Forms of administration of lidocaine | Lidocaine

Forms of administration of lidocaine

Also used as a spray, skin and mucous membranes can be effectively numbed with lidocaine. Especially in the ear, nose and throat area, spray can be used to reduce sensitivity. By spraying into the throat area, examinations in this area can be performed without immediately causing a gagging sensation in the patient.

Even small operations such as the incision of the eardrum (paracentesis) can be performed after the application of Lidocain Pumpspray usually without problems and pain. Furthermore, the spray can be used to support gels and plasters to strengthen the effect of these in the short term.The spray can also be used to relieve pain when cleaning abrasions or to ease the pain of superficial burns. A slight burning sensation on the skin immediately after spraying is harmless and usually subsides quickly, but at the latest when the anaesthetic effect sets in.

The spray must not be used on children under the age of two years because of its menthol content, as it can cause severe irritation of the respiratory tract. Likewise, the lidocaine spray must not be used to anaesthetize the eyes. The effects of lidocaine can also be used with plasters.

Many people suffer from permanent pain in a certain area of the skin after infection with herpes zoster virus. A patch with lidocaine can relieve pain continuously over a longer period of time by constantly releasing a small amount of lidocaine from the patch to the skin. A patch with a concentration of 5% is available in Europe.

The effect lasts about 12 hours, after which the patch must be removed. After a patch-free break of 12 hours, a new patch can be applied. Here too, the maximum dose must be observed, especially if several patches are applied at the same time (maximum permitted quantity: 3 patches at a time).

If the dosage is too large, there is a risk of serious side effects on the cardiovascular system, as a certain amount always enters the body. Do not use a patch on wounds or mucous membranes, as the amount of lidocaine that enters the body increases enormously. Caution should be exercised here in people who are particularly sensitive to lidocaine in the body.

These include patients with liver and kidney dysfunctions. Long-term use is only recommended in urgent cases due to the harmful metabolic products of lidocaine and should be discussed in detail with the treating physician. Lidocaine in gel form is particularly suitable for local treatment of painful wounds or inflammation of the oral mucosa or gums.

The lidocaine contained in the gel temporarily numbs the affected areas of the mucous membrane and makes it possible, for example, to eat or drink without pain. For teething babies, the gels are available in extra child-friendly dosages to make teething more tolerable. Some gels available on the market contain additional anti-inflammatory and soothing natural ingredients such as sage or chamomile.

As the continuous production of saliva means that the duration of action is very short, more frequent application is necessary, but the recommended maximum dosage should always be observed to avoid side effects. More about this:

• Lidocaine gel

As a cream or ointment, lidocaine can be used for temporary anesthesia of various parts of the body. Simply put, a cream is an ointment that is somewhat thinner due to a higher water content.

The creamed-in area will be temporarily numb and neither pain nor other sensations can be perceived. After applying the cream, it is even possible to perform minor superficial procedures on the skin (e.g. taking samples from moles). In children or other anxious patients, applying lidocaine before necessary needle pricks can make them painless.

For this purpose, however, a thick layer of cream is necessary which is fixed with a covering bandage. The duration of the anesthesia is then about 1-2 hours. A further area of application of the cream is the treatment of painful skin changes in the anal area such as haemorrhoids or anal fissures (= painful tears of the mucous membrane in the anal area).

More information about the use of Lidocaine as an ointment can be found here. Lidocaine as an anaesthetic in a syringe is mainly used by dentists to anaesthetize the nerves in the oral area of operations. After injection, the effect starts after 10-15 minutes and lasts for 1-1.5 hours.

After this time, however, the feeling does not return abruptly but very slowly. Similarly to the patches described above, patients with heart disease should use lidocaine with caution, as a large amount of lidocaine can enter the body through accidental injection into a vessel and cause side effects. What is an unintended side effect of patches and local anesthesia is even desired in certain types of cardiac arrhythmia, and so Lidocaine is even injected directly into a vessel as the drug of choice in these patients.

Lidocaine as a powder is used more in the drug scene than in medicine, although a ready-to-use powder is available from a supplier on the German drug market.In the drug scene lidocaine in powder form is often used to stretch cocaine or heroin, as the powder appears to be the same on the outside and is similar to coke in taste. What is missing is the intoxicating component, the kick. Especially in recent years, high doses of lidocaine have been increasingly discovered in the drug powder, as it is cheaper than the more expensive cocaine or heroin.

The high doses, however, have the side effects already described, so that the admixture has already frequently led to deaths due to Lidocaine overdoses. Lidocaine can also be administered in suppository form. Here the effect of lidocaine as a local anaesthetic is used to soothe painful or itchy spots in the anus area.

These include haemorrhoids, anal fissures, minor injuries and abscesses, and rectal inflammation. Lidocaine can also be used as a suppository before and after painful examinations in the anal region. Unless otherwise prescribed, the normal dose is a 60 mg suppository twice daily.

There are different manufacturers and preparations, which is why the approvals for different applications differ in some cases. Another possibility to administer lidocaine is a mouth rinse. Here too, the analgesic and anaesthetic effect of lidocaine is used.

The mouth rinsing solution is used for inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa such as mucositis. These inflammations of the oral mucosa occur especially in patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation and can be a great burden for the patient. Here, lidocaine helps to alleviate the pain and promotes healing of the mucous membrane.

The effect lasts only about half an hour and is therefore often used so that the patient can eat without pain. Lidocaine is very often used as a lozenge for anaesthesia and pain relief in cases of sore throat or gum inflammation. The lozenges are freely available and have a maximum dose of eight tablets per day.

Overdoses are not known to occur with this dosage form. In addition to lidocaine, the tablets often contain antibacterial and disinfectant substances. So far there are no studies whether the drug may be used during pregnancy and lactation.

In small doses, lidocaine in condoms can delay the time to ejaculation and is therefore suitable for treating men who suffer from premature ejaculation. This is done by numbing the tip of the penis, which leads to reduced sensation. These anaesthetic condoms are available over the counter in drugstores.

An anesthetization of the partner is not excluded. Lidocaine is mainly used as a lubricant in urology. It is used for the painless and injury-free insertion of urine catheters and endoscopes into the urethra.

The effect starts five to ten minutes after administration and lasts 20 to 30 minutes. In most cases, antibacterial substances are added to the lidocaine in order to also prevent infections during catheterization. Another area of application is endotracheal intubation, for example during anesthesia during surgery. Here too, lidocaine is used to ensure that the intubation process is as injury-free as possible.