EMLA Cream 5% (5g)

Overview

EMLA Cream 5% is primarily used for topical anesthesia.

It numbs the skin to help reduce pain or discomfort associated with certain medical procedures or conditions.

EMLA Cream contains two active substances called lidocaine and prilocaine, which are part of a group of medicines called local anaesthetics.

Directions

You should always use EMLA Cream exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor, pharmacist or nurse has told you. Check with your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are not sure.

Where to put the cream, how much to use and how long to leave it on will depend on what it is used for. Half a 5 g tube corresponds to about 2 g EMLA. One gram of EMLA cream pressed out of a tube of 30g is approximately 3.5 cm.

Side Effects

Side effects of EMLA Cream 5% may include redness, swelling, or itching at the application site. These are usually mild and temporary.

For further information about the possible side effects, please visit the NHS page or see the patient information leaflet.

How it works

EMLA Cream 5% contains lidocaine and prilocaine, which are local anaesthetics. These ingredients work by blocking nerve signals in the skin, resulting in temporary numbness.

To learn more about how EMLA Cream 5% works, visit the NHS page.

Delivery

e-surgery uses Royal Mail delivery, with choices starting from Royal Mail Tracked 48, Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail Special Delivery by 1pm (discover more about e-surgery delivery). 

When you buy EMLA Cream 5% online, they will arrive at a delivery address of your choice in discreet, recyclable packaging. 

Ingredients

The active substances are lidocaine and prilocaine. Each gram of cream contains 25 mg of lidocaine and 25 mg of prilocaine.

The other ingredients are macrogolglycerol hydroxystearate, Carbomer 974P, sodium hydroxide and purified water.

Warnings

Do not use EMLA Cream if you are allergic to lidocaine or prilocaine, other similar local anaesthetics or any of the other ingredients of this medicine.

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse before using EMLA Cream:
 

• if you or your child have a rare inherited illness that affects the blood called ‘glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency’.
• if you or your child have a problem with blood pigment levels called ‘methaemoglobinaemia’.
• Do not use EMLA Cream on areas with skin rash, cuts, grazes or other open wounds, with the exception of a leg ulcer. If any of these problems are present, check with your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before using the cream.
• if you or your child have an itchy skin condition called ‘atopic dermatitis’, a shorter application time may be sufficient. Application times of longer than 30 minutes may result in an increased incidence of local skin reaction
• if you take particular products for heart rhythm disorders (class III antiarrhythmics, such as amiodarone). In that case the doctor will monitor your heart function.