Hiccups
Benzonatate has been shown to have use in the suppression of hiccups. Intubation
Benzonatate acts as a local anesthetic and the liquid inside the capsule can be applied in the mouth to numb the oropharynx for awake intubation. However, there can be life-threatening adverse effects when the medication is absorbed by the oral mucosa, including choking, hypersensitivity reactions, and circulatory collapse. Contraindications
Hypersensitivity to benzonatate or any related compounds is a contraindication to its administration. Side effects
Benzonatate is generally well-tolerated if the liquid-capsule is swallowed intact. Potential adverse effects to benzonatate include:

Constipation, dizziness, fatigue, stuffy nose, nausea, headache are frequently reported. Sedation, a feeling of numbness in the chest, sensation of burning in the eyes, a vague "chilly" sensation, itchiness, and rashes are also possible. Ingestion of a small handful of capsules has caused seizures, cardiac arrhythmia, and death in adults. Hypersensitivity reactions
Benzonatate is structurally related to anesthetic medications of the para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) class which includes procaine and tetracaine. Procaine and tetracaine, previously used heavily in the fields of dentistry and anesthesiology, have fallen out of favor due to allergies associated with their metabolites. Similarly, severe hypersensitivity reactions to benzonatate have been reported and include symptoms of laryngospasm, bronchospasm, and cardiovascular collapse. These reactions are possibly associated with chewing, sucking, or crushing the capsule in the mouth. Improper use
Benzonatate should be swallowed whole. Crushing or sucking on the liquid-filled capsule, or "softgel," will cause release of benzonatate from the capsule and can produce a temporary local anesthesia of the oral mucosa.
If its effects are severely disabling, resulting in very little physical activity for the person, social elements can also suffer. Workplace environments can also be limited, since most labor-intensive work requires basic physical agility that spastic diplegics may not possess. However, the degree of variability among individuals with spastic diplegia means that no greater or lesser degree of stigma or real-world limitation is standard. Lesser effects usually mean fewer physical limitations, better-quality exercise, and more real-world flexibility, but the person is still in general seen as different from the norm. How such a person chooses to react to outside opinion is of paramount importance when social factors are considered. Mechanism
Spastic diplegias particular type of brain damage inhibits the proper development of upper motor neuron function, impacting the motor cortex, the basal ganglia and the corticospinal tract. Nerve receptors in the spine leading to affected muscles become unable to properly absorb gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), the amino acid that regulates muscle tone in humans.