A 39-year-old member asked:
How effective is emla (lidocaine and prilocaine) cream for injection pain?
4 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in
Dr. David Rosenfeldanswered
Pain Management 28 years experience
Moderately: It helps but takes quite a while to work.
5.8k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Paul Grinanswered
Pain Management 37 years experience
Not effective: To be effective, EMLA (lidocaine and prilocaine) should remain in contact with the skin under an occlusive dressing for at least one hour. Use local anesthetic (e.g. Lidocaine, Mepivacaine, Septocaine) for local infiltration. Talk to your health provider for side effects and allergies. Good luck.
3.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. William Jenkinsanswered
Specializes in Anesthesiology
Effective: if used properly, takes time, and won't help with deeper structures if involved
3.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
2 comments
Dr. J. Lawrence Dohan commented
Dermatology 58 years experience
I never bother with it. Properly done, most injections are not difficult. The important thing is to distract and relax the patient. Jokes work better than Emla.
Sep 28, 2014
Dr. Peter Nefcyanswered
Radiology 40 years experience
Not much: Despite the ads from this drug maker and salespersons, this drug is not very effective and nearly worthless except as a placebo. When you think about it, that only makes sense. The skin is a barrier to water, oil, bacteria, air, dirt, and more. Why would good skin let this drug through easily? In practice, it makes injections worse for some by focusing their attention on the injection site.
3.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Peter Nefcy commented
Radiology 40 years experience
Provided original answer
And this drug does not affect the pain of injection below the first layers of skin. A good Doctor will calm you and talk you through almost any injection with less pain.
Sep 28, 2014
Similar questions
A 44-year-old member asked:
Is emla (lidocaine and prilocaine) cream effective?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
Dr. Orrin Ailloni-Charasanswered
Anesthesiology 30 years experience
For what?: Elma is a topical local anesthetic that aids in reducing the pain of IV placement.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old member asked:
Has anybody used emla (lidocaine and prilocaine) cream before.?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Einar Ottestadanswered
Pain Management 20 years experience
Anesthetic: Emla (lidocaine and prilocaine) is a mixture of Lidocaine and prilocaine, two local anesthetics, used for skin anesthesia prior to procedures like IV start or injections. I mostly use it for kids.
5.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
How can I get emla (lidocaine and prilocaine) cream 5%?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Ankush Bansalanswered
Internal Medicine 18 years experience
Ask doctor: Ask your doctor. It's a prescription. That's the only way to get it legally in the U.S.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Feb 6, 2020
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