Some Unknown Facts About Lidocaine

Lidocaine is an active ingredient in most of the topical anesthetic creams. It is a numbing medication that found in number of forms like gel, cream, injection and patch. The agent lidocaine is used in various medications such as Burnamycin, Lidoderm, and Xylocaine.

It helps in pain relief without the side effects of general anesthesia or narcotic pain medication that can leave you feeling sleepy. It works perfectly well by deadening the nerve endings in the skin, which, in turn, blocks the pain signal to the brain.

• When was lidocaine first used?

Two Swedish chemists, Nils Löfgren and Bengt Lundqvist, invented the compound we know today as “lidocaine” in the year 1942. And clinically it was discovered by Dr. Torsten Gordh, the first physician in Sweden to specialize in anesthesiology. Lidocaine, the first amino amide–type local anesthetic, was first synthesized under the name 'xylocaine'. Bengt Lundqvist performed the first injection anesthesia experiments on himself. It was first marketed in 1949.

• How lidocaine works?

The pathways of pain signals along the nerves get temporarily blocked by effective working of lidocaine. Sodium that tries to enter the nerve ending at the site of the pain is stopped by lidocaine and it thereby prevents the electrical signal to build up and pass along the nerve fibres to the brain.

• How long does lidocaine injection last?

The drugs like bupivacaine (Marcaine), articaine (Zorcaine), and Mepivacaine (Carbocaine) are similar to lidocaine and helps in reducing the pain sensation by blocking the nerve impulses that send the same sensations to the brain. Lidocaine start its work immediately within 90 seconds and the effects lasts about approximately 20 minutes.

• Is lidocaine a steroid?

Lidocaine belongs to a group of medicines known as topical local anesthetics. Nerve endings in the skin are deadened by the lidocaine. Hydrocortisone is a corticosteroid (cortisone-like medicine) that is used to relieve the redness, itching, and swelling caused by skin conditions.

• Does lidocaine cream expire?

The best part about the cream is that unlike other ordinary skin numbing creams, Dr. Numb comprises of safest and FDA approved amount of Lidocaine. You need not discard the tube post its expiration date, as the cream has been tested to deliver effective results even beyond its expiry date.

• Can you use too much lidocaine?

It is highly unadvisable to make an over-use of lidocaine. An overdose of numbing medicine can cause severe side effects if too much of the medicine is absorbed through your skin. Do not use large amounts of lidocaine topical, or cover treated skin areas with a bandage or plastic wrap without medical advice.

• What does lidocaine mouthwash do?

Lidocaine belongs to a class of drugs known as local anesthetics. Lidocaine is even used in viscous form to relieve pain and discomfort incurred from a sore throat or mouth. It is also used before the dental procedures to numb the lining of the mouth and throat.

• Is lidocaine safe for breastfeeding?

Lidocaine is considered to be safe during Breastfeeding. Even lidocaine is found in breast milk too. Although there are no side effects associated with lidocaine use while breastfeeding, allergic reactions may or may not occur. If your child shows signs of an allergic reaction after breastfeeding, contact your doctor immediately.

A lidocaine Cream is highly recommended if you are going ahead with any body modification procedure like tattoo or piercing. Numb Skin- an effective topical anesthetic numbing cream that contains 5% lidocaine is highly effective to numb the affected area, thereby making the entire process painless. Choosing a good numbing cream is an important part of the body modification process.