Motion Sickness Pills vs. Motion Sickness Patches: 4 Differences to Consider
GoodRx compares motion sickness pills and patches to help you choose the best option for your needs.
meclizine
Used for Motion Sickness, Nausea, Vertigo
Used for Motion Sickness, Nausea, Vertigo
Meclizine is an antihistamine. It's used to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness from motion sickness or vertigo. It's available in both prescription (to treat vertigo) and over-the-counter (to treat motion sickness) forms. Meclizine also comes as a chewable tablet or pill that you swallow whole. Some common side effects of meclizine include sleepiness, dry mouth, and difficulty urinating.
What is Meclizine?
What is Meclizine used for?
- Over-the-counter (OTC) meclizine: Nausea, vomiting, or dizziness from motion sickness
- Prescription meclizine: Vertigo (feeling like your surroundings are moving or spinning)
How Meclizine works
Meclizine is an antihistamine. It blocks histamine, a natural chemical in your body, from binding (attaching) to a part of your brain that triggers nausea and vomiting.
When does Meclizine start working?Time passed since treatment started:
Drug facts
| Common Brands | Antivert, Dramamine Motion Sickness Less Drowsy, Bonine for Motion Sickness |
|---|---|
| Drug Class | Antihistamine |
| Controlled Substance Classification | Not a controlled medication |
| Generic Status | Lower-cost generic available |
| Availability | Prescription or over-the-counter |
Side effects of Meclizine
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Sleepiness
- Dry mouth
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
Less Common Side Effects
- Blurry vision
Meclizine serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Allergic reaction (anaphylaxis): closing of the throat, skin rash, swelling of the face, trouble breathing
- Accidentally taking too much medication: fast heartbeat, flushing, extreme sleepiness, changes in vision, irritability in children
When do Meclizine possible side effects begin and end?
Time passed since treatment started:
H
D
W
M
Sleepiness or drowsiness
Fatigue
More on Meclizine side effects
The following Meclizine side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Rare
Blurred vision
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Get your GoodRx coupon
$11.16
GoodRx discount
$10.38
Pros and cons of Meclizine
Pros
- Works well to treat symptoms of motion sickness and vertigo
- Available as chewable tablets and oral pills
- Available as a lower-cost generics
- Effects can last for a full day
Cons
- Can make you sleepy or dizzy
- Not available as a liquid form
- Not approved for use in children less than 12 years old (especially Antivert, which isn't approved for use in children younger than 18 years of age)
- Not the best choice for people over 65 years old, people with glaucoma, or people with problems urinating
Pharmacist tips for Meclizine
- If you have the chewable tablet, make sure to chew the tablet completely before swallowing. Don't swallow them whole.
- If you're taking the regular tablets, swallow the tablet whole.
- Meclizine can be taken with or without food. If it's upsetting your stomach, try taking it with food to help.
- Meclizine can interact with a lot of medications, especially those that are anticholinergic or those that can cause sleepiness. Tell your provider or pharmacist about all the medications you're taking to make sure meclizine is safe for you. Don't start any new medications while taking meclizine without talking to your provider or pharmacist first. Doing so can raise your risk of overdose and severe side effects, including seizures, hallucinations (seeing things that aren't real), or even death.
- Meclizine can make you sleepy and dizzy. Don't drive, operate machinery, or do anything that requires concentration until you know how this medication affects you. Avoid alcohol while taking meclizine. In addition, let you provider know if you're taking medications such as benzodiazepines, anxiety medications, or sleep medications, because all of these can make sleepiness and confusion from meclizine worse.
- Don't use other antihistamines while taking meclizine without talking to your provider or pharmacist first. Doing so can raise your risk of taking too much medication (overdose). This can lead to side effects such as agitation, dry mouth, and behavior changes. Sometimes, side effects can be life-threatening.
- Talk to your veterinarian before you give your dog any human medication to ease motion sickness.
Risks and warnings for Meclizine
Meclizine can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Sleepiness
- Risk factors: Drinking alcohol while taking meclizine | Taking other medications that cause sleepiness | Age 65 and older
Meclizine can make you very sleepy, which can affect your ability to focus, think, or react. This side effect is more likely to happen or be more intense if you are over 65 years old, drink alcohol while taking this medication, or take other medications that cause sleepiness (e.g., benzodiazepines, anxiety medications, muscle relaxants, or sleep medications). Don't drive or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
Worsening of certain medical conditions
- Risk factors: Asthma | Glaucoma | Trouble urinating
Ask your healthcare provider if it's ok for you to take meclizine if you have asthma, glaucoma, or an enlarged prostate gland. Taking meclizine can worsen your condition(s) and lead to more breathing problems, vision problems, or trouble urinating, respectively. Make sure your provider knows about all medical conditions you have or have had in the past before you start meclizine.
Meclizine dosage
The average cost for 30 tablets of 25mg of Meclizine is $10.38 with a free GoodRx coupon. This is 6.99% off the average retail price of $11.16. 
Tablet
Tablet| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.5mg | 30 tablets | $11.99 | $0.40 |
| 25mg | 30 tablets | $10.38 | $0.35 |
| 50mg | 30 tablets | $31.77 | $1.06 |
Typical dosage for Meclizine
Motion sickness (OTC meclizine):
- Adults and children age 12 years and older: The typical dose is 25 mg to 50 mg by mouth (or chewed for chewable tablets) once daily. Take it 1 hour before you travel or an activity that can cause motion sickness.
- Children age less than 12 years: Ask your child's provider.
Vertigo (Prescription meclizine):
- Adults and children age 12 years and older (except Antivert, which is used in adults only): The typical dose is 25 mg to 100 mg total per day, split into multiple doses and taken by mouth (or chewed for chewable tablets) throughout the day.
More on Meclizine dosage
Interactions between Meclizine and other drugs
Meclizine may interact with certain medications or supplements. Always let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other medications or supplements (including prescribed and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and dietary or herbal supplements) that you are currently taking. The list below does not include all possible drug interactions with Meclizine. Please note that only the generic name of each medication is listed below.
More on Meclizine interactions
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Alfentanil
- Alprazolam
- Amifampridine
- Amobarbital
- Anileridine
- Benzhydrocodone
- Bromazepam
- Buprenorphine
- Bupropion
- Buspirone
- Butabarbital
- Butorphanol
- Calcium Oxybate
- Cannabidiol
- Cetirizine
- Chloral Hydrate
- Chlordiazepoxide
- Chlorpromazine
- Clobazam
- Clonazepam
- Clorazepate
- Clozapine
- Codeine
- Dexmedetomidine
- Diazepam
- Difenoxin
- Dihydrocodeine
- Diphenhydramine
- Diphenoxylate
- Donepezil
- Doxylamine
- Esketamine
- Estazolam
- Eszopiclone
- Ethchlorvynol
- Ethylmorphine
- Fentanyl
- Flibanserin
- Flurazepam
- Fospropofol
- Gabapentin
- Gabapentin Enacarbil
- Glucagon
- Glycopyrrolate
- Glycopyrronium Tosylate
- Halazepam
- Hydrocodone
- Hydromorphone
- Hydroxyzine
- Ketamine
- Ketazolam
- Ketobemidone
- Lemborexant
- Levocetirizine
- Levorphanol
- Lofexidine
- Lorazepam
- Loxapine
- Magnesium Oxybate
- Meperidine
- Meprobamate
- Methacholine
- Methadone
- Methotrimeprazine
- Metoclopramide
- Midazolam
- Morphine
- Morphine Sulfate Liposome
- Nalbuphine
- Nicomorphine
- Nitrazepam
- Opium
- Opium Alkaloids
- Oxazepam
- Oxycodone
- Oxymorphone
- Papaveretum
- Paregoric
- Pentazocine
- Pentobarbital
- Periciazine
- Phenobarbital
- Piritramide
- Pitolisant
- Potassium Oxybate
- Prazepam
- Pregabalin
- Promethazine
- Propofol
- Propoxyphene
- Quazepam
- Quetiapine
- Ramelteon
- Remimazolam
- Revefenacin
- Scopolamine
- Secobarbital
- Secretin Human
- Sodium Oxybate
- Sufentanil
- Tapentadol
- Temazepam
- Thioridazine
- Tilidine
- Tiotropium
- Tramadol
- Trazodone
- Triazolam
- Zaleplon
- Zolpidem
- Zopiclone
How much does Meclizine cost?
To access savings, use a GoodRx coupon and pay just a fraction of the retail price.
What are alternatives to Meclizine?
There are a number of medications that your doctor can prescribe in place of Meclizine. Compare a few possible alternatives below.
News about Meclizine
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7 Meclizine Side Effects You Should Know About
Side effects of meclizine (Antivert, Bonine) include dizziness, drowsiness, and headache. Learn more about meclizine side effects and how you can manage them here.
Meclizine Dosages for Adults: Your GoodRx Guide
The recommended meclizine dosage is 25 mg to 50 mg an hour before traveling. Read here for information on safe meclizine doses and those who should avoid it.
8 Meclizine Interactions You Should Know About
Meclizine may interact with other medicines, including those used to treat anxiety. Meclizine drug interactions can heighten the sedative effects of meclizine.
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