Lidocaine and Prilocaine (Topical)

Brand Names : EMLA, lignocaine

Proper Use of This Medicine

For safe and effective use of this medicine:

• Use this medicine only when directed to do so by your health care professional. Do not use it for any other reason without first checking with your doctor . This medicine may be more likely than other topical anesthetics to cause unwanted effects if it is used too much, because more of it is absorbed into the body through the skin.
• Unless otherwise directed by your health care professional, do not apply this medicine to open wounds, burns, or broken or inflamed skin .
• Be careful not to get any of this medicine in your eyes, because it can cause severe eye irritation. If any of the medicine does get into your eye, do not rub or wipe the eye, even if it hurts. Instead, check with your doctor right away .
• Be careful not to get any of this medicine on your lips or in your mouth or ears.
• Follow carefully any directions given to you by your health care professional about how this medicine should be used . If you have not received other instructions about how to apply this medicine, follow the patient directions that come with the medicine .
• Check with your health care professional if you have any questions about how to apply this medicine, where to apply it, or what time to apply it.

To use:

Cream
• Apply a thick layer of medicine to the area or areas where local anesthesia (numbness or loss of feeling) is needed. Do not spread out the medicine .
• This medicine is used together with a special bandage (called an occlusive dressing). Check with your health care professional if you did not receive any bandages with the medicine . Cover the medicine with the bandage. Seal the edges of the bandage tightly, making sure that none of the medicine leaks out . Do not lift the bandage or otherwise disturb it. Keeping the medicine tightly covered helps it work properly.
• If your health care professional has directed you to remove the bandage and wipe off the medicine after a certain amount of time, follow the directions carefully. Then clean the area with the antiseptic solution recommended by your health care professional. If your health care professional has not directed you to remove the bandage and the medicine, keep them in place until your health care professional removes them .

Disc
• Place the disc over the skin area where numbness is needed.
• Be sure the disc stays in place and does not become detached from the skin for at least 60 minutes.

Dosing - The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions that come with the medicine . The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

• For cream dosage form:
  • For preventing pain caused by injections or drawing blood from a vein:
    • Adults and children - Apply 2.5 grams of cream (one-half of the amount in a 5-gram tube) in a thick layer to an area about two inches by two inches (twenty to twenty-five square centimeters) in size. Your health care professional may direct you to apply the medicine in two places. The medicine should remain in place, covered by the bandage that comes with it, for at least one hour.
  • For preventing pain caused by removal of genital lesions or by injection of local anesthetic before removal of genital lesions (e.g., genital warts):
    • Adults - Apply 2.5 grams of cream (one-half of the amount in a 5-gram tube) in a thick layer to the skin for fifteen minutes. Your health care professional may inject additional local anesthetic immediately after removal of the cream.
  • For preventing pain caused by certain procedures:
    • Adults - The size of the area to be covered by a thick layer of this medicine and the amount of time that the medicine must be kept in place depend on the procedure that is being done. The medicine sometimes needs to be kept in place, covered with the bandage, for two hours or more.
    • Children - The size of the area to be covered by a thick layer of this medicine and the amount of time that the medicine must be kept in place depend on the procedure being done. However, the largest area that may be covered by this medicine depends on the child's weight and must be determined by your doctor. The medicine sometimes needs to be kept in place, covered with the bandage, for two hours or more.
• For the disc dosage form:
  • For preventing pain caused by injections or drawing blood from a vein:
    • Adults and children - Apply one disc to the skin where numbness is needed. Your health care professional may direct you to apply two discs in two different places. The disc should remain in place for at least one hour.

Storage - To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Keep the medicine from freezing.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.