L-Caine

Topical:

Lidocaine is a prescription medication used to prevent pain before procedures or to relieve pain due to certain conditions.  Lidocaine patches may be used to treat pain due to post-herpetic neuralgia. Lidocaine ointment, gel, and cream are used to prevent and control pain during procedures, such as intubation and eye surgery, and relieve pain due to conditions such as inflammation of the urethra and sore throat. Lidocaine oral solution is used to treat pain in the mouth.

Injectable:

Injectable lidocaine is used as an anesthetic during surgical procedures.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

L-Caine is part of the drug classes:

• Amides

• Analgesics and anesthetics

• Anesthetics for topical use

• Anesthetics, local

• Antiarrhythmics, class Ib

Before taking lidocaine, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to lidocaine or to any of its ingredients
• are allergic to other local anesthetics, including bupivacaine (Marcaine), etidocaine (Duranest), mepivacaine (Carbocaine, Prolocaine), or prilocaine (Citanest)
• have Stokes-Adams syndrome or Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
• have sinoatrial, atrioventricular, or intraventricular block
• have or have had liver disease
• are having surgery, including dental surgery
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. The dose and frequency of use of lidocaine will depend on the condition being treated or the procedure you will undergo.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• how you respond to this medication

Do not use topical forms of lidocaine on broken or blistered skin.

Do not swallow the oral solution of lidocaine. Swish and/or gargle in your mouth and/or throat and spit out the solution.

You should not receive this medicine if you are allergic to lidocaine injection or any other type of numbing medicine, or if you have:

• severe heart block;

• a heart rhythm disorder called Stokes-Adams syndrome (sudden slow heart beats that can cause you to faint); or

• a heart rhythm disorder called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (sudden fast heartbeats that can cause you to faint or become easily tired).

To make sure lidocaine injection is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• an allergy to corn products;

• liver disease;

• kidney disease;

• heart disease (unless you are being treated with lidocaine injection for a heart condition);

• coronary artery disease, circulation problems; or

• a history of malignant hyperthermia.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.

Lidocaine can pass into breast milk, but effects on the nursing baby are not known. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Tell your caregiver right away if you have:

• twitching, tremors, seizure (convulsions);

• a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;

• slow heart rate, weak pulse, weak or shallow breathing;

• sudden feeling of warmth with muscle stiffness and pain;

• dark urine;

• blue appearance of the skin; or

• severe anxiety, unusual fear or uneasy feeling.

Common side effects may include:

• drowsiness, dizziness;

• vomiting;

• feeling hot or cold;

• confusion, ringing in your ears, blurred vision, double vision; or

• numbness in places where the medicine is accidentally applied.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any you start or stop using, especially:

• cimetidine, fluvoxamine, nefazodone, St John's wort;

• antibiotic or antifungal medicine;

• antiviral medicine to treat hepatitis or HIV/AIDS;

• heart or blood pressure medicine--amiodarone, digoxin, nicardipine, procainamide, propranolol;

• seizure medicine--carbamazepine, phenytoin; or

• tuberculosis medicine--isoniazid, rifampin.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with lidocaine injection, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

Applies to lidocaine: intradermal powder

Along with its needed effects, lidocaine (the active ingredient contained in L-Caine) may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking lidocaine:

• Flushing or redness of the skin
• itching skin
• small red or purple spots on the skin
• unusually warm skin

• Bruising, bleeding, burning, swelling, or pain at the application site

Some side effects of lidocaine may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Nausea
• vomiting