OpenClaim

Lidocaine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of lidocaine include off label use, nausea, and fatigue, based on 84,160 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.3% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Lidocaine side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for lidocaine.

1
Drug Ineffective7.3%6,125
2
Off Label Use6.1%5,137
3
Nausea5.2%4,356
4
Fatigue5.2%4,356
5
Pain4.9%4,103
6
Headache4.4%3,666
7
Product Adhesion Issue4.2%3,538
8
Product Quality Issue4.0%3,356
9
Dyspnoea3.7%3,134
10
Diarrhoea3.7%3,086
11
Pneumonia3.1%2,621
12
Vomiting3.1%2,602
13
Dizziness3.0%2,504
14
Death2.6%2,227
15
Fall2.6%2,219

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that lidocaine caused these reactions.

Report severity

68.4%Serious57,558 reports
33.9%Hospitalizations28,508 reports
9.4%Fatal7,951 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Lidocaine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside lidocaine. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Lenalidomide3.3%2,746
2
Fentanyl3.2%2,698
3
Propofol2.9%2,401
4
Treprostinil2.8%2,344
5
Acetaminophen2.6%2,193
6
Epinephrine2.5%2,103
7
Bupivacaine2.3%1,957
8
Dexamethasone2.3%1,924
9
Sodium-oxybate2.1%1,764
10
Gabapentin1.8%1,534
11
Pregabalin1.6%1,360
12
Omeprazole1.6%1,358
13
Ketamine-hydrochloride1.6%1,339
14
Midazolam1.4%1,205
15
Oxycodone1.4%1,176

Taken alongside

1
Acetaminophen29.6%24,913
2
Ergocalciferol14.9%12,502
3
Diphenhydramine14.8%12,415
4
Albuterol14.6%12,261
5
Gabapentin14.3%12,044
6
Ondansetron14.0%11,781
7
Epinephrine13.4%11,260
8
Aspirin13.3%11,166
9
Omeprazole11.8%9,899
10
Furosemide11.0%9,266
11
Oxycodone11.0%9,264
12
Levothyroxine-sodium10.9%9,183
13
Fluticasone10.8%9,117
14
Sodium-chloride10.1%8,509
15
Prednisone8.7%7,344

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports lidocaine side effects

58.8% of lidocaine adverse event reports involve female patients and 32.2% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 57%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female58.8%
Male32.2%
Unknown8.9%

Age group

< 21.5%
2–112.8%
12–172.3%
18–6457.1%
65+36.3%

What is lidocaine used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking lidocaine when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal Cavity DrainageAbdominal DiscomfortAbdominal ExplorationAbdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbdominoplastyAbortionAbortion InducedAbscessAbscess DrainageAccelerated Idioventricular RhythmAccidentAccident At WorkAccidental Exposure

Showing 15 of 2,189 indications

Lidocaine brand names and reporting trend

Lidocaine is sold under brand names including Alphacaine, Pediatric Lta Kit.

Brand names

Alphacaine74,412
Pediatric Lta Kit10

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking lidocaine with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.