Benzocaine/ Cetylpyridinium

Registered South African indications:

• Sore throat
• Sore gums 
• Cold sores 
• Fever blisters 
• Denture irritation

Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to the active ingredient or any of the excipients in this combination product
• Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Children <6 years (loz)
• Infants <6 months (sol)
• Low plasma-cholinesterase concentrations or in those receiving anticholinesterases
• Fever or serious sore throat (unless deemed necessary by prescriber) (sol)

Cautions

• Pregnancy (sol)
• Breastfeeding (sol)
• Renal impairment
• Hepatic impairment
  - Liver damage
• Elderly
• Severe sore throat (loz)
• Sore throat accompanied by high fever or headache or nausea and vomiting or any sore throat persisting for >2 days (loz)
• Repeated use
• Epilepsy
• Impaired cardiac conduction
• Impaired respiratory function
• Myasthenia gravis
• Shock (sol)
• Sepsis (sol)
• Methaemoglobinaemia (sol)

Forms avail. in SA and covered in this monograph: loz, sol

Sore throat

Benzocaine/ Cetylpyridinium
10/1.4 (mg)
12/1.5 (mg) 

• Oral (loz): 1 loz, 2-3hrly

Sore gums 
Cold sores 
Fever blisters
Denture irritation 

10/1 (mg/ml)

• Oral (sol): Apply small quantity to affected area(s), 3-4hrly; Treatment duration: 7 days; Max: 5 drops/dose

Apply sol with clean finger or cottonwool

Not established for use in children below 6 months (sol) or 6 years (loz)

Pregnancy

• Contraindicated (loz)
• Use in pregnancy has not been esstablished
• Caution; no information available (sol)

Breastfeeding

• Contraindicated (loz) 
• Use in breastfeeding has not been established
• Caution; no information available (sol)

Renal Impairment

• Caution; no information available

Hepatic Impairment

• Caution; no information available

Elderly

• Caution; no information available

Drugs in Sport

• Permitted - No warnings 

Combination products may have additional pharmacological effects not accounted for by the action of the individual ingredients

Benzocaine
Central Nervous System Disorders

• Yawning
• Restlessness
• Excitement
• Nervousness
• Dizziness
• Tinnitus
• Nystagmus
• Blurred vision
• Nausea  and vomiting
• Muscle twitching
• Tremors
• Convulsions

Cardiovascular System Disorders

• Myocardial depression 
• Peripheral vasodilation 
• Hypotension 
• Bradycardia
• Arrhythmias 
• Cardiac arrest

Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders

• Hypersensitivity reactions

Cetylpyridinium 
Gastrointestinal Disorders

• Nausea and vomiting
• Tongue discolouration
• Mouth irritation

Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders

• Irritant
• Burning

Immune, Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders

• Hypersensitivity reaction

Combination products may have additional pharmacological effects not accounted for by the action of the individual ingredients

Benzocaine

• Sulphonamides

Cetylpyridinium

• No information available

None routine

Benzocaine 
Benzocaine binds to sodium channels and reversibly stabilizes the neuronal membrane which decreases its permeability to sodium ions. Depolarization of the neuronal membrane is inhibited thereby blocking the initiation and conduction of nerve impulses

Cetylpyridinium 
Cetylpyridinium chloride is a cationic antiseptic with activity against both gram positive and gram negative organisms

COMBINATION PREPARATIONS

Benzocaine/ Cetylpyridinium

Solution (per ml) 10mg/1mg

• Prodol (Technikon) originator

Lozenges 10mg/1.4mg 

• Cepacol Plus Original (Adcock Ingram) originator
• Cepacol Plus Blackcurrant (Adcock Ingram) originator

Lozenges 12mg/1.5mg 

• Medi-Keel A (Adcock Ingram)
• Medi-Keel A Honey & Lemon (Adcock Ingram)
• Medi-Keel A Blackcurrant (Adcock Ingram)