Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have made a groundbreaking discovery that could change the way doctors manage pain after surgery. They found that a drug called N-acetylcysteine, or NAC, which is already approved by the FDA for other medical uses, can help ease post-surgical pain and reduce the need for opioid medications.
This discovery is especially important because opioids, while effective at treating severe pain, come with serious risks. They can lead to addiction, cause side effects like drowsiness and nausea, and often become less effective the longer they are used. Finding safer alternatives is a top priority for many doctors and researchers.
In this new study, the focus was on patients undergoing spinal surgery. The research team, led by Dr. Sylvia Wilson and Dr. Michael Scofield, tested whether NAC could help with recovery pain.
Dr. Wilson has long been searching for better ways to manage pain without heavy reliance on opioids. Dr. Scofield, meanwhile, has studied NAC’s effects on the brain, especially how it relates to addiction and pain processing.
In the clinical trial, some spinal surgery patients were given NAC during their operation, while others received a placebo (a harmless saline solution). After surgery, the group that received NAC reported feeling less pain and needed 19% fewer doses of opioid painkillers than the placebo group.
Even more interesting, they waited longer before asking for their first dose of pain medication—suggesting that NAC may offer longer-lasting pain relief than expected.
This lines up with earlier research by Dr. Scofield showing that NAC can have lasting effects on the brain’s response to pain and addiction. In previous addiction studies, NAC helped reduce heroin cravings, pointing to its powerful and long-term influence on how the brain processes discomfort.
Encouraged by these results, the team is now expanding their research. They are testing NAC’s effects in other types of surgeries, starting with minimally invasive hysterectomies. The goal is to see whether NAC can provide the same pain relief benefits in different surgical situations and to confirm that it remains safe and effective across a wider range of patients.
Changing how doctors manage post-surgical pain won’t happen overnight. It takes strong scientific proof and large clinical trials. But Dr. Wilson and her team are determined to build that evidence.
If NAC continues to show promise, it could become a new standard for pain management—one that helps patients recover more comfortably and safely, without relying so heavily on opioids.
This research represents an exciting step forward in the effort to improve patient care after surgery. For patients, doctors, and families affected by the risks of opioid use, NAC may offer a safer, more effective way to manage pain and support healing.
The full results of the study are available in the journal Pain Management, offering a hopeful glimpse into the future of surgery recovery.
If you care about pain, please read studies about vitamin K deficiency linked to hip fractures in old people, and these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
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