What happens if you swallow lidocaine?

Question

A little lidocaine gel (it says 'oral' on the bottle and there are no warnings about swallowing it), it won't kill you or anything, right? All the label says is "take 1 to 2 teaspoons and gargle". But does that mean you can swallow it, or not?

Answer 1

That small amount won't hurt you. It'll numb your esophagus.

The limit for injected lidocaine is 4-5 mg per kilogram of body weight (and 1 kg = 2.2 pounds). That means, if you weigh 120 pounds, you can have about 200 mg of lidocaine. That's 20 ml of a 1% solution, or 10ml of a 2% solution, or 5 ml (1 tsp) of a 4% solution. I'd imagine the limits are higher for oral ingestion.

Signs of local anesthetic toxicity include lightheadedness, dizziness, visual and auditory disturbances (difficulty focusing and ringing in the ears), disorientation and drowsiness. Those symptoms won't appear until you have closer to 7 mg/kg, and probably higher. Really high doses (usually injected right into a vein or artery) can cause seizures and cardiovascular collapse, but you're nowhere near that level.

Lidocaine lasts only about an hour or so. If you're going to get toxicitiy, it would happen in the first 20 minutes.

Answer 2

You are not supposed to swallow it however if swallowed accidentally 2 tsp won't be dangerous. Maximum daily dose is 600 mg. Lidocaine jelly is usually 2% so daily maximum dose would be 6 tsp.

However, as lidocaine will numb your tongue and will cause some problem in swallowing, avoid eating for at least an hour after.

Do you know that Lidocaine Jelly/Gel is also used as lubricant before inserting the ENDOTRACHEAL TUBES and NASOGASTRIC TUBES and the like? They should have not been used if internal ingestion is toxic,right? Anyway, a very high dose is required to have its toxicity sp a little amount won't be that dangerous.

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What happens if you swallow lidocaine?

Answer 4

Not alot will happen at the levels you are using. Lidocaine is metabolized almost completely by the liver in what is called "first pass" metabolism. Anything absorbed from the digestive tract flows directly through the liver first, before going anywhere else in the body.

Due to first pass metabolism, lidocaine given to control cardiac arrhythmias must be given I.V., so it can reach the heart before it goes through the liver.

You would have to swallow a boatload of 2% to receive a lethal dose. Though the numb throat might bother you a bit.

Answer 5

Swallowing 2 spoons of lidocaine gel is not toxic and is used for some medical conditions.If you swallow enough of a concentrated lidocaine solution it would be harmful

Answer 6

My mother had an allergic reaction when she swallowed lidocaine as instructed to do so at the nursing home. Was told to swish and swallow. She was given the lidocaine for sores in her mouth. She was in the hospital for five days and now is on oxygen 24/7 and aggressive breathing treatments. DO NOT SWALLOW LIDOCAINE!!!!

Answer 7

Looked it up for you on the site below and the followingpoint was on it. might be worth a look having a read!!!

Lidocaine Gel may cause harm if it is swallowed. If you may have taken it by mouth, contact your poison control center or emergency room right away.

Answer 8

Liquid Lidocaine

Answer 9

Lidocaine Hydrochloride Oral Topical Solution

Answer 10

It's unpleasant but a part of the traditional "GI cocktail" used in thousands of emergency rooms. There is, of course, a slight risk that numbing the gag reflex will lead to problems, but that's largely a theoretical issue.