system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Hey Askscience, how do anesthetics work? 

What is it about their molecular structure that allows them to dull pain receptors? Do they trigger the release of other chemicals in the body to do so?
gpt
I assume you mean general anarsthetics, and the truth is that we don't really have a clear answer. Anaesthics are very unusual in being a widely used and effective drug where we do not really understand the mechanism of action. What is interesting is that compounds that are structurally completely unrelated can have anesthetic properties; for example thiopentone is a barbiturate and causes anesthesia, but so does xenon which is a noble gas.
Its likely there are several different mechanisms operating.