This causes loss of feeling or sensation to prevent pain and discomfort. Lidocaine hurts for several seconds to a minute when it is injected into the skin. Doctors frequently mix sodium bicarbonate with lidocaine to help raise the pH of the solution, which makes the solution more alkaline and decreases the pain you feel with injection. Pain reduction in local anesthetic administration through pH buffering. Micromedix Inc. Vol.
Sodium bicarbonate attenuates pain on skin infiltration with lidocaine, with or without epinephrine.