Lidocaine

Description

Lidocaine is an effective numbing medicine used before surgical procedures. It blocks nerve signals from a specific part of the body and is categorized as a local anesthetic medicine. It is also used to treat arrhythmia characterized by an improper beating of the heart.

Side effects

Major & minor side effects for Lidocaine

  • Flushing or redness of skin
  • Injection site bruising and red coloration
  • Nausea or Vomiting
  • Cracked or scaly skin
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Join pain and swelling
  • Swelling of face, lips, eyelids, tongue, hands and feet
  • Blurred vision
  • Chills or cold sweats
  • Dizziness when getting up suddenly from a sitting position
  • Shaking and trembling of arms and feet
  • Unusual tiredness and weakness
  • Unpleasant aftertaste
  • Ringing or buzzing in the ears
  • Decrease/loss of hearing
  • Unusual thirst
  • Convulsions (seizures)

Uses of Lidocaine

What is it prescribed for?

  • Anesthesia
  • Pain and irritation
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Postherpetic Neuralgia
  • Cardiac arrythmia
  • Gastrointestinal tract examination
  • Labor pain and discomfort
  • Nerve block to relieve pain
Read More
Concerns

Commonly asked questions

  • Onset of action
    The amount of time taken for this medicine to show its effect is subject to variations based on the intended use and route of administration. The effect of this medicine can be observed within 45-90 seconds upon intravenous administration while the transdermal form takes 4-6 hours.
  • Duration of effect
    The time duration for which this medicine remains effective in the body is subject to variations based on the route of administration. The intravenous form is short acting while the other forms stay effective for longer durations.
  • Safe with alcohol?
    Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
  • Is it habit forming?
    No habit forming tendencies were reported.
  • Usage in pregnancy?
    This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless absolutely necessary. Discuss all the risks and benefits with your doctor before using this medicine.
  • Usage while breast-feeding?
    This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless absolutely necessary. Discuss all the risks and benefits with your doctor before using this medicine.

Allergy

This medicine is not recommended for use if you have a known history of allergy to Lidocaine or any other amide type local anesthetics.

Adams Stokes syndrome

This medicine is not recommended for use in patients having repeated episodes of fainting due to periodic onset and offset of blockage of impulses in the heart.

Heart block

This medicine is not recommended for use in patients having a secondary or tertiary degree of heart block and no pacemaker is implanted to correct the defect.

Wolff Parkinson White syndrome

This medicine is not recommended for use if you have this rare genetic condition that affects the conduction of impulses in the heart.
Warnings for special population

Pregnancy

This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless absolutely necessary. Discuss all the risks and benefits with your doctor before using this medicine.

Breast-feeding

This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless absolutely necessary. Discuss all the risks and benefits with your doctor before using this medicine.
General warnings

Other medicines

Report the use of all other medicines including herbs and supplements to the doctor before receiving Lidocaine to rule out the chances of a potential interaction.

Malignant hyperthermia

Use of this medicine can cause Malignant hyperthermia characterized by a rapid rise in body temperature and severe muscle pain. Use of this medicine should be stopped at the first instance of this condition.

Eye/Ear irritation

The topical form of this medicine should not be applied to the eyes, ears or cracked skin surface. Wash the eyes immediately with water if contact with this medicine occurs.

Teething problems

This medicine should not be used to treat pain associated with teething in infants and children. Use of this medicine to treat teething pain can cause severe damage to the brain and the heart.

Topical anesthetics and food

Food should be taken only after an hour if this medicine is used in the mouth or throat. This medicine may impair the process of swallowing and may cause aspiration and risk of biting the tongue.

Liver impairment

This medicine should be used with caution in patients having an impairment of normal liver function. Appropriate dose adjustments and monitoring of liver enzymes during treatment are advised.

Kidney impairment

This medicine should be used with caution in patients having an impairment of normal kidney function. Appropriate dose adjustments and monitoring of kidney function during the course of treatment are advised.

Heart disease

This medicine should be used with extreme caution in patients having a pre-existing heart condition. Any incidences of heart rhythm abnormalities in the past or present should be reported to the doctor.

Monitoring of ECG

Monitoring of ECG and other parameters is must when the intravenous form of this medicine is given to a patient for anesthesia.

Respiratory Depression

Use of this medicine has been associated with breathing difficulties and hence it should be used with caution in patients having a preexisting breathing disorder.

Drowsiness and impairment of thinking

Use of this medicine may cause drowsiness and may impair the thinking capabilities and hence driving vehicles or operating machinery after taking this medicine is not recommended.

Missed Dose

Oral forms: Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, if you are on a dosing schedule. Usually, the injectable form is administered in a clinical/hospital set up by a qualified healthcare professional and the topical form has no dosing regimen, hence the likelihood of missing a dose is very low.

Overdose

Contact your doctor immediately if an overdose with this medicine is suspected. Symptoms of an overdose may include slowed or difficult breathing, change in heart rate, coma etc.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol

Description

Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.

Instructions

Interaction with alcohol is unknown. It is advisable to consult your doctor before consumption.
Interaction with Medicine

Chlordiazepoxide

Fluconazole

Propranolol

Tramadol

Amiodarone

Sodium Nitrite

Prilocaine

Cimetidine

Disease interactions

Teething pain

This medicine is not recommended for use in teething infants and young children as the risk of fatal adverse effects is significantly high. Use of this medicine may cause seizures, severe brain damage, and heart complications in this population group.

Heart disease

This medicine should be used with extreme caution in patients having a pre-existing condition of the heart. The risk of severe adverse effects is significantly high and hence treatment with a safer substitute is advised.

Liver/kidney impairment

This medicine should be used with extreme caution in patients having an impairment of normal liver/kidney function. Appropriate dose adjustments and constant monitoring of liver/kidney function are advised in such cases.

Seizure disorders

This medicine should be used with caution in patients having a seizure disorder. Appropriate dose adjustments and frequent monitoring are advised in such cases.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take/Use Lidocaine exactly as prescribed by the doctor. The form of the medicine, route of administration and dosage timings and duration is very specific to your condition and hence adherence to the instructions given by the doctor is a must. Follow all usage related instructions mentioned on the label or the package insert. Report any adverse effects to the doctor immediately.
Miscelleneous

Usage does not depend on food timings

To be taken as instructed by doctor

Causes sleepiness

How it works
This medicine works by blocking pain signals from the body to the brain. It works on the heart rhythm by affecting the electrical signals generated by the heart.
Legal Status

Approved

Approved

Approved

Approved

Classification

Category

Group I antiarrhythmics, Local injectable anesthetics, Topical anesthetics

Schedule

Schedule H

DailyMed - A3736-22- regional anesthesia kit [Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2017 [cited 16 June 2017]. Available from:

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=c38ce5e9-5b1c-4ec8-bf85-12199a84f5a5

Lidocaine - DrugBank [Internet]. Drugbank.ca. 2017 [cited 16 June 2017]. Available from:

https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00281

Lidocaine Viscous: MedlinePlus Drug Information [Internet]. Medlineplus.gov. 2017 [cited 16 June 2017]. Available from:

https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682701.html

[Internet]. 2018 [cited 8 February 2018]. Available from:

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/20887

[Internet]. Accessdata.fda.gov. 2018 [cited 8 February 2018]. Available from:

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2014/022221s005lbl.pdf

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Information on this page was last updated on 8 Feb 2018

Disclaimer

We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.