Lidocaine topical

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What is the most important information I should know about lidocaine topical?

An overdose of numbing medications can cause fatal side effects if too much of the medicine is absorbed through your skin and into your blood. This is more likely to occur when using a numbing medicine without the advice of a medical doctor (such as during a cosmetic procedure like laser hair removal). However, overdose has also occurred in women treated with a numbing medicine before having a mammography. Overdose symptoms may include uneven heartbeats, seizure (convulsions), coma, slowed breathing, or respiratory failure (breathing stops).

Your body may absorb more of this medication if you use too much, if you apply it over large skin areas, or if you apply heat, bandages, or plastic wrap to treated skin areas. Skin that is cut or irritated may also absorb more topical medication than healthy skin.

Use the smallest amount of this medication needed to numb the skin or relieve pain. Do not use large amounts of lidocaine topical, or cover treated skin areas with a bandage or plastic wrap without medical advice. Be aware that many cosmetic procedures are performed without a medical doctor present.

Keep both used and unused lidocaine topical patches out of the reach of children or pets. The amount of lidocaine in the skin patches could be harmful to a child or pet who accidentally sucks on or swallows the patch. Seek emergency medical attention if this happens.

Warning

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

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What is lidocaine topical?

Lidocaine is a local anesthetic (numbing medication). It works by blocking nerve signals in your body.

Lidocaine topical (for use on the skin) is used to reduce pain or discomfort caused by skin irritations such as sunburn, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and minor cuts, scratches, hemorrhoids, and burns.

Lidocaine topical may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

Precautions

An overdose of numbing medications can cause fatal side effects if too much of the medicine is absorbed through your skin and into your blood.

Overdose is more likely to occur when using a numbing medicine without the advice of a medical doctor (such as during a cosmetic procedure like laser hair removal). However, overdose has also occurred in women treated with a numbing medicine before having a mammography. Symptoms may include uneven heartbeats, seizure (convulsions), coma, slowed breathing, or respiratory failure (breathing stops).

Do not use lidocaine topical if you are allergic to any other type of numbing medicine.

Before using lidocaine topical, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have liver disease, or broken, swollen, or damaged skin. You may not be able to use lidocaine topical, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Lidocaine topical can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not allow this medication to come into contact with your eyes. If it does, rinse with water. Avoid touching the sticky side of a lidocaine skin patch while applying it.

Avoid using other topical medications on the affected area unless your doctor has told you to.

Instructions

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Lidocaine topical applied to the skin is not likely to cause an overdose unless you apply more than the recommended dose. Overdose may also occur if you apply heat, bandages, or plastic wrap to treated skin areas.

Improper use of lidocaine topical may result in death.

Overdose symptoms may include drowsiness, confusion, nervousness, ringing in your ears, blurred vision, feeling hot or cold, numbness, muscle twitches, uneven heartbeats, seizure (convulsions), slowed breathing, or respiratory failure (breathing stops).

Since lidocaine topical is used as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are using the medication regularly, use the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and use the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Side Effects

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

Stop using lidocaine topical and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

uneven heartbeats;
drowsiness, confusion;
tremors, seizure (convulsions); or
blurred vision.

Less serious side effects include:

mild irritation, redness, or swelling where the medication is applied;
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. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Interactions

Before using lidocaine topical, tell your doctor if you are taking medication to treat a heart rhythm disorder, such as:

quinidine (Quinidex, Quinaglute);
disopyramide (Norpace);
flecainide (Tambocor);
mexiletine (Mexitil);
procainamide (Procan, Pronestyl);
tocainide (Tonocard); or
propafenone (Rythmol).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with lidocaine topical. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.