Lidocaine patch
Lidocaine patch releases lignocaine, a local anaesthetic and is used for localised nerve type of pain.
You can cut the plasters to fit the size of the painful area. You should use only for 12 hours and then remove it, so that you have a 12 hour period with no plaster. It may take 2 to 4 weeks for full pain relief to occur though you may notice some improvement earlier. Use in clean, dry, relatively hairless skin.
Side-effects: skin redness, rash, itching, irritation, blisters. It is avoided in allergy to lignocaine and used cautiously in liver or heart problems.
Dr Thanthullu Vasu MBBS MD DNB FRCA Dip Pain Mgt FFPMRCA FIPP