# The -caine suffix **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 4, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619 "2003-01-04T16:09:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/1 "2003-01-04T16:09:59Z")
I think I’ve gathered that the “-caine” suffix is applied to anaesthetics (e.g. novacaine, hydrocaine), typically associated with dentistry. However, what are the more specific conditions related to being a -caine? ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/2 "2003-01-04T16:18:54Z")
“Cocaine” was the original “-caine” (as in Coca-ine). Suffixes for similar alkaloids just followed this pattern. Kinda like calling someone a “Chocoholic”. I’ll look for a site. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/3 "2003-01-04T16:20:01Z")
cite. I’ll look for a cite. Jeez. But maybe the cite will be a site. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/4 "2003-01-04T16:29:24Z")
> **[Definition of -CAINE](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/-caine)** > > synthetic alkaloid anesthetic… See the full definition ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/5 "2003-01-04T16:30:38Z")
(The key word there is “synthetic alkaloid anesthetic”) ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/6 "2003-01-04T16:39:08Z")
The quick cite I found says the exact same thing: [http://www.bartleby.com/61/4/C0020400.html](http://www.bartleby.com/61/4/C0020400.html) So, “Novocaine”–Nova-caine–is the “New synthetic alkaloid anesthetic”. “Lidocaine” is a bit more roundabout: [http://www.bartleby.com/61/50/L0155050.html](http://www.bartleby.com/61/50/L0155050.html) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/7 "2003-01-04T20:52:50Z")
IIRC, older antipsychotics were members of the -caine family, the theory of their mechanism of action being in part that they anesthetized parts of the brain. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/8 "2003-01-04T20:57:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pantellerite \* > \*\*cite. > > I’ll look for a cite. Jeez. But maybe the cite will be a site. \*\* No, it will be a sight. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/9 "2003-01-04T21:00:35Z")
This is not a complete answer. But cocaine, bupivicaine, marcaine, lidocaine etc. share the property of being local or regional anesthetics which don’t work well in acidic enviromenents (abcesses) as chemically they are amides (as opposed to esters). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/10 "2003-01-04T21:04:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shoshana \* > \*\*IIRC, older antipsychotics were members of the -caine family, the theory of their mechanism of action being in part that they anesthetized parts of the brain. \*\* I’m curious. Can you recall the name of any of these? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/11 "2003-01-04T21:57:19Z")
**QtM,** my error. Thanks for your question. I was actually thinking of the use of the “-zine” antipsychotics, which were also anaesthetics. ---
**Author:** ![kspharm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ebca7d/32.png) [@kspharm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kspharm)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/12 "2003-01-05T03:53:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pantellerite \* > \*\*The quick cite I found says the exact same thing: > > [http://www.bartleby.com/61/4/C0020400.html](http://www.bartleby.com/61/4/C0020400.html) > > So, “Novocaine”–Nova-caine–is the “New synthetic alkaloid anesthetic”. > > “Lidocaine” is a bit more roundabout: > > [http://www.bartleby.com/61/50/L0155050.html](http://www.bartleby.com/61/50/L0155050.html) \*\* Novocaine and lidocaine are the same thing. As is Xylocaine. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/13 "2003-01-05T05:17:11Z")
What about Michaelcaine? Or Mutinycaine? ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/14 "2003-01-05T06:13:45Z")
I don’t know much about them… Except that I am EXTREMELY allergic to them thanks to small tests after other people in my family showed slight problems with the -canes. If I was given a shot to numb my mouth I would probably die. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-caine-suffix/146619/15 "2003-01-05T06:20:22Z")
> [@](#): > > What about Michaelcaine? Or Mutinycaine? Or Quaichaucaine, which will use martial arts on your pain? 🙂