@Musing, benzos have a real place in pain control too, one that is now completely ignored now because of addiction fears. they not only are the best muscle relaxers, but they lessen the stress of constant pain. doctors rarely prescribe them now for pain, especially chronic pain.
i have a relative with ic. 12 years ago her doc had her on a steady regimen of meds, including tram and a monthly amount of vicodin for flares. well, that doc retired too and the new doc's latest cutting edge advice was to take aloe vera gel pills, because they "might" coat your bladder. (spoiler: they did not and provided zero pain relief). 12 years ago they acknowledged the pain severe enough for tram and vicodin, and now they are recommending supplements from the health food store.
is it any surprise people no longer trust docs?