I tried, using the maximum permissible a day.It did not help - ipuprofen works on a different kind of sensation.
But if it feels horribly although EMLA has been applied, it is quite probable that You did not apply it correctly.
I still use EMLA on electrolysis of my neck and its transition to the chin. After a few failures i get almost perfect numbing. My procedure is:
> massage a small amount of EMLA into the skin in order to get something of it into the pores.
> Repeat this every 3 1/2 minutes (the time my tea watch is adjusted to 
for 5 times.
> Then add a *thick layer of EMLA and cover this with foil.
> The foil should be pretty thick (plastic bags) and cut to match the anatomy before the application of EMLA. It should be fixed thoroughly with tape around the full contour. Thorough coverage of the numbed area is crucial; it avoids oxidation of the lidokaine.
> After another 30-60 minutes the numbing is ok.