The little pill that helps me live a full life with my vertigo.
Written: May 10 '07 (Updated May 11 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive, works very well, great for motion sickness and vertigo
Cons: Can make you drowsy
The Bottom Line: The famous "anti-dizzy" pill is now sold over the counter. Great for motion sickness and for alleviating the effects of vertigo. A real lifesaver!
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| PattyTherre's Full Review: Meclizine HCl, USP 25 mg, Antiemetic, Tablets |
Long ago, when I was in my teens, I got dizzy when I had a bad cold or ear infection. My doctor prescribed Antivert for those times and it worked great.
Throughout my life, I have been prescribed Antivert because my ears are a mess and that causes vertigo and imbalance.
A while ago, Antivert became an over the counter medication called Meclizine HCl, USP 25 mg, Antiemetic, Tablets. This medicine is the same one that is in Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula for motion sickness.
Since my ears have gotten worse, I have experienced lots of vertigo and some dizziness due to motion. I have a bottle of Meclizine at home, in my purse, in my car, and everywhere I frequent. It's a real lifesaver for people who experience dizziness, motion sickness, vertigo, and other balance or motion issues.
About The Medication
What is meclizine?
• Meclizine is an antihistamine. It blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in your body.
• Meclizine is used to treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. Meclizine may also be helpful in treating vertigo.
• Meclizine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
www.drugs.com
The Packaging
Meclizine is the main ingredient in Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy, and Driminate among other similar motion sickness medications. Buying it in its generic form is much less costly.
It comes in a simple white plastic bottle with a very simple label. There are two strengths - 12.5mg and 25mg. Most of the brand name medications use 25mg. per dose.
The pills are oval and yellow on one side and white on the other. I buy only the 25mg. tablets because there is a score to split them if I choose to take a smaller dose.
The usual dose for those 12 and over is 25-50 mg. once a day but it can be taken more often if your doctor gives you the go ahead. I can take it every six to eight hours if I need to.
Younger kids can take this but a doctor will need to decide on proper dosing.
My Use
I used to get motion sickness at times on long car rides. Meclizine totally alleviated that. I didn't get dizzy and I didn't get nauseous.
In my later years, when I was hit with severe vertigo, the medication stopped the nausea related to the spinning and eased my discomfort. It didn't completely stop the vertigo but it certainly made dealing with it much easier.
I took Meclizine with me on all my plane trips and I used it when I went on a cruise. I didn’t even wait to see if I would be bothered by those activities. I used it as a precaution.
When my ears start to feel full and I get that familiar imbalance and dizziness, I take a 25mg Meclizine and things seems to settle right down.
Drowsiness is the only side effect I ever had from this medication but, taken when needed, it's worth a bit of drowsiness over vomiting, feeling off balance, or watching the world spin around.
This medication is an antihistamine but isn't quite like the others. I thought it was and took a different antihistamine a few times for my symptoms and my ear doctor admonished me. He said to take Meclizine ONLY and that it is the best for my symptoms.
He was right. It works.
A plus is that it is so inexpensive! A bottle of 100 25mg pills costs around $8.99. The 12.5mg. ones are even cheaper.
Compared to Dramamine Non Drowsy, the savings is enormous.
These are great for anyone who gets seasick, air sick, motion sickness of any kind, or who suffers from ear disorders like Meniere's Disease or eustation tube dysfunction (as I do).
A Few Warnings
As usual, all medications have some warnings to heed.
This one has very few compared to most medications but here they are:
Do not take this product if you have asthma, glaucoma, emphysema, chronic pulmonary disease, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, or difficulty in urination due to enlargement of the prostate gland unless directed by a doctor. As with any drug, If you are pregnant or nursing a baby, seek the advice of a health professional before using this product.
I was given the OK to take this during both pregnancies but never did. I was just too afraid to take any medication but I was told it was completely safe. Still, pregnant women should always consult with their doctors before taking any meditation.
There are no obvious drug interactions except that this one may heighten the effects of sedatives and probably should be cleared by your doctor if you are on tranquilizers or anti anxiety medications.
Buying Info
You can now buy Meclizine at drugstores and some mass-market stores. Some doctors still prescribe it as Antivert but it is exactly the same medication.
It is also the exact same medication as the motion sickness ones I described.
If you often take motion sickness medications, try Meclizine! You get the same good results for pennies rather than dollars.
Conclusion
For me, Meclizine is invaluable. I feel better just knowing I have it around. It is not designed to "cure" dizziness or vertigo but very adequately deals with the effects of it and it is a wonderful medication for any type of motion sickness. It's also great for those suffering ear related dizziness, especially if accompanied by nausea. You will feel worlds better after taking this.
The only effect that I have ever experienced is a bit of drowsiness if I took 50mg. at one time. Otherwise, it does its job quietly and without any weird side effects that get in the way of living my life.
I'd be lost without it.
5 stars.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 8.99/100
Frequency of Use: Sometimes (monthly)
Extent of Symptom Relief: Little effect on a few symptoms
Duration of Symptom Relief: 4 to 8 hours
Best for relieving: Motion sickness, vertigo effects
Extent of Side Effects: Hardly any negative effects
Worst side effect: Drowsiness
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