Chloroprocaine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Chloroprocaine is an ester local anesthetic sold in the U.S. under 5 brand and generic names, for pain. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Ester Local Anesthetic
- Treats (across its forms)
- Pain
- Available as
- Injectable · Topical · Solution
- Sold as
- 5 products — Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride, Iheezo and Clorotekal, and others
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
How Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride is dosed
From the FDA label for Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride (application ANDA040273). Other chloroprocaine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Chloroprocaine may be administered as a single injection or continuously through an indwelling catheter. As with all local anesthetics, the dose administered varies with the anesthetic procedure, the vascularity of the tissues, the depth of anesthesia and degree of muscle relaxation required, the duration of anesthesia desired, and the physical condition of the patient. The smallest dose and concentration required to produce the desired result should be used. Dosage should be reduced for children, elderly and debilitated patients and patients with cardiac and/or liver disease. The maximum single recommended doses of chloroprocaine in adults are: without epinephrine, 11 mg/kg, not to exceed a maximum total dose of 800 mg; with epinephrine (1:200,000), 14 mg/kg, not to exceed a maximum total dose of 1000 mg. For specific techniques and procedures, refer to standard textbooks. There have been adverse event reports of chondrolysis in patients receiving intra-articular infusions of local anesthetics following arthroscopic and other surgical procedures. Chloroprocaine hydrochloride injection is not approved for this use. (See WARNINGS and DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). Caudal and Lumbar Epidural Block: In order to guard against adverse experiences sometimes noted following unintended penetration of the subarachnoid space, the following procedure modifications are recommended: Use an…
Everything below is the FDA label for Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride (injectable). Chloroprocaine is also sold as topical and solution, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride side effects
Systemic: The most commonly encountered acute adverse experiences that demand immediate countermeasures are related to the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system. These adverse experiences are generally dose related and may result from rapid absorption from the injection site, diminished tolerance, or from unintentional intravascular injection of the local anesthetic solution. In addition to systemic dose-related toxicity, unintentional subarachnoid injection of drug during the intended performance of caudal or lumbar epidural block or nerve blocks near the vertebral column (especially in the head and neck region) may result in underventilation or apnea (“Total Spinal”). Factors influencing plasma protein binding, such as acidosis, systemic diseases that alter protein production, or competition of other drugs for protein binding sites, may diminish individual tolerance. Plasma cholinesterase deficiency may also account for diminished tolerance to ester-type local anesthetics. Central Nervous System Reactions: These are characterized by excitation and/or depression. Restlessness, anxiety, dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision or tremors may occur, possibly proceeding to convulsions. However, excitement may be transient or absent, with depression being the first manifestation of an adverse reaction. This may quickly be followed by drowsiness merging into…
Who shouldn’t take Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride
Chloroprocaine hydrochloride is contraindicated in patients hypersensitive (allergic) to drugs of the PABA ester group. Lumbar and caudal epidural anesthesia should be used with extreme caution in persons with the following conditions: existing neurological disease, spinal deformities, septicemia, and severe hypertension.
Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride drug interactions
Clinically Significant Drug Interactions The administration of local anesthetic solutions containing epinephrine or norepinephrine to patients receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants or phenothiazines may produce severe, prolonged hypotension or hypertension. Concurrent use of these agents should generally be avoided. In situations when concurrent therapy is necessary, careful patient monitoring is essential. Concurrent administration of vasopressor drugs (for the treatment of hypotension related to obstetric blocks) and ergot-type oxytocic drugs may cause severe, persistent hypertension or cerebrovascular accidents. The para-aminobenzoic acid metabolite of chloroprocaine inhibits the action of sulfonamides. Therefore, chloroprocaine should not be used in any condition in which a sulfonamide drug is being employed.
Every chloroprocaine product we track (5)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 2 | 70/100 | Prescription | Topical | No data | — | View → | |
| 3 | 68/100 | Prescription | Solution | No data | — | View → | |
| 4 | 68/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → | |
| 5 | 68/100 | Prescription | Injectable | No data | — | View → |
How long chloroprocaine keeps
No chloroprocaine label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does chloroprocaine expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsChloroprocaine and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for chloroprocaine: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadNo information is available on the use of chloroprocaine during breastfeeding. Based on the low excretion of other local anesthetics into breastmilk and the extremely short half-life of chloroprocaine, it is unlikely to adversely affect the breastfed infant. However, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised December 15, 2024. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about chloroprocaine
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 11 reports naming chloroprocaine, and the FDA flagged 100% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- areflexia2 reports
- bradycardia2 reports
- hypoaesthesia2 reports
- muscle contractions involuntary2 reports
- muscle twitching2 reports
- seizure2 reports
- acute myocardial infarction1 reports
- altered state of consciousness1 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean chloroprocaine caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride?
Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride is an ester local anesthetic used to treat Pain.
What kind of drug is chloroprocaine?
The FDA classifies chloroprocaine as an ester local anesthetic. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take chloroprocaine with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run chloroprocaine against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is chloroprocaine sold under?
We track 5 chloroprocaine-containing products in the U.S.: Chloroprocaine Hydrochloride, Iheezo, Clorotekal, Nesacaine and Nesacaine-Mpf. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does chloroprocaine come in?
Across the brands we track, chloroprocaine is currently marketed as injectable, topical and solution, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic chloroprocaine?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic chloroprocaine product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Chloroprocaine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/chloroprocaine
- MLA
- “Chloroprocaine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/chloroprocaine.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for chloroprocaine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.