Lidocaine Patches!!!

[susiestar]

In the past I have discussed the use of lidocaine patches with several people here. Until very recently they were only sold under the brand name Lidoderm. They are very expensive but amazingly helpful for many painful conditions. I just learned that there is now a generic version available. The pharmacist had a box on the shelf that I saw and said it was the first shipment of them that they have ever gotten. So they are brand new - so new they are not listed on my insurance company website!

For those who don't know, they are a patch that can help wtih muscle spasms, arthritis, etc... They stay on for 12 hours max and you can only use 3 per day with-o causing major problems for yourself. The insurance we used to have covered them and I stockpiled them because of the cost. They are incredibly helpful, in my opinion. Lots of docs, even pain docs, don't think about them. My aunt was visiting and her knee swelled up like a cantaloupe (literally, we held one next to it and they were the same size!). I had her call and ask her doctor for an rx for them, and then seh tried them. She was truly shocked, esp after I cut them to fit her and stay on, at how much help they were. I suggested them to Star for her SO and for her mom and her mom actually was able to go out dancing! Her mom hadn't been able to go dancing for several years and this made it possible again!

They really are THAT amazing. Plus they are safe and non-addicting. They work on the immediate area by being absorbed through the skin, so they don't irritate your stomach or have side effects on your digestive tract. They start working FAST and don't make you go to sleep or get fuzzy minded.

If you have chronic pain issues, ask the doctor about these! My dad has rotator cuff problems and these make the PT so much easier for him to tolerate because even with pain medications the exercises really hurt.

 

[Nomad]

I use them now and again. They are great! If you can't get to the doctor, an OTC patch called Salonpas is very good. Not as good as the RX Lidoderm patch, but surprisingly VERY good for something you can get without a prescription.

 

[susiestar]

Salonpas is helpful at times but nothing near lidoderm for me. There are other decent OTC patches with either menthol or capsaicin (or both) that work pretty well. Salonpas is by far the least expensive of the OTC patches, at least here. I know some people who refused to try them because they were so inexpensive that "of course" they would not have enough of the active ingredient to work. Most of them were shocked at how well they really did work once they tried one.

For those of you who need lidocaine for pain management but insurance won't cover the patches or you cannot tolerate them, there is a lidocaine gel that is very reasonably priced in the generic form, and easy to use. You have to be careful because as with anything it can cause harm if you use too much, but the package has a guide for measuring the amount and it is not difficult. It has been a cost effective alternative to the patches but it is not nearly as long lasting.