# @nickpappasmd on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/Da-qtCtOhG1
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67998287-nickpappasmd-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/58702b0d64.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-07-19T15:20:24.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Nick Pappas, MD (@nickpappasmd) — https://gondola.cc/nickpappasmd

## Caption

💊 As an orthopedic surgeon, I prescribe opioids on a regular basis for pain, especially after surgery.  They can be very effective for treating severe pain when used appropriately.

That said, some of my patients ask about non-opioid alternatives because they’ve previously experienced side effects like constipation 🤢, nausea 🤮, excessive drowsiness 😴, or they simply want to avoid opioids due to concerns about dependency.

Here are five of the most common non-opioid options I discuss:

✅ Ibuprofen – Excellent for inflammation and relieving pain from orthopedic injuries, but long-term use can increase the risk of stomach ulcers, kidney problems, and cardiovascular issues.  Use over three weeks has been shown to potentially delay healing of bone and soft tissue.

✅ Tylenol (Acetaminophen) – Effective for many types of pain and easy on the stomach, but excessive doses can cause serious liver damage.

✅ Topical & Oral CBD – Topical CBD is becoming increasingly popular, and a small randomized controlled trial found it improved arthritis pain. Regarding oral CBD, the research results are still mixed in terms of its effectiveness for pain relief, sleep, and reducing anxiety.

✅ Gabapentin – Can work well for nerve pain, but may cause dizziness and drowsiness. Some observational studies have found an association between years of chronic use and dementia, although this has not been proven to be a cause-and-effect relationship.

✅ JOURNAVX (Suzetrigine) – One of the newest non-opioid pain medications. It blocks pain signals without acting on opioid receptors and, based on current evidence, appears to have a low risk of addiction.

🏆 The “best” pain medication depends on the type of pain you’re treating. In many cases, the most effective approach combines the right medication with physical therapy, exercise, adequate sleep, and addressing the underlying cause—not just masking the symptoms.

👇 Have you tried any of these? Which worked best for you?

#orthopedics #painmanagement #opioids #arthritis #healthinfo

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- **Views:** 30,058
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## Tags

painmanagement, orthopedics, opioids, healthinfo, arthritis

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