Meclizine
Description
Meclizine is an antihistamine, used to treat motions sickness, especially to prevent and treat symptoms such as abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, etc. It is also used for the treatment of vertigo (dizziness or fainting), a condition associated with the disease of the inner ear. This medicine is not recommended for use in children less than 12 years of age.
QUICK LINKS:
Side effects
Major & minor side effects for Meclizine
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Stomach upset
- Blurred vision
Uses of Meclizine
What is it prescribed for?
- Motion sickness
- Vertigo and vestibular disorders
Read More
Concerns
Commonly asked questions
- Onset of actionThis medicine shows its effect within 30-60 minutes of administration of the dose.
- Duration of effectThe effect of this medicine lasts for an average duration of 12-24 hours.
- Safe with alcohol?Consumption of alcohol is not recommended during treatment with this medicine due to the increased risk of side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty in concentration. It is advised that you do not perform any activities that require high mental alertness like driving a vehicle or operating machinery if you consume alcohol during treatment with this medicine.
- Is it habit forming?No habit-forming tendencies were reported.
- Usage in pregnancy?This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before receiving this medicine.
- Usage while breast-feeding?This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before receiving this medicine.
Allergy
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients with a known allergy to meclizine or any other inactive ingredients present along with it.
Warnings for special population
Pregnancy
This medicine is not recommended for use in pregnant women unless necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before receiving this medicine.
Breast-feeding
This medicine is not recommended for use in breastfeeding women unless necessary. The risks and benefits should be discussed with the doctor before receiving this medicine.
General warnings
Other medicines
This medicine may interact with many other medicines and may cause severe adverse effects. Hence, it is advised that you report all your current medicines, including any herbs and supplements, to the doctor before beginning treatment with this medicine.
Driving or Operating machinery
Use of this medicine may cause symptoms such as dizziness, difficulty in concentrating, drowsiness, sleepiness, etc. in some patients. It is advised that you do not perform any activities such as driving a vehicle or operating machinery if you experience any of these symptoms during treatment with this medicine.
Alcohol use
Avoid or limit the uptake of alcohol while taking this medicine since the risk of adverse effects is significantly higher if alcohol is taken during treatment with this medicine.
Anticholinergic effect
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with preexisting conditions that are likely to be exacerbated by anticholinergic activity, such as urinary retention or obstruction, angle-closure glaucoma, untreated intraocular hypertension, or uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma, and gastrointestinal obstructive disorders due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Close monitoring of clinical condition, appropriate dose adjustments, or replacement with a suitable alternative may be necessary in some cases.
Use in Children
This medicine is not recommended for use in patients less than 12 years of age since the safety and efficacy of use are not established.
Missed Dose
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next scheduled dose, then the missed dose can be skipped. Do not use extra medicine to make up for the missed dose.
Overdose
Seek emergency medical treatment or contact the doctor in case of an overdose.
All drugs interact differently for person to person. You should check all the possible interactions with your doctor before starting any medicine.
Interaction with Alcohol
Description
N/A
Instructions
Consumption of alcohol is not recommended during treatment with this medicine due to the increased risk of side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty in concentration. It is advised that you do not perform any activities that require high mental alertness like driving a vehicle or operating machinery if you consume alcohol during treatment with this medicine.
Interaction with Medicine
Potassium Chloride
Propoxyphene
Amantadine
Topiramate
Zonisamide
Disease interactions
Renal and/or Liver diseases
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with an impairment of liver/kidney function due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Close monitoring of liver/kidney function tests is required while receiving this medicine. Appropriate dose adjustments or replacement with a suitable alternative may be necessary in some cases based on the clinical condition.
Asthma/ COPD
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with Asthma/COPD due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Close monitoring of clinical condition, appropriate dose adjustments, or replacement with a suitable alternative may be necessary in some cases based on the clinical condition.
Anticholinergic Effects
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with preexisting conditions that are likely to be exacerbated by anticholinergic activity, such as urinary retention or obstruction, angle-closure glaucoma, untreated intraocular hypertension, or uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma, and gastrointestinal obstructive disorders due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Close monitoring of clinical condition, appropriate dose adjustments, or replacement with a suitable alternative may be necessary in some cases based on the clinical condition.
Cardiovascular disorders
This medicine should be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders due to the increased risk of severe adverse effects. Close monitoring of clinical condition, appropriate dose adjustments, or replacement with a suitable alternative may be necessary in some cases based on the clinical condition.
Food interactions
Information not available.
Lab interactions
Information not available.
Take this medicine exactly as prescribed by the doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller quantities than recommended. Contact your doctor if symptoms do not improve or get worse after taking this medicine. Do not stop taking the medicine without consulting your doctor.
Miscelleneous
How it works
This medicine works by altering the levels of certain specific chemicals (histamines) in the body.
Legal Status
Classification
Category
Antihistamines, Anticholinergic antiemetics
Schedule
Schedule H
[Internet]. Dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. 2018 [cited 20 September 2018]. Available from:
[Internet]. Drugbank.ca. 2018 [cited 20 September 2018]. Available from:
[Internet]. Unilab.com.ph. 2018 [cited 20 September 2018]. Available from:
Information on this page was last updated on 21 Jan 2019
Disclaimer
We’ve made all possible efforts to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, however, it should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Practo only provides reference source for common information on medicines and does not guarantee its accuracy or exhaustiveness. The absence of a warning for any drug or combination thereof, should not be assumed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Practo does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information provided above. If you have any doubts about your medication then we strongly recommend that you consult with your doctor, nurse or healthcare provider. See detailed T&C here.