What to Avoid When Taking Dramamine

Dramamine is a brand name product for the generic medication dimenhydrinate. It is available over-the-counter and belongs to a group of medications called antihistamines. Dramamine is used to prevent and treat motion sickness. Specifically, dramamine alleviates the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and dizziness caused by this condition. Please continue reading to learn more about how to take Dramamine and what to avoid when you are on this medicine.

What causes motion sickness symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and dizziness?

Everyone does not experience motion sickness, but those who do commonly get motion sickness symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness when riding in a car, airplane, or boat, or on amusement park rides.

Motion sickness occurs when your body experiences a lot of motion or movement. Motion sickness is caused by a mismatch in the information being sent to your brain from various parts of your body, such as your eyes, ears, and limbs. For example, some people experience motion sickness in car rides because the vehicle is moving forward, but their body is staying still. This mismatched information sent by the eyes, ears, and body causes an imbalance, leading to the symptoms of motion sickness.

How does Dramamine treat motion sickness?

Dramamine helps to prevent motion sickness. It is also used to treat motion sickness symptoms. This medication affects the body’s ability to maintain a sense of balance. Since Dramamine is an antihistamine, it is believed that by suppressing the signals contributing to the neural mismatch, dramamine can alleviate symptoms of motion sickness.

How to take Dramamine?

Dramamine comes in the form of regular oral tablets and chewable tablets. The tablet should be swallowed whole, and the chewable tablet should be chewed before swallowing. This medication can be taken with or without food. You should take Dramamine 30-60 minutes before anticipated travel or activity that causes motion sickness.

Dosage

To take the correct dose of Dramamine, follow the directions on the product package or your prescription label. Each tablet contains 50 mg of dimenhydrinate. The regular oral tablet and the chewable ones have the same instructions. The recommended dose is as follows:

Adults and children 12 years and older: Take 1-2 tablets (50 to 100 mg) every 4-6 hours with no more than 8 tablets (400 mg) in 24 hours.
Children 6-11 years of age: Take 1/2-1 tablet every 6-8 hours with no more than 3 tablets (150 mg) in 24 hours.
Children 2-6 years of age: Take 1/2 tablet every 6-8 hours with no more than 1 and a half tablets (75 mg) in 24 hours.
Do not give Dramamine to children younger than 2 years unless instructed by your child’s pediatrician.

Missed Dose

You usually take Dramamine as needed. However, if you are taking it on a schedule and you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.

Storage

You should store it at room temperature. Avoid keeping medications in the bathroom cabinet where they can be exposed to heat and humidity.

Overdose

In case of a known or suspected overdose, call the national poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If someone has trouble breathing, is unresponsive, has collapsed, or has had a seizure, call 911 for emergency services. Signs and symptoms of a Dramamine overdose may include enlarged pupils, flushing, drowsiness, hyperactivity, unsteadiness, confusion, mood changes, losing touch with reality, hallucinations, problems with speaking or swallowing, convulsions (seizures), and loss of consciousness.

What are the potential side effects with Dramamine?

Problems with Dramamine include possible side effects such as drowsiness, headache, hyperactivity (more likely in children), worsening dizziness, nausea, coordination difficulties, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, dry mouth, and fainting. Talk to your doctor for medical advice about side effects if they are severe or do not go away in a few days after your body has had a chance to get used to the medicine.

More serious side effects of Dramamine can include:

Allergic reaction (skin rash, hives, itching, swelling)
Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat

Call your doctor without delay or seek immediate medical attention if you develop these serious symptoms.

What not to take with motion sickness pills?

Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) can have drug interactions with other medications, including prescription and over-the-counter medications. If other medications and Dramamine interact, it can increase your risk of serious adverse reactions.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking other drugs with Dramamine, especially sedatives, tranquilizers, other antihistamines, muscle relaxants, and narcotic painkillers as these medication classes can worsen dizziness and somnolence caused by Dramamine. Give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, dietary supplements, and herbal products to prevent drug interactions.

What to avoid when on Dramamine?

Do not drink alcohol while on Dramamine. Alcoholic drinks can make side effects of this medication worse. If you consume alcohol while on Dramamine, it can cause severe drowsiness and reduced mental alertness, putting you at risk of accidents and injuries.

Do not drive or operate machinery until you have seen how Dramamine affects you. Talk to your doctor for medical advice about side effects if you have persistent drowsiness, blurred vision, or reduced mental alertness.

If you have a condition called phenylketonuria (PKU), avoid Dramamine chewable tablets because they contain aspartame. Those with PKU have high levels of phenylalanine in their blood, and aspartame is converted to phenylalanine leading to a dangerously high level of this substance in the body.

Can you eat food after taking Dramamine?

You can eat food after taking Dramamine. You can take this medicine with or without food.

Who should not take Dramamine?

People who have had allergic reactions to the active or inactive ingredients in Dramamine in the past should not take this medication again.
Children younger than 2 years of age should not take Dramamine unless being instructed by a pediatrician. In this case, the maximum daily dose should be conformed with the provider.
Older adults (age 65 plus) are at an increased risk of side effects such as drowsiness and dizziness. They can still take Dramamine but should be cautious. If you are 65 and older, you should check with your doctor to make sure you’re not taking any medications that can worsen the effects of Dramamine.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using Dramamine if you are pregnant or breast feeding.
Also, talk to your doctor before starting Dramamine if you have a medical history of asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, difficulty urinating due to an enlarged prostate gland, glaucoma, or convulsions (seizures).

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