Lidocaine patches are ridiculously expensive and yet ridiculously easy to make – here’s how.
1) Get your doctor to prescribe 100 gm lidocaine HCl powder – you can get it from a compounding pharmacy though many pharmacies can order it in. (Note: – DO NOT get not lidocaine base which has zero solubility). One teaspoon of powder lidocaine HCl is 2.4 gms.
2)To make a 5% lidocaine mix:
Take 1 packet Knox gelatin
2/3 cup water = 160 ml
3 1/3 (3.333) teaspoons lidocaine HCl powder = 8 gms
3) Heat up water to boil
4) Put in whole packet Knox gelatin and lidocaine powder
5) Put tinfoil flat out in some sort of cooking pan.
6) pour gelatin mix over tinfoil and it form a thin layer – allow to cool off – may needs some time to get dry enough to be tacky.
7) When tacky, will self-stick. – Size the patch by cut the tinfoil to pain area you wish to cover and you are good to go. If used overnight, might want to tape it down some.
Comment – 5% lidocaine is what the commercial Xyloderm patches are. 10% patches might be better (double the lidocaine dose to 6 2/3 teaspoons). Theoretically you can go up to 60% with lidocaine but lidocaine is acidic and that might cause some irritation.(Though one might add some baking soda but if too much baking soda becomes the inert lidocaine base.
NOTE – By mouth, lidocaine is a poison and your doctor might want you to sign a waver to the effect you understand that and will not take by mouth. Having said that, most pill-bottles full of meds could be toxic if taken all, in quantity. Topically however, they do not amount to anything – no blood levels.
If you have tried it and found it helpful – would like to hear about it!
has anyone tried this? how did they work?
I have a patient who has been field testing it for me (he now buys his own containers of lidocaine powder) and came up with some results:
1) It can give from 20-80% relief depending on the site – they last about 8 hours
2) thicker tinfoil works better
3) 10% lidocaine works some better that 5%
4) pouring it in square pans means you cut off some – he puts tinfoil in big round thing – he has some extra big round muffin tins that he uses – round patches don’t need trimming.
5) Helpful to use a little tape to hold in place some.
When it doesn’t work it suggests something is really wrong – I had a pregnant lady with left lower abdominal pain that was painful but non- descrip – patches didn’t help and I located an inguinal hernia bulge that was the cause…
Addendum – If the patches dry out too much, simply heat with a blow drier and it will melt some and maybe even stick better…
the tinfoil can make noise at night but those space age tinfoil like blankets (cheap at a dollar-like store) work without noise and can be reused…
-from admin
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Now if only I could afford a doc visit and get an arrogant American doctor to agree to something so sensible.
I just found the powder on amazon, they have 2 sellers
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Make sure it is Lidocaine HCL NOT lidocaine base – the latter is insoluble in water.
The patches need to dry a couple days until tacky – then use
-admin
Hi I was hoping to try this out but can’t seem to find sellers on amazon. Do you have any other ways to obtain lidocaine powder?
From admin:
Your doctor can give you a script to take to a compounding pharmacy.
You need to get the lidocaine hydrochloride – (not the lidocaine base which is insoluble)
They used to have powder on ebay but not now..
Ok so I tried and it didn’t set with one packet of gelatin? Is there something I’m doing wrong ? The Knox gelatin is two packs split so just used one as you advise but maybe I needed to use both?
Any help would be appreciated :)
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From admin:
It’s not supposed to set – pour it out on the material you want to use and leave it out a couple days (or blow it drier with hair drier) – it gets tacky and ready to use then. The lidocaine is acidic and I think that impedes setting some. If it’s too set then it probably won’t stick though you could just tape it down with hypafix… If left over stuff gets too set, you can always microwave it and pour..
I could really use people like youself to perfect the mix. Thanks
hi guys. just i have a question how to make lidocaine cream 2% or 5% from lidocaine hcl powder. is it need any specific base cream ? thank u for your time.
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From Admin:
I would suggest Uremol cream – the urea in the cream helps it penetrate better. Uremol lotion might be even better.
Ok so I used two packets of Knox gelatin and overnight it set well. However when I applied it to the area after 10 mins it became a sticky liquid mess! Maybe I’m missing a step? Any suggestions and should this happen?
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Oh boy – haven’t really worked on that much but think these are possibilities:
1) The “warmth” melts it so it was not tacky enough – need to let it dry out a couple days
2) You have made it too thick – needs to be a thin 1 – 1.5 mm thick coating otherwise there is too much material to melt…
3) The lidocaine is very acidic and I have wondered about adding some bicarb to neutralize that some.
4) Maybe not as good an idea as I thought
I will have to try – let me know if you have any ideas
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I would think you *might* be able to skip making the patch by buying a large silicone gel patch (thicker/reusable). IF you put the mixture into a cream like the one suggested in the c0mments Uremol (does that need a prescription?),
then place correct amount of cream on the inner/center of patch leaving a 1″ border all around, it would work. The largest patch is 4×6″ for ex so you could cover a 3×5″
area with cream, then moisten the edges & press it on. These don’t stay tacky forever -even when rewet, but they might do the trick a bit easier?
Here is an example:, but they can be found many places even the drugstore:
http://www.feetrelief.com/feetrelief/pedifix_visco_gel_silicone_self_adhesive_sheeting.htm
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that is such a good idea – thank you
Hi
I want to make the lidocaine gel as well but I have Lidocaine base, is there any way that i can use Lidocine base rather than buying Lidocaine HCL? Many thanks
bloom the gelatin first use some of the water from the recipe (cold) 15 mg = 1 Tablespoon
sprinkle the gelatin over it. let set 5 minutes, heat the water and lidocaine powder to 180 degrees F add the gelatin mix well. then pour out and let cool as usual. If packaged gelatin is heated to a boil it can start to break down. Lidocaine melts at 176 degrees f. Letting the gelatin absorb a little of the water first also helps prevent any lumps.
Very important to use a VERY accurate scale one that measures in tenths of a gram. most kitchen scales have a variance of 2 grams. In something like this that is a huge amount.
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Crystal,
Thanks very much for this.
admin
Has anyone tried using non woven polyester felt? This is the fabric used in my generic lidocaine patches – foil is loud and not very durable. I haven’t tried this yet but I ordered some lidocaine powder and will try as soon as it’s here. I’m afraid it’ll soak through the fabric though. I was thinking to let it cool down some before pouring.
Steph-
Where did you order your lidocaine powder from?
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with a script from your doctor, any pharmacy could order you a 100 gm container of lidocaine HCl powder(not the base which won’t dissolve). There is a site online that says they will sell it – but I don’t know how reliable they are.
Where do you find generic lidocaine patches?
Hi
Aren’t the patches meant to slow release the main ingredient?Do the commercial patches do that?
Otherwize the 5 percent cream could just be used on on a piece of covered cloth or directly on skin.
I have a serious back injury, since 2000! I had a three level fusion and gave permanent nerve damage! I take tramadol twice a day and have been told I will have to take it for the rest of my life! I’m wondering if a tramadol patch would work, and hue would I make it! It’s a synthesitic opiate! I know nothing about opiate patches or if there even are any!
You’d do better with Smokeless Cannabis Remedies. Well, if Cannabis is legal in your state, that is.