Q: Though lidocaine patches help with my chronic headache pain, they can be cumbersome to apply. My local pharmacists are in disagreement: One says patches cannot be cut, but the other said I could cut my lidocaine patch to a size more suitable to my needs. Who is correct?
A: As a general rule, medication patches should not be cut or otherwise altered. Cutting the patch could increase absorption of the drug, which could augment side effects, deplete the patch’s medication too quickly and cause other problems.
Lidocaine patches are, to my knowledge, the only exception to that general rule. A lidocaine patch’s dimensions are approximately 4 inches by 6 inches, which is rather large to place on the forehead (the location used by most patients). With a pair of scissors, patients can cut the patch to an appropriate size prior to applying it to their forehead or other hairless area. Typically, patches are left on for 12 hours and then removed for 12 hours prior to applying another patch.
