lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate at a glance
Medicine class
Amide local anaesthetic
Licensed roles
Temporary relief of severe sore-throat pain; local anaesthesia and selected nerve blocks
Injection
Given by or under supervision of clinicians trained in anaesthesia and resuscitation
After throat spray
Tongue or throat numbness can make hot food and drink harder to sense
What is lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate used for?
Selected products are licensed for:
Symptomatic relief of severe sore-throat pain using an oromucosal spray.
Local anaesthesia and peripheral nerve block in adults and eligible children.
Intravenous regional anaesthesia of an upper limb in adults.
How does lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate work?
It enters nerve cells and blocks voltage-gated sodium channels, temporarily preventing pain signals travelling along nearby nerves. It produces numbness but does not treat the underlying cause of pain or inflammation.
lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate preparations and strengths
Oromucosal preparation
Route: Oromucosal
Strengths: 2% w/v
Injection
Route: Parenteral
Strengths: 10 mg/mL, 1% w/v
How to take lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate
Use each formulation only by its intended route. Aim throat spray at the affected area at the back of the throat without inhaling. Avoid the eyes and prime it away from the face before first use or after prolonged storage. Take care with hot food and drink while the mouth or tongue is numb. The pre-filled injection is single-use and for trained healthcare professionals.
Follow the product leaflet or the administering clinician's instructions.
Do not drive or use machinery after injection until temporary sensory or movement effects have resolved.
lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate side effects
Common or expected effects
- Nausea or vomiting after injection
- Temporary tingling, burning, prickling or numbness
- Pain or shivering associated with injection
- Temporary blood-pressure changes or a slow pulse
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe allergy, including swelling, breathing difficulty or collapse
- Seizures, marked confusion, muscle twitching or loss of consciousness
- Slow or stopped breathing
- Serious heartbeat disturbance or cardiac arrest
- Blue-grey skin, breathlessness, headache and unusual tiredness suggesting methaemoglobinaemia
lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate in pregnancy
Advice depends on the formulation and procedure. The selected throat spray is not recommended during pregnancy except under medical supervision. Injected lidocaine may be considered when clinically necessary; it crosses the placenta, and certain obstetric nerve blocks require fetal heart-rate monitoring.
lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate while breastfeeding
Injected lidocaine enters breast milk in small amounts and is unlikely to affect a breastfed child when used appropriately. The selected throat spray should be used only under medical supervision while breastfeeding. Tell the clinician if the baby was premature or unwell.
lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate interactions
The throat spray has no known clinically significant interactions. Injected lidocaine has important interactions, so clinicians should review all medicines before administration.
Class I antiarrhythmics
Concurrent use should generally be avoided because serious cardiac effects may be additive.
Beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers and amiodarone
They may increase conduction or contractility effects, and some can increase lidocaine exposure and toxicity.
Other local anaesthetics
Cardiovascular and central nervous system toxicity may be additive.
Common questions about lidocaine hydrochloride monohydrate
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Does it cure a sore throat?
No. The throat spray temporarily reduces pain by numbing the area; it does not treat the infection or other underlying cause.
Why take care eating after throat spray?
Numbness can reduce awareness of heat and injury, so take particular care with hot food and drinks until normal sensation returns.
Can children use it?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.