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Lidocaine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands

Lidocaine is an amide local anesthetic sold in the U.S. under 17 brand and generic names, for burns, esophageal diseases and mouth diseases. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.

By the pharmaranks editorial teamReviewed against the FDA (openFDA label, NDC Directory & Enforcement) sourcesUpdated Jul 24, 2026How we research

Key facts

Drug class
Amide Local Anesthetic
Treats (across its forms)
Burns, Esophageal Diseases and Mouth Diseases
Available as
Injectable · Topical · Film, extended release · Patch · Solution · Jelly · Liquid · Spray/Inhaler · System
Sold as
17 products — Lidocaine Hydrochloride Preservative Free, Akten and Xylocaine, and others
Prescription?
Prescription only
Generic available?
Yes
What the pharmacy pays
about $0.24 per ml — not your price

How Lidocaine Hydrochloride Preservative Free is dosed

From the FDA label for Lidocaine Hydrochloride Preservative Free (application ANDA084625). Other lidocaine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

See Full Prescribing Information for recommended dosages and administration information for adult and pediatric patients 2.1 Important Dosage and Administration Information Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection is not recommended for intrathecal use. Avoid use of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection solutions containing antimicrobial preservatives (i.e., multiple-dose vials) for epidural or caudal anesthesia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ]. Discard unused portions of solution not containing preservatives, i.e., those supplied in single-dose vials, following initial use. Visually inspect this product for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration whenever solution and container permit. Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection is clear, colorless solution. Do not administer solutions which are discolored or contain particulate matter. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration whenever the solution and container permit. Solutions which are discolored (e.g., pinkish or darker than slightly yellow) or which contain particulate matter or precipitate should not be administered. Mixing or the prior or intercurrent use of any other local anesthetic with Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection is not recommended because of insufficient data on the clinical use of such mixtures. Administration Precautions…

Everything below is the FDA label for Lidocaine Hydrochloride Preservative Free (injectable). Lidocaine is also sold as topical, film, extended release, patch, solution, jelly, liquid, spray/inhaler and system, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.

Lidocaine Hydrochloride Preservative Free side effects

The following clinically significant adverse reactions have been reported and described in the Warnings and Precautions section of the labeling: Dose-Related Toxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Methemoglobinemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Chondrolysis with Intra-Articular Infusion [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Severe, Persistent Hypertension, Cerebrovascular Accidents, and Bradycardia Due to Drug Interactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Allergic-Type Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Systemic Toxicities with Unintended Intravascular or Intrathecal Injection [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ] Respiratory Arrest Following Retrobulbar Block [see Warnings and Precautions (5.14) ] The following adverse reactions from voluntary reports or clinical studies have been reported with lidocaine or lidocaine and epinephrine. Because many of these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Adverse reactions to Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection are characteristic of those associated with other amide type local anesthetic. A major cause of adverse reactions to this group of drugs is excessive plasma levels, which may be due to overdosage, unintentional intravascular injection, or slow…

Who shouldn’t take Lidocaine Hydrochloride Preservative Free

Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to lidocaine or to any local anesthetics of the amide type or to other components of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection. Known hypersensitivity to any local anesthetic agent of the amide-type or to other components of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection.

Lidocaine Hydrochloride Preservative Free drug interactions

Local Anesthetics: The toxic effects of local anesthetics are additive. Monitor for neurologic and cardiovascular effects when additional local anesthetics are administered (7.1) Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and Tricyclic Antidepressants: Administration of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection to patients receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants may produce severe, prolonged hypertension. Concurrent use of these agents should generally be avoided ( 5.5, 7.2 ) Ergot-type Oxytocic drugs: Concurrent administration of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection and ergot-type oxytocic drugs may cause severe, persistent hypertension or cerebrovascular accidents ( 5.5, 7.3 ) Nonselective Beta-Adrenergic Antagonists: Administration of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection in patients receiving nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonist may cause severe hypertension and bradycardia. Concurrent use of these agents should generally be avoided. ( 5.5 , 7.4) Drugs Associated with Methemoglobinemia: Patients are at increased risk of developing methemoglobinemia when concurrently exposed to nitrates, nitrites, local anesthetics, antineoplastic agents, antibiotics, antimalarials, anticonvulsants and other drugs ( 7.5 ). Potent Inhalation Anesthetics: Serious dose-related cardiac arrhythmias may occur if preparations containing epinephrine are used in patients during or following the administration of potent inhalation anesthetics ( 5.11 , 7.6 ) Geriatric Use: Elderly patients should be given reduced doses commensurate with their age and physical condition ( 8.5 ) Hepatic Impairment: consider reduced dosing and increased monitoring for local anesthetic systemic toxicity in patients with hepatic impairment ( 8.6 ) 7.1 Local Anesthetics The toxic effects of local anesthetics are additive. If coadministration of other local anesthetics with lidocaine hydrochloride cannot be avoided, monitor patients for neurologic and cardiovascular effects related to local anesthetic systemic toxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1 )]. 7.2 Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and Tricyclic Antidepressants The administration of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection to patients receiving monoamine oxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants may produce severe, prolonged hypertension. Concurrent use of these agents should generally be avoided. In situation when concurrent therapy is necessary, careful monitoring of the patient’s hemodynamic status is essential [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ]. 7.3 Ergot-Type Oxytocic Drugs 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. Avoid use of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection concomitantly with ergot-type oxytocic drugs [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ]. 7.4 Nonselective Beta-Adrenergic Antagonists Administration of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection in patients receiving nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonists may cause severe hypertension and bradycardia. Concurrent use of these agents should generally be avoided. In situations when concurrent therapy is necessary, careful monitoring of the patient’s blood pressure and heart rate is essential [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ]. 7.5 Drugs Associated with Methemoglobinemia Patients that are administered local anesthetics may be at increased risk of developing methemoglobinemia when concurrently exposed to the following oxidizing agents: Class Examples Nitrates/Nitrites nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, nitric oxide, nitrous oxide Local anesthetics articaine, benzocaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, prilocaine, procaine, ropivacaine, tetracaine Antineoplastic agents cyclophosphamide, flutamide, rasburicase, ifosfamide, hydroxyurea Antibiotics dapsone, sulfonamides, nitrofurantoin, para- aminosalicylic acid Antimalarials chloroquine, primaquine Anticonvulsants phenytoin, sodium valproate, phenobarbital Other drugs acetaminophen, metoclopramide, quinine, sulfasalazine 7.6 Potent Inhalation Anesthetics Serious dose-related cardiac arrhythmias may occur if preparations containing epinephrine (e.g., Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection) are used in patients during or following the administration of potent inhalation anesthetics [see Warnings and Precautions (5.11) ]. 7.7 Phenothiazines and Butyrophenones Phenothiazines and butyrophenones may reduce or reverse the pressor effect of epinephrine. Concurrent use of Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injection and these agents should generally be avoided. In situation when concurrent therapy is necessary, careful patient monitoring is essential.

Every lidocaine product we track (17)

Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.

Lidocaine products
#DrugRatingPharmacy pays
172/100$0View →
270/100$0View →
370/100$0View →
468/100$0View →
568/100$0View →
668/100$0View →
768/100$0View →
868/100$0View →
960/100$0View →
1060/100$0View →

Combination products containing lidocaine

A combination is a different drug — different dosing, different warnings. It is listed here so you can find it, not so you can substitute it.

Lidocaine recalls

From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.

How long lidocaine keeps

No lidocaine 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 lidocaine expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labels

Lidocaine and breastfeeding

From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.

Lidocaine concentrations in milk during continuous IV infusion, epidural administration and in high doses as a local anesthetic are low and the lidocaine is poorly absorbed by the infant. Lidocaine is not expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. No special precautions are required.

Full LactMed record for lidocaine: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider instead

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 lidocaine

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 78,984 reports naming lidocaine, and the FDA flagged 65% 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:

  • nausea4,662 reports
  • fatigue4,481 reports
  • headache3,983 reports
  • product adhesion issue3,507 reports
  • dyspnoea3,254 reports
  • diarrhoea3,185 reports
  • vomiting2,852 reports
  • pneumonia2,698 reports

Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean lidocaine 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 Lidocaine Hydrochloride Preservative Free?

Lidocaine Hydrochloride Injections are sterile, nonpyrogenic, aqueous, isotonic, clear, colorless solution that contain a local anesthetic agent and are administered parenterally by injection. See INDICATIONS AND USAGE for specific uses. Each mL of the 1% solution contains lidocaine hydrochloride 10 mg and sodium chloride 7 mg. Each mL of the 2% solution contains lidocaine hydrochloride 20 mg and sodium chloride 6 mg. The pH of these solutions is adjusted to approximately 5.0 to 7.0 with sodium hydroxide and/or hydrochloric acid.

What kind of drug is lidocaine?

The FDA classifies lidocaine as an amide local anesthetic. Amide local anesthetics temporarily block the sodium channels that nerves use to fire, so the treated nerves can't send signals. This numbs pain in the area, and because the block reverses as the drug wears off, sensation returns afterward. 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 lidocaine 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 lidocaine 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 lidocaine sold under?

We track 17 lidocaine-containing products in the U.S.: Lidocaine Hydrochloride Preservative Free, Akten, Xylocaine, Dentipatch, Xylocaine 1.5% W/ Dextrose 7.5%, Xylocaine 4% Preservative Free, Xylocaine Preservative Free and Xylocaine Viscous, and 9 more. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.

What forms does lidocaine come in?

Across the brands we track, lidocaine is currently marketed as injectable, topical, film, extended release, patch, solution, jelly, liquid, spray/inhaler and system, 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 lidocaine?

Yes. Our catalog lists 4 generic lidocaine products 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.

Has lidocaine been recalled?

The FDA's Enforcement database lists at least 5 recall records whose product description mentions lidocaine. The most recent: Lidocaine HCl Injection (Jul 16, 2026). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.

Cite this page
APA
pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Lidocaine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/lidocaine
MLA
“Lidocaine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/lidocaine.

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 lidocaine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.