Keeping It Simple: A Case Report on Atomized Intranasal 1% Lidocaine as an Effective Treatment for Pain Crisis Due to

Drake D Dixon1, Kevin Sze1, Jennifer H Elfman2

  • 1Emergency Medicine, University of Central Florida (UCF) Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Florida Osceola Hospital, Kissimmee, USA.

Cureus
|December 26, 2025
PubMed

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic pain disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of sudden facial pain. Unfortunately, there are few options to adequately prevent attacks of TN and even fewer options for rescue therapy during acute episodes. Successful treatment of TN pain with the readily available 1% formulation, typically used for local anesthesia, has not yet been demonstrated. We present a case report of a 37-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department with severe, debilitating TN pain and achieved significant relief within 20 minutes of intranasal (IN) atomized 1% lidocaine.

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