What is Marcaine: Uses, Warnings & Interactions

How to take Marcaine

• A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a medical facility. It is sometimes given through a catheter placed into your lower back for an epidural or a spinal block. You may also receive the injection into your rib cage, chest, or other body areas. This medicine may also be injected directly into your gums for dental work.

• Injection routeA nurse or other health provider will give you this medicine.

• A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine in a medical facility. It is sometimes given through a catheter placed into your lower back for an epidural or a spinal block. You may also receive the injection into your rib cage, chest, or other body areas. This medicine may also be injected directly into your gums for dental work.

• Injection routeA nurse or other health provider will give you this medicine.

What to do if you miss a dose of Marcaine

Marcaine contraindications

• This medicine is not right for everyone. You should not receive it if you had an allergic reaction to bupivacaine or similar medicines, or if you have severe bleeding, low blood pressure, any type of infection, heart rhythm problems, or an infection at the injection site.

Marcaine warnings

• Your doctor will do lab tests at regular visits to check on the effects of this medicine. Keep all appointments.

• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, blood or blood clotting problems (including methemoglobinemia), asthma, diabetes, seizures, myasthenia gravis, thyroid problems, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, lasting back pain, arthritis, spinal problems, lung or breathing problems, G6PD, or mental illness.

• This medicine may cause the following problems:Methemoglobinemia (blood disorder)Chondrolysis (a bone or joint problem)Low blood pressureHyperthermia (a dangerous increase in body temperature)

• This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous until you know how this medicine affects you.

• This medicine should cause numbness only to the area where it is injected. It is not meant to cause you to fall asleep or become unconscious.

• You may experience temporary loss of sensation and movement, usually in the lower half of your body, if you receive this medicine into your lower back (epidural).

• If you are receiving this medicine as an epidural to ease labor pains, it may take longer than normal for you to push your baby out. It is also possible that the baby may have unwanted effects after birth (including sleepiness, slow responses). Talk to your doctor if you have questions about how this medicine might affect your baby.

Marcaine interactions

• Some medicines can affect how bupivacaine works. Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following: Acetaminophen, chloroquine, metoclopramide, primaquine, quinine, sulfasalazineBlood pressure medicine (including atenolol, doxazosin, lisinopril, metoprolol, terazosin)Cancer medicine (including cyclophosphamide, flutamide, hydroxyurea, ifosfamide, rasburicase)Ergot medicine or other medicines for headaches or migrainesMedicine to treat depression (including an MAO inhibitor, tricyclic antidepressant)Medicine to treat seizures (including phenobarbital, phenytoin, sodium valproate)Nitrate or nitrite medicine (including nitric oxide, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, nitrous oxide)Phenothiazine medicine (including chlorpromazine, promethazine)

• Tell your doctor if you use anything else that makes you sleepy. Some examples are allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, and alcohol.

• This medicine should cause numbness only to the area where it is injected. It is not meant to cause you to fall asleep or become unconscious.

• It may be easier to hurt yourself while your treated body area is still numb. Be careful to avoid injury until you have regained all the feeling and are no longer numb.

• If you are receiving this medicine as an epidural to ease labor pains, it may take longer than normal for you to push your baby out. It is also possible that the baby may have unwanted effects after birth (sleepiness, slow responses). Talk to your doctor if you have questions about how this medicine might affect your baby.