TEOTWAWKI Local Anesthesia Options for Everyone

Just because we find ourselves in challenging times, we aren't necessarily going to want to "suck it up" when it comes to pain.  We'll want relief every bit as much then as we want it now.  So will our children. 

Here are the legal options, ranging from the simplest and cheapest to the most expensive and difficult.

• Ice.  My mom used an ice cube to numb my ears before piercing them with a needle when I was eight years old.  Let's just say I didn't find it very effective and I didn't want her to pierce the other ear.  I lost that battle.  I think ice works better post-injury.
• Benzocaine.  This is usually sold in cream or gel, most commonly as an oral gel for dealing with toothaches, like Anbesol and Orajel.  It's also an active ingredient in lozenges for soothing sore throats; Cepacol is one brand.  Benzocaine is the active ingredient in topical creams like Lanacane for use on irritated skin and in creams like Vagisil for vaginal itching. 
• Benadryl cream and spray are not only antihistamines but also provide some anesthetic relief for bug bites and stings.
• Alcohol.  I took off-grid medicine classes from two different doctors, one who was Jewish and one who was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also referred to as Mormons or LDS, people who abstain from alcohol.  And they had very different opinions on the use of alcohol as an anesthetic.  The Jewish doctor said all you get is an angry drunk who doesn't want to be hurt; the LDS physician didn't have a problem with it.  Use your own judgment.

I'm guessing that, so far, you are less than impressed with the options.

• Lidocaine cream.  This is most commonly available in strengths of about 2-2.5%.  It will provide very minor numbing of the skin.
• Tattoo numbing cream.  With 5% lidocaine, this is the maximum strength of lidocaine cream that can be purchased without a prescription.  And it works pretty well for some of the more substantial, yet still minor issues.  There are several brands available in stores and online.
• Cold Spray.  Isobutane, N-butane, and propane are the active ingredients.  This topical freezing spray anesthetic instantly numbs the skin, but it wears off rapidly, like 30-90 seconds.  It is often used for dealing with ingrown toenails.  It's probably better for placing staples than sutures, unless your doctor is really fast putting those stitches in.  It's not so commonly used, so it will probably be easier to find on Amazon than at the drugstore.
• Injectable lidocaine.  This is great stuff to add to your medical kit.  It's not a controlled substance and doesn't require a prescription but you might have a hard time persuading your doctor to supply you with some vials.  However, making your own is an option.  The directions are linked below, and should only be done under a doctor or pharmacist's supervision.  One place to get the lidocaine hydrochloride for making your solution is MedicalNumbingAgents.com. 
• Injectable diphenhydramine hydrochloride.  This is the same active ingredient used in Benadryl, but mixed in sterile saline or water for injection.  It is especially useful for those who are allergic to lidocaine.   The physicians I visited with said they would have no problem opening up a Benadryl capsule and mixing the powder with sterile saline for injection.
• Lidocaine + epinephrine.  This option is probably the best you can hope for without a prescription.  Again, getting the epinephrine is a bit of a challenge, but you might persuade your doctor or veterinarian.  And I'm told it is sold OTC in feed and ranch stores in some states. The good news is, one little vial should suffice for the entire family for all of TEOTWAWKI.  It is normally added to 2% lidocaine in a 1:1000 ratio.  The combination amplifies the anesthetic effect as well as significantly reducing the bleeding.  Because it constricts blood vessels so well, it is never used on the fingers, toes, ears, nose, or penis. 

Links to related posts:
Lidocaine
Benadryl
Epinephrine
How to Make Injectable Lidocaine 

For further reading:
https://www.winonadailynews.com/news/connections/dr-frank-bures-benadryl-can-be-used-as-anesthetic/article_47cdb7f4-1d2f-11e1-9922-001871e3ce6c.html 

 31 march 2020