Drugs › Amide local anesthetic
Generic name
Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ): adverse event reports filed with FDA
2,015 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Amide local anesthetic. Also reported as Xylocaine Ointment, Xylocaine Injection, Xylocaine /00033401/.
- 2,015
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 90 a year
- 109
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 164 in the 12 months before
- 89.9%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 65.1% across the class
- 7.3%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 147 reports · not verified by FDA
2,015 adverse event reports received by FDA list xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ), a generic name as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2004 to June 2026. A further 2,443 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 109 reports listed it, down 34% from 164 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 90 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 4.8% of the reports for the amide local anesthetic class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
Reporters most often recorded anaphylactic shock (8.8%), drug ineffective (5.8%) and erythema (4.2%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 490 different terms appear across these reports. Anaphylactic shock is recorded in 8.8% of these reports, a larger share than in the median amide local anesthetic drug (0.7%).
89.9% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (65.1% across the class); 7.3% record death among the outcomes and 34.1% record hospitalisation, as reported. 40.5% of the reports came from physicians, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (23.6%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ) reports recording the termmedian drug in amide local anesthetic
- Anaphylactic shocka severe allergic reaction with collapse8.8%177
- Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected5.8%116
- Erythemaskin redness4.2%85
- Hypotensionlow blood pressure4.2%84
- Shockshock, a collapse of the circulation3.9%78
- Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label3.8%76
- Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell3.7%74
- Painpain, site not specified3.4%69
- Dyspnoeashortness of breath3.4%68
- Pyrexiafever3.2%64
- Anaphylactic reactiona severe, sudden allergic reaction3.1%63
- Tachycardiafast heart rate3%61
- Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness2.9%58
- Nauseafeeling sick2.8%56
- Cardiac arrestthe heart stopped2.7%55
- Vomitingbeing sick2.7%54
- Drug hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction to a medicine2.6%52
- Convulsion2.5%51
- Hypersensitivityan allergic-type reaction2.5%50
- Loss of consciousnesspassing out2.4%48
- Toxicity to various agentspoisoning or toxic effect of one or more substances2.4%48
- Febrile neutropeniafever with low white blood cells2.3%47
- Blood pressure decreaseda low blood pressure reading2.2%45
- Back painback pain2.2%44
- Pruritusitching2.1%42
- Anaesthetic complication1.8%37
- Rashskin rash1.8%37
- Chillschills or shivering1.7%34
- Urticariahives1.6%32
- Cardio-respiratory arrestthe heart and breathing stopped1.5%31
Top 30 of 490 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 13 drugs in the amide local anesthetic class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 41,804 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 18.4% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Local anaesthesia | 383 | 19% |
| Anaesthesia | 124 | 6.2% |
| General anaesthesia | 56 | 2.8% |
| Epidural anaesthesia | 46 | 2.3% |
| Induction of anaesthesia | 41 | 2% |
| Nerve block | 31 | 1.5% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 2,015 reports.
In context
| Measure | Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ) | Amide local anesthetic | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 2,015 | 41,804 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 4.8% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 109 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 89.9% | 65.1% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 73 | 77 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 341 | 250 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 10.8% | 27% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Anaphylactic shock 8.8% | median 0.7% | 0.1% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the amide local anesthetic class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lidocaine | generic | 13,993 | 1,469 | 80% |
| Bupivacaine | generic | 5,447 | 310 | 83.3% |
| Lidocaine patch | generic | 4,474 | 113 | 4.3% |
| Lidocaine hydrochloride | generic | 3,047 | 314 | 80.7% |
| Exparel | brand | 2,157 | 217 | 42.4% |
| Marcaine | brand | 2,089 | 50 | 44.1% |
| Bupivacaine hcl | generic | 1,870 | 0 | 45.3% |
| Lidocaine hcl | generic | 1,854 | 0 | 49.5% |
| Bupivacaine hydrochloride | generic | 1,797 | 251 | 62.3% |
| Ropivacaine hydrochloride | generic | 1,388 | 300 | 94.2% |
| Lidoderm | brand | 967 | 7 | 45% |
| Naropin | brand | 706 | 13 | 79.7% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ) reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl )?
2,015 reports list Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ) as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 109 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 2,443 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ) reports?
anaphylactic shock (8.8%), drug ineffective (5.8%), erythema (4.2%), hypotension (4.2%) and shock (3.9%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ) was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
89.9% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 7.3% of reports include death and 34.1% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
physician (40.5%), other health professional (27.9%) and pharmacist (11.6%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ) rising?
109 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 34% from 164 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ) was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl )?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Xylocaine (lidocaine hcl ) as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (2,443) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.