Contraindications
Do not take lidocaine in case of suspected or ascertained allergy / sensitivity to the active ingredient or to any other type of paralyzing substance.
Also, lidocaine is strongly discouraged in the following circumstances:
- Hypotension not related to arrhythmias
- Bradycardia: reduction of heart rate below the normal range which, in adults, is 60 beats per minute
- Peacemaker
- Porphyria: clinical syndrome affecting the skin and nervous system. A typical sign of porphyria is the emission of very dark red urine.
Recommendations
Before receiving an injection of lidocaine, it is recommended that you always inform your doctor in the presence of liver, kidney, heart and circulatory diseases.
After an injection of lidocaine, especially if performed for the control of arrhythmias, we strongly advise against driving: even if rarely, the drug could affect attention skills in a more or less significant way.
Although lidocaine is not expected to harm the fetus, it is still recommended that you tell your doctor if you are pregnant or are trying to conceive. Do not use the drug while breastfeeding without first warning or asking your doctor for advice.
It is advisable to avoid food intake in the hour immediately following the injection of lidocaine, especially after a dental operation. The drug, in fact - widely used to "put the tooth to sleep" before fillings, root canals, apicoectomies, etc. - induces some numbness in the lip and throat, therefore, in extreme cases, the resulting difficulty in swallowing could lead to suffocation.
Alert emergency services immediately if, after a lidocaine injection, the body reacts negatively to the drug, triggering symptoms such as allergic reaction, hives, difficulty breathing, obvious swelling of the throat, lips, tongue and face.
Finally, we remind you to pay particular attention to associating lidocaine with certain drugs, such as muscle relaxants, propanolol and cimetidine. The combination with one of these drugs could alter the activity of lidocaine, as well as causing unexpected side effects.
Side effects
Like any drug, lidocaine also has some side effects, which may or may not occur after an "injection or following a" topical application.
In the table, the most common side effects that can arise after a lidocaine administration are listed.
Less serious side effects
More dangerous side effects (mostly resulting from a "lidocaine injection)
Redness at the application site
Bruising after lidocaine injection
Edema
Euphoria (after a "lidocaine injection)
Lightheadedness (vertigo)
Superficial and barely noticeable swelling
Depigmentation (topical application)
Skin exfoliation (topical application)
Slight numbness in skin areas where lidocaine is accidentally applied
Nausea
Nervousness
Papules
Itching
Drowsiness
Blisters (lidocaine applied to the skin)
Alteration of the state of consciousness
Asthenia
Headache
Dyspnea (difficulty breathing)
Ringing in the ears
Hypotension
Weak pulse
Slowing of the heartbeat
Anaphylactic reaction
Weak, rapid breathing
Feeling of anxiety, agitation, depression
Feeling faint
Unpleasant perception of too intense heat or cold
Drowsiness
Spasms
Blurred vision (typical side effect of lidocaine applied by the ophthalmic route)
The side effects deriving from the inappropriate use of lidocaine during epidural analgesia deserve further study. If the administration of lidocaine during an epidural puncture is not performed correctly, the drug can pour into the sub-arachnoid space: in such circumstances, it is possible that the patient experiences a total or partial spinal block, loss of bowel and bladder control, impaired sexual function and hypotension.
Overdose
In the event of an overdose, emergency services must be alerted immediately.
Symptoms of overdose include:
- Change in vision / blurred vision
- Irregular heartbeats
- Confusion
- Convulsions
- Depression and cardiac arrest
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Respiratory failure
- Numbness
- Excessive feeling of heat or cold
- Somnolence (first sign of elevated plasma lidocaine concentration)
- Muscle spasms
Curiosity
LIDOCAINE + COCAINE
Lidocaine is sometimes used as an adulterant / adjuvant substance in addition to some illegal drugs, first of all cocaine. When taken, cocaine tends to desensitize the gums. Lidocaine, being a local analgesic, causes an even more powerful effect; therefore, cocaine is often adulterated with lidocaine for the reason just outlined.
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