Prilocaine hydrochloride
Consumer Medicine Information
What is in this leaflet
This leaflet answers some of the common questions people ask about CITANEST. It does not contain all the information that is known about CITANEST.
It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor will have weighed the risks of your being given CITANEST against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about being given this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
What CITANEST is for
CITANEST is used to prevent or relieve pain, before surgery or other procedures. It will not put you to sleep.
CITANEST is also used to make childbirth less painful.
CITANEST belongs to a group of medicines called local anaesthetics. It is injected into the body where it makes the nerves unable to pass messages to the brain. Depending on the amount used, CITANEST will either totally stop pain or will cause a partial loss of feeling.
CITANEST is sometimes combined with Adrenaline to make it last longer. Adrenaline makes the blood vessels at the site of injection narrower, which keeps the CITANEST where it is needed for a longer time.
Your doctor will have explained why you are being treated with CITANEST and told you what dose you will be given.
Follow all directions given to you by your doctor carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet.
Your doctor may prescribe this medicine for another use. Ask your doctor if you want more information.
CITANEST is not addictive.
Before you are given CITANEST
When you must not use it
CITANEST should not be given to you while you are pregnant because it may harm your baby’s health.
If you are breastfeeding do not use CITANEST unless your doctor says so. Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of being given CITANEST while you are breastfeeding. It is not known if CITANEST appears in breast milk.
Do not give CITANEST to children under 6 months of age. It may affect the amount of oxygen in their blood.
CITANEST will only be used if the solution is clear, the package is undamaged and the use by (expiry) date marked on the pack has not been passed.
Before you start to use it
You must tell your doctor if:
- you have any allergies to
- ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet
- other local anaesthetics, eg. Lignocaine
- other substances
If you have an allergic reaction, you may get a skin rash, difficulty in breathing, hayfever, or feel faint.
- you have any of these medical conditions
- a problem with your blood called methaemoglobinaemia
- problems with your blood pressure or circulation
- blood poisoning
- problems with the clotting of your blood
- nerve problems
- heart problems
- liver problems
- kidney problems
- malignant hyperthermia
- infection or inflammation at the site of injection
- problems with your back
It may not be safe for you to be given CITANEST if you have any of these conditions.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any medicines including:
- mexiletine
- medicines that you buy at the chemist, supermarket or health food shop.
These medicines may affect the way CITANEST works.
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines.
If you have not told your doctor about any of these things, tell them before you are given CITANEST.
How CITANEST is given
CITANEST will be injected by your doctor into the skin, near a single nerve, into an area which contains a large number of nerves or into a vein. This will result in an area of numbness at the site of injection, near the site of injection or in an area that may seem unrelated to the site of injection. The last will be the case if you are given an EPIDURAL injection (an injection around the spinal cord).
The dosage given will depend on your body size, age and the type of pain relief required. Your doctor will have had a lot of experience injecting CITANEST or other local anaesthetics and will choose the best dose for you. They will be willing to discuss this decision with you.
Overdose
The doctor giving you the CITANEST will be experienced in the use of local anaesthetic injections, so it is unlikely that you will be given an overdose.
However, if you are particularly sensitive to CITANEST, you may develop problems for a short time with your sight or hearing. You may get a numbness in or around your mouth, feel dizzy or stiff, or have muscle twitching.
Whenever, you are given CITANEST, equipment will be available to care for you if an overdose happens.
While you are being given it
Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery after you have been given CITANEST. You may be drowsy and your reflexes may be slow.
Do not drink alcohol while you are being given CITANEST. If you drink alcohol while you are being given CITANEST your blood pressure may drop making you feel dizzy and faint.
Please talk to your doctor or pharmacist about these possibilities if you think they may bother you.
Side effects
Tell your doctor or nurse as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are being given CITANEST.
CITANEST will prevent or relieve pain in most people, but it may have unwanted side effects. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:
- nervousness
- dizziness
- blurred vision
- drowsiness
- ringing in the ears
- numbness
- feeling strange (disoriented)
- nausea
- vomiting
These are all mild side effects of CITANEST.
After an epidural injection you may develop a headache or backache which is not related to the medicine used. These can, on rare occasions, last for some months after the injection is given.
If CITANEST is given wrongly, or if you are very sensitive to it, it sometimes causes:
- fits
- unconsciousness
- breathing problems
- low blood pressure
- slow heart beat
- collapse
- a problem with your blood called methaemoglobinaemia.
These are all serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention.
Some people may get other side effects while being given CITANEST.
Tell your doctor if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell.
After using it
Storage
CITANEST will be stored by your doctor or pharmacist under the recommended conditions.
It should be kept in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25° C.
Disposal
Any CITANEST from a single dose container which is not used will be disposed of in a safe manner by your doctor or your pharmacist.
Product description
CITANEST solution is clear and colourless.
Each CITANEST injection contains prilocaine hydrochloride as the active ingredient.
CITANEST is available as a 0.5% Injection containing prilocaine hydrochloride 250 mg/50 mL.
The solution also contains:
Sodium chloride
Sodium hydroxide and/or hydrochloric acid for pH adjustment
Water for Injections.
CITANEST 0.5% Injection
5 x 50 mL vial
AUST R 12079
Sponsor
Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd
34-36 Chandos St
St Leonards NSW 2065
Australia
This leaflet was revised in June 2017.
®Trade Marks herein are the property of the AstraZeneca group
Published by MIMS September 2017