In a paper in Anesthesiology found that RTX, a cactus-like plant native to Morocco may help limit the use of opioid medication while in the hospital and during home recovery.

Many medical providers turn to opioids, such as morphine or fentanyl, for moderate to severe post-operative pain relief, but these often come with side effects that can interfere with recovery. RTX is not an opioid and does not act in the brain but rather on the nerve endings in the skin. It can be used to block pain from the surgical incision selectively for approximately 10 days.