Amethocaine is a local anesthetic that is used for topical anesthesia for small medical procedures. Here are some details about amethocaine cream:
Positive:
- Amethocaine gel and cream are effective in providing topical anesthesia for small medical procedures.
- Amethocaine cream is reported to anesthetize the skin in 20 to 30 minutes without occlusion.
Negative:
- Several cases of sensitization have been described in adults upon repeated exposure to topical amethocaine. The para-aminobenzoic acid metabolite of ester type anesthetics is thought to be involved in the sensitization process by acting as a hapten.
- Initial effects of amethocaine include mild hypertension and tachycardia, light-headedness, mild agitation, and confusion. In severe cases, this may progress to seizures, coma, respiratory depression, bradycardia.
Ingredients or materials:
- Amethocaine cream contains amethocaine base 4% w/w in a white opalescent gel formulation.
- Amethocaine is an ester type local anesthetic and shares the pharmacological effects of other local anesthetics. It has high lipid solubility and high affinity for neural tissue. A high protein binding capacity (76%) maintains the drug at the receptor site with the formation of a long-lasting depot in the stratum corneum and clearance by esterases in the skin and bloodstream.
- Amethocaine is hydrolyzed by non-specific tissue esterases in the dermis, to p-n-butyl-aminobenzoic acid (BBA). This cutaneous metabolism decreases the potential for systemic toxicity of dermally applied amethocaine.
It is worth noting that tetracaine is another local anesthetic that is sometimes confused with amethocaine. Amethocaine is also known as tetracaine hydrochloride, but it is not the same as tetracaine.
