For those who've used Meclizine...

[BonnieVA]

I understand it has the good possibility of making you drowsy. So a good idea would be to take it before bed. BUT ... if you only take it once a day it must be in your system for up to 24 hrs. Do you remain somewhat groggy even in the daytime then, even after a good night's sleep?

 

PS: I tried using the search function (which HAS been working for me) but it seems to have disappeared right now.

[jaw5293]

I've used meclizine on 2 different cruises. I took it starting the day before the cruise and every morning of the cruise. It didn't make me groggy or sleepy that I could tell. It must have worked too cause I had no sea sickness whatsoever. However on my cruise in September I'm thinking of not using anything to see how it goes.

[dobiemom]

I am very prone to motion sickness and take Bonine/meclizine every time I cruise. I take it during the day (I thought you are supposed to take it 1-hour before you travel) and then for the first couple days and I've never noticed that I'm groggy or sleepy.

 

Dramamine OTOH makes me sleepy and gives my dry mouth.

[sharks48]

DH and I both took meclazine on our last cruise, because it's supposed to be "non-drowsy". It didn't make us drowsy, but we may as well have been asleep - it turned us both into zombies! Didn't take that again - I'll stick with benadryl.

[cb at sea]

Benadryl knocks me out! Whatever you take, try it before you start the cruise--just to make sure how it will affect you!

[spirit rev]

I too am prone to some motion sickness. I start taking meclazine two nights before cruising - recently the day before cruising we take a train to the port city and that causes as many issues for me as a rocking ship.

 

I take it before bed and have never been drowsy the next day. Sometimes I take a half pill during the day if I'm feeling some vertigo. Still, no drowsiness. If I do take some during the day I watch how much alcohol I drink in the first couple of hours after taking.

[sunchasers64]

I know from experience I get seasick. Very seasick. So, before DH and I took our first cruise together in '03, I read A LOT about seasickness. I read that meclizine is best to prevent seasickness. The meclizine sounded very familiar. I looked in my medicine cabinet, and I had been prescribed (back in '02-'03 it was only by prescription) meclizine for dizziness I had with an inner ear infection. My prescription said to take one every 6 hours. For seasickness, I read one every 24 hrs. I didn't want to take the chance. I take one every 12 hours (I knew that was safe because of my prescription), and I've never gotten seasick. I start it the night before we cruise. I dont think I could go 24 hrs without taking another one, as I know when the 12 hours is up by the way I start to feel kinda queasy. And it did not make me sleepy at all. But I've read on these boards that it does make some sleepy. Good advice by previous poster to try it before you cruise to see how it affects you. And a friend of mine on a cruise with us got seasick. She sent her son down to the infirmary, and they had meclizine available for anyone to take. My friend felt much better about an hour after taking it, but it did make her kind of sleepy. Hope it works for you without any side effects.

[BonnieVA]

I take it during the day (I thought you are supposed to take it 1-hour before you travel)

 

Yes, it says to take an hour before travel but I think you can really take it anytime.

 

DH and I both took meclazine on our last cruise, because it's supposed to be "non-drowsy".

 

Actually, it says on the package that it can make you drowsy. And I looked it up online & that, too, says you shouldn't drive because it can make you drowsy.

 

I guess I will just have to try things beforehand since everyone has different experiences w/ these anti-seasickness meds.

[MonaCK]

I take a bonine every morning while on a cruise and have no side effects, other than not being queasy. ;)

[Sandi149]

I used the generic non-drowsy formula of Bonine which is meclizine and started taking it the day before the cruise in the AM and then every AM while on the cruise and even a couple days after I got back. It didn't make me drowsy at all, even with a couple of drinks. I had no reaction to it at all.

 

Everyone reacts to medications differently though.

 

Yes, you should try it to see how you react.

[Karysa]

We had to give it to our 12 year old on a cruise. She slept 4 hours in the afternoon but once she woke up she was full of energy until midnight.

Karysa

[SheilaNC]

I always take it before we sail - we take it at night so that if it makes us a bit drowsy, it guarantees a good night's sleep. But...we don't notice any difference in our activity level and never have seasickness. If you feel a bit queezy during really rough seas, try drinking ginger ale, eating candied ginger or eating a green apple (which the crew thinks works veryb well). Just returned from a 29 day cruise in very rough seas and was fine the whole time.

[JanineM]

Meclizine almost puts me into a coma if I take it during the day. If I have no other choice, I'll take half of one before bed. The drug seems to stay in my system for about 24 hours. However ... it doesn't provide full motion sickness prevention, just helps a bit on car rides.

 

I use the scopolomine patch. I know that some people have side effects, but I do not and I don't spend the entire cruise asleep!

[Texas_Diver]

I am VERY prone to motion sickness. I become nauseated on ships, while riding in the car and sometimes even when moving side-to-side quickly.

 

The number one that helps me is wearing a scopolamine patch. Second best was wearing the battery-operated Relief Band from Sharper Image.

 

Next in line for me are oral meds like meclizine, Dramamine and Benadryl.

 

They ALWAYS make me sleepy. But drowsiness is better than nausea. Until I had the scop patches and the Relief Band, it was all I knew for seasickness.

 

Try the meds at home BEFORE you cruise so that you'll know how they affect you.

 

D.

[BJenn]

Hi there....have you tried getting a RX from your family doc for

scopolamine patches?? I got them for motion sickness for a trip to

Disney & they were great on my cruise as well. They do dehydrate you some. I will have my patches next cruise but I do take them off when the ride is smooth (but reapply in port if going ashore by tender..yikes!!).

 

Good Luck! Jen B

[AVShockey]

I take half at bedtime and half during the day. Usually not too drowsy. If I take a whole one, I do get sleepy. On one cruise, I used the scop patch, I didn't know about the side affects, and it really messed up my vision and made me really thirsty. I have never drank so much water. My vision was so bad, I could not read the trivia card or the menus. I thought my contacts were messed up.

 

A little bit of drowsy is much better than seasickness.

[Spikesgirl]

As you can see from the responses of this thread, there is really no set answer to the 'will it make me sleepy' question. Some folks it does and others it doesn't.

 

I've taken Mecclazine on all our cruises (spanning ten years) and not had a problem with sleepiness. I usually start a day or so before traveling to get my system used to it again and then it's off to the races...cruises... At any rate, I would get some and take it ahead of time (preferrably on a couple of days that you don't have to do something vital) to see what the effect is for you personally.

 

Charlie

[DKane]

We have always used meclizine and never had any side effects at all.

[travelteam]

I take a bonine every morning while on a cruise and have no side effects, other than not being queasy. ;)

 

I take bonine (generic when I can find it) two days before we get on the ship at bedtime, then the first few nights aboard also at bedtime. sleep like a babe, wake refreshed, never drugged or tired. I discontinue the pills once I have my sea legs. Once a few years ago we were on a NCL Dawn, had 30/40 ft seas, and never felt sick. Wonderful stuff.

[jnc411]

We have always used meclizine and never had any side effects at all.

 

Us too. no side effects, works great for us. Take it the night before the cruise and one each morning of the cruise , if it is rough might take it twice a day, especially if we are taking a small ship excursion during the day. Hope you find something that works for you , sea sickness is not fun :(

Cori

[ehfl]

Just lower the dose if it makes you sleepy.

[LynnObie]

I take bonine (generic when I can find it) two days before we get on the ship at bedtime, then the first few nights aboard also at bedtime....Wonderful stuff.

 

Sounds like you have experience with both "Bonine" & the generic form "Meclizine"? My DW agrees that Bonine is "wonderful stuff" & would like to know if you noticed any difference in the effectiveness of either?

She has found the cure for her sea sickness is to take 2 Bonine before lunch daily starting the day we board. Although it doesn't make her drowsy, she says she does always sleep great at night.:)

 

As with any drug, there's a cost difference in brand vs. generic: Wal-Mart here sells 16 Bonine @ $4.86 while Costco sells 100 Meclizine (same dosage of active ingredient in both) for $7.79. Not a big $ deal either way but curious to know if the generic works just as well at 1/4th the cost per dose?

[rimau]

I went to Walgreens and talked to the pharmacy and found they have the 100 count bottle behind the counter for just a little more than you could buy a box from the shelf with 8.

 

I find generic works fine. It does not make me sleepy, just thirsty and dry feeling. I do not use it on large ships unless the motion is particularly bad. I had heard it did not help if you are already seasick when you take it but found that not to true for me.

[SheilaNC]

I used the generic (a drug store brand) and it works as well as Bonine. There is a cost differential but it's not great, so if an extra few dollars will make you more comfortable re: effectiveness, buy it. We take it before boarding the first day and at bed time thereafter, sleep well and no side affects.