Emla Cream

What is Emla Cream?

Emla Cream is a local anaesthetic that is topically applied. It helps to numb an area of skin, reducing its sensitivity to any sensations. Emla Cream contains two active ingredients, lidocaine and prilocaine.

It can be used for numbing the skin before an injection and minor procedures. It is also an effective treatment for premature ejaculation in men.

You can buy Emla Cream over the counter without needing a prescription.

What is Emla Cream used to treat?

Emla Cream works by temporarily disrupting the pathway of signals along your nerves. Local anaesthetics like Emla numbing cream can be applied before minor skin operations, such as the removal of leg ulcers. It is often applied to adults and children alike to numb the skin before blood tests. This makes it very popular among people who have a fear of needles.

You can also apply Emla before you have a tattoo, to alleviate the pain that comes with this procedure.

Additionally, Emla numbing cream is often used as an off-label treatment for premature ejaculation. It reduces the feeling in your penis and, as a result, reduces sensitivity and delays ejaculation. This means you can use it to enjoy sexual intercourse for longer, without the fear that you will ejaculate prematurely.

Why is Emla Cream recommended to treat premature ejaculation?

Studies have shown that Emla Cream can effectively numb areas of the skin, making it an effective treatment for premature ejaculation by reducing sensitivity in the penis. 

How does Emla Cream treat premature ejaculation?

As Emla Cream numbs the penis slightly, the speed at which a man ejaculates is reduced. When the cream is applied to the penis, certain signals passed along the nerve fibres of the penis to the brain are suppressed, which helps to reduce sensation in the penis. This makes the penis less sensitive, which helps to delay ejaculation.

Who can use Emla Cream?

This cream may not be suitable for everyone to use. Speak to your doctor before applying the cream if you have any of the following conditions:

• You are anaemic
• You have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency – a rare inherited illness that affects your blood
• You have methaemoglobinaemia – a problem with blood pigment levels
• You have atopic dermatitis

Always read the patient information leaflet thoroughly before using Emla numbing cream. Speak to your doctor if you have any doubts or concerns before you start to use this medicine.

Can you buy Emla Cream over the counter?

Emla Cream can be bought over the counter from pharmacies without needing a prescription.

Can you buy Emla Cream online in the UK?

You can buy Emla Cream online from Medicine Direct. All you need to do is fill out an online consultation questionnaire for one of our prescribers to make sure it is safe for you to use.

Next day delivery is available if you place your order by 2pm.

You do not need a prescription for Emla Cream, but you should still only order it from a regulated pharmacy like ours. This will make sure you only order a safe and genuine version of the medicine.

Emla Cream alternatives

At Medicine Direct, we also stock the prescription medicine Priligy tablets for premature ejaculation. This oral medicine has been found to be an effective treatment for premature ejaculation in around 80% of men who take it. It gets to work after around two hours and allows you to enjoy a longer and less stressful sexual experience.

If you feel that your problem is caused by anxiety or a psychological issue, speaking to a sex therapist may also help you to combat premature ejaculation.

How to use Emla Cream

For premature ejaculation

1. Apply the cream before sexual intercourse.
2. Pull back the foreskin and apply a pea-sized amount of cream to the underside of the penis’s head and shaft.
3. Allow the cream 15 to 30 minutes to get to work before you have sex.
4. Wash the cream off before having sex. Make sure all of the cream has been removed before you have sex, as Emla may be transferred to your sexual partner and reduce their sensitivity too.

Follow your doctor or pharmacist’s instructions when using Emla Cream for premature ejaculation. The instructions contained in the patient information leaflet do not provide guidance on using Emla for this problem.

If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Emla Cream Side Effects

As with all local anaesthetics, Emla Cream does come with a risk of certain side effects, no matter what you may be using the cream for. However, not everyone will suffer from side effects.

Speak to your doctor if any of the following adverse effects bother you:

• A transient local skin reaction (such as paleness, redness, or swelling) in the area you have used the treatment
• A mild burning sensation on the area you have applied the treatment

This list is not exhaustive.

Please also read the patient information leaflet for more information on side effects.

Emla Cream Warnings and Drug Interactions

Emla Cream may interact with other drugs you are already taking, which can inhibit the effectiveness of Emla Cream or increase your chances of experiencing side effects.

In particular, inform your doctor if you are currently taking any of the following medications:

• Any medicines that are used to treat infections, such as ‘sulphonamides’ and nitrofurantoin
• Any other local anaesthetic medicines
• Cimetidine or beta-blockers – these may increase the blood levels of lidocaine.
• Any medicines used to treat epilepsy, such as phenytoin and phenobarbital
• Any medicines used to treat an uneven heartbeat, such as amiodarone

This list may not be exhaustive; always read the patient information leaflet for a comprehensive list of other medicines which may interact with the Prilocaine and medicines that may interact with Lidocaine, the active ingredients in Emla Cream.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Emla numbing cream may not be suitable for women to use while they are pregnant. If you are currently pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or are trying to get pregnant, you should make sure your doctor is aware.

Read more about using EMLA Cream during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the NICE website. 

Emla Cream should also not be used by women who are breastfeeding if you have not informed your doctor first.

Emla Cream Ingredients

The main active ingredients within this medicine are: Lidocaine and Prilocaine

Inactive ingredients also contained in this medication are: macrogolglycerol hydroxystearate, Carbomer 974P, sodium hydroxide and purified water.

Speak to your doctor before you use this cream if you have an allergy to any of these ingredients.