Comfort options for your treatment

Most treatments at Serene need nothing more than numbing cream. For the ones that ask a little more of you — Morpheus8, CO² and Alma Hybrid resurfacing, Ultherapy, laser tattoo removal, PDO threads, Sculptra BBL, hormone pellet insertion — you now have a better option than laughing gas.

We’ve retired Pro-Nox (nitrous oxide)

For years med spas, including ours, offered Pro-Nox: self-administered nitrous oxide breathed through a mouthpiece. It took the edge off, but it wore off within minutes, it left many patients light-headed, and it counted as a sedative. In 2026 we replaced it with something we think is simply better for our patients.

Journavx® (suzetrigine): a new kind of pain medicine

Journavx is the first new class of pain medication approved by the FDA in more than twenty years (January 2025). It is approved for adults with moderate-to-severe acute pain, including pain after procedures. Instead of dulling the brain the way opioids do, it blocks a specific sodium channel (Na_V1.8) on the pain-sensing nerves themselves, so the signal is reduced before it ever reaches the brain.

What that means in practice:

• Not an opioid, not a controlled substance. No addiction risk, no DEA paperwork, nothing to lock away.
• You can drive. It doesn’t cause the sedation of nitrous or opioids, so you come and go on your own.
• It lasts. One dose covers the procedure and the hours after it, rather than the minutes nitrous gave you.
• It’s a normal prescription. We call it in to your own pharmacy. It is often covered by insurance; with a popular discount card the cash price is usually around $15, and the manufacturer offers a savings card for eligible patients. Serene doesn’t charge anything for it.

How it works at Serene

1. Ask for it when you book or at your consultation. Your provider reviews your health history and medication list — Journavx isn’t combined with strong CYP3A inhibitors, and it can reduce the effectiveness of some hormonal contraceptives.
2. We call the prescription in to the pharmacy you choose. Pick it up before your appointment.
3. Take it as instructed — typically about 30 minutes before your procedure. The first dose works best on an empty stomach (at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after food; water, black coffee or tea are fine).
4. Numbing as usual. We still apply topical anesthetic before microneedling, RF and laser treatments, and our fillers contain lidocaine. Journavx is in addition to, not instead of, those.

Good to know

• The most common side effects in studies were itching, muscle spasms, rash and a temporary rise in a muscle enzyme (CPK). Tell us if you have liver problems.
• Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice while taking it.
• If you use a hormonal contraceptive, use a backup method during treatment and for 28 days after your last dose. Journavx may also temporarily reduce fertility while you are taking it.
• It has not been studied in pregnancy, breastfeeding or in anyone under 18 — please tell your provider if any of these apply.
• Journavx is prescribed only when your provider judges it appropriate; it is never required for a treatment.

Journavx® is a registered trademark of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. Serene Med Spa has no financial relationship with the manufacturer. This page is general information, not a substitute for the prescribing information or your provider’s advice.