'm having a flare up of inflammatory arthritis at the moment. I'm taking daily steroids and painkillers (NSAID and co-codamol with the odd bit of stronger stuff if I need it) which is keeping it manageable. I also take escitalopram. My psych has prescribed me a short course of diazepam (5mg for 7 days) to take at night. This has happened previously and is just to tide me over until I can see him next week and he can properly adjust my meds. I took one last night and today my arthritis pain has been worse than it has ever been before. I had to crawl downstairs and despite raiding my most powerful painkillers, I'm still in a lot of pain. Is this just a coincidence or can diazepam make pain worse? I've read a few articles which say that they don't really have a painkilling effect, which I wasn't expecting, but nothing on them actively making pain worse. Has anyone experienced anything like this? My psych is non-contactable today so I can't ask him but I will do if it continues.

(Incidentally, before anyone says anything, I get no pleasant side effects from any of these drugs and make sure to take them sporadically to avoid physical dependence)

I have been prescribed diazepam for pain. It acts as a muscle relaxant which can ease pain. Not heard of it making pain worse though. Hope you feel better soon.

If you spent the night completely sparko & relaxed and didn’t move as much as you normally would (we all fidget in our sleep but aren’t really conscious of it) then it could conceivably make joints/muscles stiffer for a while.

Thanks, I was wondering if it was something like this maybe. I don't sleep well generally and had quite a disturbed night from the early hours onwards (a mix of pain and a noisy DS who talks in his sleep a lot) but I could have been quite deeply asleep for the first few hours until I woke up so that may have made me stiffer, you're right.

I have RA and am on a longish term course of diazapiam atm for a frozen/dislocated shoulder that won't stay in place.
The diazapiam shouldn't make your RA pain worse, I'd say if anything it has helped mine.
I would agree with above that perhaps you got to sleep for a longer time in 1 position that you aren't used to and its aggravated something today....cause of course nothing will be nice and helpful and easy with RA 🙄🤣

Hope you feel a bit looser soon and maybe tonight you get a better rest 💊😘

Thanks @70sDuvet, sorry to hear about your woes too. I think the sleeping position is probably a good shout because I got 3 hours of disturbed sleep last night and my pain is back to normal levels.