lidocaine topical vs sulfasalazine

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Side-by-side comparison of lidocaine topical and sulfasalazine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

moderate Known Drug Interaction

Drugs That May Cause Methemoglobinemia When Used with LIDODERM Patients who are administered local anesthetics are at increased risk of developing methemoglobinemia when concurrently exposed to the following drugs, which could include other local anesthetics: Examples of Drugs Associated with Methemoglobinemia : Class Examples Nitrates/Nitrites nitric oxide, nitroglycerin, nitroprusside, nitrous oxide Local anesthetics articaine, benzocaine, bupivacaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, prilocaine, procaine, ropivacaine, tetracaine Antineoplastic agents cyclophosphamide, flutamide, hydroxyurea,...

Drug Class
lidocaine topical Topical Anesthetic
sulfasalazine Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD)
Type
lidocaine topical Prescription
sulfasalazine Prescription
Summary
lidocaine topical

Lidoderm is a skin patch that contains the numbing medicine lidocaine. It is used to relieve nerve pain after shingles.

sulfasalazine

Sulfasalazine is a drug that reduces inflammation in the body. It is used to treat ulcerative colitis.

What It Treats
lidocaine topical

Lidoderm is used to relieve pain caused by post-herpetic neuralgia. This is nerve pain that can happen after you have shingles. The patch should only be applied to skin that is not broken or irritated.

sulfasalazine

Sulfasalazine treats ulcerative colitis, a condition that causes inflammation and sores in the lining of the large intestine. It can help with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. It can also be used with other treatments for severe ulcerative colitis. This medicine can also help keep ulcerative colitis from coming back.

How It Works
lidocaine topical

Lidoderm contains lidocaine, a local anesthetic. It works by numbing the area where you apply the patch. This reduces pain signals in that area.

sulfasalazine

Sulfasalazine is an anti-inflammatory drug. It works by reducing inflammation in the colon. The exact way it does this is not fully known.

Common Side Effects
lidocaine topical
  • Blisters where you put the patch
  • Bruising where you put the patch
  • Burning feeling where you put the patch
  • Skin color changes where you put the patch
  • Skin irritation where you put the patch
sulfasalazine
  • Loss of appetite
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Stomach upset
FAERS Reports
lidocaine topical

No adverse event reports.

sulfasalazine
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis 19,190
  • Pain 15,658
  • Arthralgia 13,161
  • Fatigue 13,017
  • Joint Swelling 12,481
Serious Warnings
lidocaine topical

Using Lidoderm with certain drugs can increase the risk of a blood disorder called methemoglobinemia. Tell your doctor about all other medicines you take.

sulfasalazine

You should not take this medicine if you have a blockage in your intestines or urinary tract. You should not take this medicine if you have porphyria, as it could cause an attack. You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to sulfasalazine, its ingredients, sulfonamides, or salicylates.

Pregnancy
lidocaine topical

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before using Lidoderm. It is not known if Lidoderm can harm your unborn baby. It is also not known if Lidoderm passes into breast milk.

sulfasalazine

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Sulfasalazine will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking this medicine while breastfeeding.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This lidocaine topical vs sulfasalazine Comparison

lidocaine topical is classified in the Topical Anesthetic drug class, while sulfasalazine sits within the Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug (DMARD) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, lidocaine topical has 0 submissions while sulfasalazine has 73,507. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to both drugs can cause a rare blood problem that prevents oxygen from reaching your body's tissues. using them together makes this dangerous side effect more likely to happen.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for lidocaine topical or sulfasalazine.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.