Who can and cannot use lidocaine skin cream

Most adults and children can use lidocaine skin cream.

Lidocaine skin cream is not suitable for some people. To make sure it's safe for you, tell your pharmacist or doctor before using this medicine if:

• you've ever had an allergic reaction to lidocaine or any of the other ingredients
• the skin where you need to use the cream has cuts, rashes, eczema, bleeding or scabs, or if the skin feels sore
• you have any of the rare inherited conditions porphyria, methaemoglobinaemia or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency

Lidocaine skin creams such as EMLA, Denela and Nulbia may not be suitable for people with porphyria, methaemoglobinaemia or G6PD deficiency because they contain a combination of local anaesthetics.