Procaine

Benjamin Clanner-Engelshofen is a freelance writer in the medical department. He studied biochemistry and pharmacy in Munich and Cambridge / Boston (USA) and noticed early on that he particularly enjoyed the interface between medicine and science. That is why he went on to study human medicine.

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The active ingredient procaine is a local anesthetic, also known as a local anesthetic. It was discovered over a hundred years ago and was initially intended for numbing amputations. In the meantime, however, it is mainly used in dentistry and is also used in alternative medical treatments. Here you can read everything about the effects and uses of procaine, side effects and other interesting facts.

This is how procaine works

The nerve pathways in the body conduct "messages" in the form of electrical signals either from the brain to other regions of the body (efferent nerves) or from these regions to the brain (afferent nerves). The latter information can be sensory perceptions, temperature and touch sensations, but also pain stimuli. Local anesthetics such as procaine are used to suppress the latter in particular.

In the event of a pain stimulus, the information is passed from the location of the event to the brain via nerve tracts. Similar to a power cable, it is conducted via electrical charges that are transported along the nerve. This is mainly done by means of sodium ions, which flow into the nerve tract through so-called sodium channels. The sodium ions have a positive charge that gets inside the nerve and is transported along the nerve via other sodium channels. Once in the brain, the stimulus is then interpreted as pain.

Local anesthetics such as procaine are usually injected directly to the place where pain suppression is desired - for example, at the dentist, directly to the nerve that supplies the area to be treated. There, procaine blocks the sodium channels, so that no sodium gets into the nerve and thus no (pain) stimulus is triggered. This means that the anesthetized region can be operated on without pain.

Alternative medicine

In so-called neural therapy, the active ingredient in the form of the water-soluble salt procaine hydrochloride is injected into the bloodstream or near nerve nodes (ganglia) via a procaine infusion (sometimes also called procaine-base infusion) or injection. The whole thing is based on the theory that so-called interference fields in the body (such as scars, inflammation, injuries) can cause reactions and pain in completely different parts of the body. Such interference fields should be eliminated by repeatedly applying a local anesthetic. The interference field theory is not recognized by conventional medicine, there is no scientific proof of effectiveness. Serious side effects such as severe allergic reactions, injury to internal organs or blood vessels, and severe seizures have been reported.

Absorption, breakdown and excretion of procaine

When injecting procaine, the effects take about one to two minutes and last for one to two hours. The anesthetic is broken down mainly by enzymes (esterases) in the blood, and to a small extent also in the liver. The breakdown products are no longer effective and are excreted through the kidneys.

When is procaine used?

Procaine is primarily used for local anesthesia in dentistry and other minor procedures. It is also used in analgesic ear drops for pain in the external ear canal or otitis media, usually along with another pain reliever.

In the field of alternative medicine, neural therapy also uses procaine as an infusion into blood vessels or an injection into nerve nodes (procaine syringe).

This is how procaine is used

As part of the local anesthesia, the doctor or alternative practitioner will decide how much procaine is to be administered and how often the treatment should take place.

When treating earache, five drops are placed in the affected ear three to four times a day. The instillation with the drops warmed up in the hand should be done in a lateral position. To prevent immediate drainage, the position should be held for about 15 minutes. If the pain does not go away within two days with self-medication, a doctor should be consulted.

What are the side effects of procaine?

Side effects occur mainly with the injection and infusion of procaine and mostly affect the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system. Possible side effects of procaine are, for example, changes in the heart rhythm and local allergic reactions such as reddening, itching and blistering. Particularly with high doses, there can be a drop in blood pressure, cramps, clouding of consciousness, coma, respiratory arrest and cardiac arrest - in this case you should call the emergency doctor immediately.

What should be considered when using procaine?

With the combined administration of procaine and muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants; for example for anesthesia), the effect of procaine is prolonged.

The simultaneous administration of physostigmine (an antidote for poisoning) increases the effect of procaine.

The effect of antibiotics from the sulfonamide group (such as sulfamethoxazole) can be reduced by the anesthetic.

In pregnant women, procaine reaches the child via the placenta and passes into breast milk in breastfeeding women. Although no negative consequences for the development of the child have been found, the active ingredient should not be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding to be on the safe side.

It should not be used in children and adolescents due to lack of experience. In elderly patients, depending on their general condition, the dosage should be reduced under certain circumstances.

How to get medication with procaine

Injection and infusion solutions with the active ingredient procaine are only available with a prescription in pharmacies, but are usually bought directly by the attending physician.

Procaine-containing ear drops are available from pharmacies without a prescription.

Since when has procaine been known?

The anesthetic procaine was first produced in 1905 by the German chemist Alfred Einhorn and introduced into medical practice by the surgeon Heinrich Braun. In contrast to the previously used cocaine, procaine no longer has a mood-enhancing and addictive effect. There are many related local anesthetics on the market today that have more beneficial properties, which is why procaine is not used as widely.

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