Analgesic Effects of Alcohol: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Experimental Studies in Healthy Participants

Thompson, Trevor; Oram, Charlotte; Correll, Christoph U.; Tsermentseli, Stella; Stubbs, Brendon

doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2016.11.009

Cited by 133 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…This finding suggests a progressive analgesic effect of ethanol along with chronic alcohol consumption. In humans, alcohol is also an effective analgesic that could explain excessive alcohol drinking in those with persistent pain . Hence, the progressive analgesic effect of ethanol that is only seen in male SNI mice may be a driving factor for excessive alcohol consumption.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced sensitivity to ethanol and excessive drinking in a mouse model of neuropathic pain

et al. 2019

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The co-occurrence of chronic pain and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) involves complex interactions between genetic and neurophysiological aspects, and the research has reported mixed findings when they both co-occur. There is also an indication of a gender-dependent effect; males are more likely to use alcohol to cope with chronic pain problems than females. Recently, a new conceptualization has emerged, proposing that the negative affective component of pain drives and maintains alcohol-related behaviors. We studied in a longitudinal fashion alterations in alcohol drinking patterns and pain thresholds in a mouse model of chronic neuropathic pain in a sex-dependent manner. Following partial denervation (spared nerve injury [SNI]), stimulus-evoked pain responses were measured before chronic alcohol consumption, during drinking, during a deprivation phase, and following an episode of excessive drinking. During the course of alcohol drinking, we observed pronounced sex differences in pain thresholds. Male mice showed a strong increase in pain thresholds, suggesting an analgesic effect induced by alcohol over time, an effect that was not observed in female mice. SNI mice did not differ from shamoperated controls in baseline alcohol consumption. However, following a deprivation phase and the reintroduction of ethanol, male SNI mice but not female mice showed more pronounced excessive drinking than controls. Finally, we observed decreased central ethanol sensitivity in male SNI mice but not in females. Together with our finding, that ethanol is able to decrease a pain-induced negative affective memory we come to following conclusion. We propose that a lower sensitivity to the intoxicating effects of alcohol together with the ability of alcohol to reduce the negative affective component of pain may explain the higher co-occurrence of AUD in male chronic pain patients.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced sensitivity to ethanol and excessive drinking in a mouse model of neuropathic pain

et al. 2019

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“…The association between pain and alcohol use is clearly complex, and the mechanisms of comorbidity of chronic pain and AUD are not well understood in humans. There is a literature examining analgesic effects of alcohol (Chung and Wang, ; Hill et al, ; Patberg et al, ; Thompson et al, ; Woodrow and Eltherington, ), and recent empirical work has found acute pain increases the urge to drink (Moskal et al, ). Further, preliminary work indicates greater alcohol consumption is associated with momentary reductions in pain (Carpenter et al, ).…”

Section: Comorbidity Of Problematic Alcohol Use and Painmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Older laboratory‐based studies have examined analgesic effects of alcohol in humans (Brown and Cutter, ; Cutter et al, ; Cutter et al, ; Stewart et al, ) and have generally found that alcohol reduces acute pain (Thompson et al, ). Expectancies for pain reduction partially explained the effects in these prior studies (Egli et al, ).…”

Section: Clinical Models To Investigate the Intersection Of Aud And Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alcohol and Pain: A Translational Review of Preclinical and Clinical Findings to Inform Future Treatment Strategies

Edwards

Vendruscolo

Gilpin

et al. 2020

Alcoholism Clin & Exp Res

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Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and chronic pain are enduring and devastating conditions that share an intersecting epidemiology and neurobiology. Chronic alcohol use itself can produce a characteristic painful neuropathy, while the regular analgesic use of alcohol in the context of nociceptive sensitization and heightened affective pain sensitivity may promote negative reinforcement mechanisms that underlie AUD maintenance and progression. The goal of this review was to provide a broad translational framework that communicates research findings spanning preclinical and clinical studies, including a review of genetic, molecular, behavioral, and social mechanisms that facilitate interactions between persistent pain and alcohol use. We also consider recent evidence that will shape future investigations into novel treatment mechanisms for pain in individuals suffering from AUD.

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“…For example, regular alcohol use has been implicated in the onset and progression of several painful conditions, 10,11 pain intensity has been positively associated with AUDIT total scores, 12 and laboratory pain induction has been shown to increase the urge to drink 13 . Alcohol has also been shown to confer acute analgesia, 14 and, consistent with negative reinforcement models of addiction, 15 amelioration of negative affect has been identified as a key mechanism in the effects of experimental pain induction on motivation to drink alcohol 7,13 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pain Severity and Alcohol Use Among Daily Tobacco Cigarette Smokers

2020

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Background and Objectives Pain is associated with hazardous alcohol use. Drinkers have reported using alcohol for pain‐coping, and negative affect may be a key mechanism in pain‐induced motivation to drink. However, no previous study has examined pain severity in relation to alcohol consumption, dependence, and alcohol‐related consequences. Moreover, no studies have examined pain‐alcohol interrelations among tobacco cigarette smokers. These secondary analyses tested the hypotheses that greater past 4‐week pain severity would be positively associated with indices of hazardous drinking (ie, quantity/frequency, harmful use, and dependence), and that the current pain intensity would be positively/indirectly associated with the urge to drink via negative affect. Methods Participants included 225 daily smokers (43% female; MCPD = 22) who completed the baseline session for a larger experimental study. Results Every one‐point increase in pain severity was associated with a 47% increased likelihood of hazardous drinking, and pain severity was positively associated with quantity/frequency of alcohol consumption, harmful patterns of drinking, and alcohol dependence level (Ps < .05). Pain intensity was indirectly associated with urge to drink via negative affect (P < .05). Conclusions These findings provide initial evidence that smokers with greater pain severity may also report hazardous patterns of alcohol use. Scientific Significance This is the first study to demonstrate that past 4‐week pain severity may be one factor that maintains three conceptually distinct patterns of hazardous drinking among smokers. The current results also provide the first evidence that greater pain intensity may be associated with an increased urge to drink alcohol, via negative affect. (Am J Addict 2020;29:134–140)

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Analgesic Effects of Alcohol: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Experimental Studies in Healthy Participants

Cited by 133 publications

References 65 publications

Reduced sensitivity to ethanol and excessive drinking in a mouse model of neuropathic pain

Reduced sensitivity to ethanol and excessive drinking in a mouse model of neuropathic pain

Alcohol and Pain: A Translational Review of Preclinical and Clinical Findings to Inform Future Treatment Strategies

Pain Severity and Alcohol Use Among Daily Tobacco Cigarette Smokers

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