I remember lidocaine/prilocaine mix as Emla – used to put on sites for those terrified of needle pokes. It didn’t have “poison prevention packaging” and was removed from market though generics are available or compounding pharmacy can make up. Was found to be the only agent successful at treating Monkeypox painful skin lesions in two cases.
Shabbir, Mariam, Maria Lorraine Bugayong, and Michael Anthony DeVita.
Mpox pain management with topical agents: a case series.
Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy 37.4 (2023): 317-320.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15360288.2023.2250762
- Cases had HIV. could cause “continuous agonizing pain in the facial lesion”
- phenazopyridine 100 mg three times daily helped urethral pains
- topical agent used every 8 hours
- opioids, gabapentin and valproic acid were tried with mild benefits
Comment- fits with my view that oral agents are not very useful in neuropathic pain and ketamine is the only “oral agent’ that works well.