levobupivacaine hydrochloride at a glance
Medicine class
Long-acting amide local anaesthetic
Main roles
Surgical nerve blockade and epidural pain relief
Administration
Given by or under the supervision of a trained clinician
After treatment
Protect the numb area and avoid driving or machinery until the anaesthetic and immediate surgical effects have passed
What is levobupivacaine hydrochloride used for?
Licensed uses represented by the selected products include:
Major surgical anaesthesia using epidural, spinal or peripheral nerve blocks; the selected injection formulation also includes epidural anaesthesia for caesarean section.
Minor surgical anaesthesia by local infiltration or peribulbar block for eye surgery.
Epidural pain relief during labour or after surgery.
Ilioinguinal or iliohypogastric nerve-block analgesia in children using the selected injection formulation; evidence is unavailable for infants younger than 6 months.
How does levobupivacaine hydrochloride work?
It blocks voltage-sensitive sodium channels in nerve membranes, interrupting electrical impulses and reducing pain. Motor nerves may also be affected, causing temporary weakness or immobility in the blocked area.
levobupivacaine hydrochloride preparations and strengths
Solution for infusion
Route: Intravenous
Strengths: 1.25 mg/mL
Injection
Route: Parenteral
Strengths: 2.5 mg/mL, 5 mg/mL, 7.5 mg/mL, 25 mg/10 mL, 50 mg/10 mL, 75 mg/10 mL
How to take levobupivacaine hydrochloride
Levobupivacaine is not self-administered. A trained clinician injects it near relevant nerves, into the spinal or epidural region, or around the procedure site. The infusion-bag formulation is for epidural use only.
Tell the anaesthetist about allergies, heart or liver problems, neurological conditions and all medicines you use.
Keep still during placement and immediately report pain, unusual tingling, ringing in the ears, dizziness or breathing difficulty.
Do not adjust an epidural pump or catheter yourself.
Move carefully and protect the numb area until normal feeling and strength return.
levobupivacaine hydrochloride side effects
Common or expected effects
- Low blood pressure, sometimes causing light-headedness or nausea
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness or headache
- Back pain or procedure-related pain
- Fever
- Anaemia
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe allergic reaction, including facial or throat swelling and breathing difficulty
- Seizure, loss of consciousness or severe drowsiness
- Slow, fast or irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest or marked low blood pressure
- Breathing slowing or stopping
- Persistent or progressive weakness, paralysis, altered sensation, or loss of bladder or bowel control
levobupivacaine hydrochloride in pregnancy
Levobupivacaine has licensed specialist uses during labour and for caesarean-section anaesthesia, depending on the formulation. Information from early pregnancy is limited, so it should be used then only when clearly necessary. Paracervical block in obstetrics is contraindicated because a related local anaesthetic has caused fetal bradycardia.
levobupivacaine hydrochloride while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether levobupivacaine enters human milk, but transfer is expected to be low and breastfeeding is possible after local anaesthesia. Tell the clinical team if you are breastfeeding, particularly if the baby was premature or unwell.
levobupivacaine hydrochloride interactions
The anaesthetist should review all medicines because some combinations may increase toxicity or alter levobupivacaine metabolism.
Other local anaesthetics or related amide medicines
Neurological and cardiovascular toxic effects may be additive.
Mexiletine and class III antiarrhythmics
Their cardiac and local-anaesthetic-like effects may add to those of levobupivacaine.
Common questions about levobupivacaine hydrochloride
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Is levobupivacaine hydrochloride a general anaesthetic?
No. It is a local anaesthetic that numbs a particular area or region. Sedation or general anaesthesia may be used separately.
Can it be used in an epidural?
Yes. Selected formulations are licensed for epidural pain relief during labour and after surgery; the injection formulation also supports epidural surgical anaesthesia.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.