Generic name: benzocaine [ BENZ-oh-kane ]
Brand name: Orabase
Drug class:Topical anesthetics
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jun 14, 2021.
What is Orabase?
Orabase Paste contains benzocaine, a local anesthetic (numbing medication). It works by blocking nerve signals in your body.
Orabase Paste is used to numb the skin or surfaces inside the mouth.
Orabase Paste should not be used to treat teething pain in infants, and is not approved for use in a child younger than 2 years old.
Warnings
Orabase used in the mouth may cause a condition in which the oxygen in the body tissues can become dangerously low. This is a potentially fatal condition called methemoglobinemia (met-HEEM-oh glo-bin-EE-mee-a). Do not use this medicine if you have ever had methemoglobinemia.
GET EMERGENCY MEDICAL HELP IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OF METHEMOGLOBINEMIA:headache, tired feeling, confusion, fast heart rate, and feeling light-headed or short of breath, with a pale, blue, or gray appearance of your skin, lips, or fingernails.
An overdose of benzocaine can cause fatal side effects if too much benzocaine is absorbed through your skin or mouth and into your blood. Use the smallest amount needed.
Do not use Orabase on a child younger than 2 years old.
Before taking this medicine
Do not use Orabase if you have ever had methemoglobinemia in the past.
An overdose of numbing medication can cause fatal side effects if too much of the medicine is absorbed through your skin or mouth and into your blood. This can happen if you apply more than the recommended dose.
Fatal overdoses have occurred when numbing medicines were used without the advice of a medical doctor (such as during a cosmetic procedure like laser hair removal). Be aware that many cosmetic procedur...
