Benzocaine Spray Alternatives

Benzocaine is an over-the-counter pain medication that is contained in numerous products. The United States Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has issued warnings about its use due to a sometimes fatal side effect known as methemoglobinemia. Due to this potential danger, consumers search for alternatives to the use of benzocaine.

Lidocaine

• Benzocaine is used as a topical anesthetic for minor medical procedures involving the throat and mouth including the insertion of a tube. It numbs the body area that is affected. The FDA has issued a public health advisory involving benzocaine sprays marketed under the names Hurricane, Topex and Cetacaine. The FDA recommends that certain groups, like those with breathing problems and small children, consider alternatives. One alternative is lidocaine, either by itself or in combination with other products, such as tetracaine and phenylephrine. A clinical study reported in the Fall 2009 issue of Anesthesia Progress indicated that the combination of the three alternatives provided better pain relief than benzocaine in a certain dental procedure.

Chilled Teething Ring

• Another use of benzocaine noted by the FDA was in teething gels for infants marketed under the names Orajel, Baby Orajel, Anbusol and many store names. Benzocaine relieves the pain from teething but reports of methemoglobinemia make its use dangerous. The FDA points out that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends use of a chilled, not frozen, teething ring in place of benzocaine.

Massage Child's Gums

• Another alternative to the use of benzocaine for teething difficulties in infants is rubbing fingers over the child's gums. Massage the gums gently either as a sole remedy or in conjunction with a chilled teething ring. Small children are particularly vulnerable to methemoglobinemia, a condition that inhibits the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. Symptoms of the condition include headaches and the body turning a blue color due to lack of oxygen. It occurs within minutes of applying benzocaine or may wait a considerable period of time. Case studies indicate that the amount of benzocaine sprayed does not affect whether the patient develops methemoglobinemia. That leads to the need for alternatives, as limiting exposure to benzocaine is no guarantee of being safe.

Wet Washcloth

• Another alternative for pain relief for teething without benzocaine is the use of a wet washcloth rung out, twisted and then frozen, according to Valerie King, M.D., M.P.H. In an article posted by the American Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. King, an associate professor of family medicine at Oregon Health & Science University, recommends non-medicinal remedies for children teething, or what she calls "comfort care."