INFORMATION FOR CONSUMERS
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Marcain with Adrenaline is a medicine which is used to stop pain during dental procedures.
This leaflet answers some of the common questions people ask about Marcain with Adrenaline. It does not contain all the information that is known about Marcain with Adrenaline.
It does not take the place of talking to your dentist, dental nurse or pharmacist.
All medicines have risks and benefits. Your dentist will have weighed the risks of your being given Marcain with Adrenaline against the benefits they expect it will have for you.
If you have any concerns about being given this medicine, ask your dentist, dental nurse or pharmacist.
Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
Marcain with Adrenaline is used to prevent or relieve pain during dental procedures, but it will not put you to sleep.
Marcain with Adrenaline belongs to a group of medicines called local anaesthetics. It is injected into the mouth where it makes the nerves unable to pass messages to the brain.
Depending on the amount used, Marcain with Adrenaline will either totally stop pain or will cause a partial loss of feeling.
Marcain with Adrenaline is used with adrenaline to make it last longer. Adrenaline makes the blood vessels at the site of injection narrower, which means you bleed less. It is then easier for your dentist to see what is happening.
Your dentist will have explained why you are being treated with Marcain with Adrenaline.
Follow all directions given to you by your dentist carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet. Ask your dentist if you want more information.
Marcain with Adrenaline is not addictive.
When you must not be given it
Do not use Marcain with Adrenaline if you are pregnant or breastfeeding unless your doctor and dentist
say so. Ask your doctor or dentist about the risks and benefits of being given Marcain with Adrenaline while you are pregnant.
Marcain with Adrenaline has been widely used for dental procedures during pregnancy with no reports of ill effects to the mother or baby.
Your baby can take in very small amounts of Marcain with Adrenaline from breast milk if you are breastfeeding. It is unlikely that the amount available to the baby will do any harm.
Marcain with Adrenaline is not recommended for use in children under 12.
Marcain with Adrenaline 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.
If you have an allergic reaction, you may get a skin rash, hayfever, have difficulty breathing or feel faint.
It may not be safe for you to be given Marcain with Adrenaline if you have any of these conditions.
These medicines may affect the way Marcain with Adrenaline works.
Your dentist can tell you what to do if you are taking any of these medicines.
If you have not told your dentist about any of these things, tell him/her before you are given Marcain with Adrenaline.
Marcain with Adrenaline will be injected by your dentist into the gum inside your mouth near a single nerve, or into an area which contains a large number of nerves.
This will result in an area of numbness at the site or near the site of injection.
Marcain with Adrenaline should not be injected directly into the blood.
The dosage you will be given will depend on your body size, age and the type of dental work you will be having done.
Your dentist will have had a lot of experience injecting Marcain with Adrenaline or other local anaesthetics and will choose the best dose for you. They will be willing to discuss this decision with you.
The dentist giving you Marcain with Adrenaline will be experienced in the use of local anaesthetics, so it is unlikely that you will be given an overdose.
However, if you are particularly sensitive to Marcain with Adrenaline, or the dose is accidently injected directly into your blood, you may develop problems for a short time. You may get a numb feeling in or around the mouth, feel dizzy or stiff, or have muscle twitching. As Marcain with Adrenaline contains adrenaline, you may feel alarmed and your heart will beat rapidly.
Whenever you are given Marcain with Adrenaline, equipment will be available to care for you if an overdose happens.
Do not eat or drink anything until the feeling has returned to your mouth. You may burn or bite yourself.
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Marcain with Adrenaline affects you. You may be drowsy and your reflexes may be slow.
Do not drink alcohol immediately before or after you are be given Marcain with Adrenaline. If you drink alcohol while you are being given Marcain with Adrenaline your blood pressure may drop making you feel dizzy and faint.
Please talk to your dentist, dental nurse or pharmacist about these possibilities if you think they may bother you.
Tell your dentist or dental nurse as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are being given Marcain with Adrenaline.
Marcain with Adrenaline helps most people have pain-free visits to the dentist, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people.
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 dentist, dental nurse or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.
These are all mild side effects of Marcain with Adrenaline
These are serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention
Serious side effects are rare.
These are very serious side effects. If you have them, you may have had a serious (allergic) reaction to Marcain with Adrenaline. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation.
All of these side effects are very rare.
Tell your dentist if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell.
Some people may get other side effects while using Marcain with Adrenaline.
Marcain with Adrenaline will be stored by your dentist under the recommended conditions.
It should be kept in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Any Marcain with Adrenaline from a single dose which is not used, will be disposed of in a safe manner by your dentist.
Marcain with Adrenaline is a clear, colourless solution and is available as the following name:
The active ingredients are bupivacaine hydrochloride 5 mg/mL and adrenaline 5
mcg/mL, plus
Sodium metabisulfite (E 223)
Sodium chloride
Hydrochloric acid for pH adjustment
Water for Injections
This is available as 2.2mL dental cartridges.
Dentsply (NZ) Limited
C/O Rusell McVeagh
48 Shortland Street, Auckland
Dentsply New Zealand
C/- Zuellig Pharma Ltd
54 Carbine Road
Mt Wellington
Auckland
Freephone: 0800 809 074
This leaflet was prepared in April 2002.