Motion sickness (kinetosis) develops when the brain receives conflicting signals from the vestibular system, eyes, and proprioceptors — common during car, boat, plane, train, or roller-coaster travel. Modern medications target the H1 antihistamine, anticholinergic, or vestibular-stabilising pathways. The MedsBase Travel Sickness catalogue stocks the major options, supplied by WHO-GMP πιστοποιημένους κατασκευαστές.
Promethazine — H1 antihistamine with strong sedative and anticholinergic effect. Promethazine is one of the most reliable motion-sickness drugs ever made: 30–60 minutes before travel and the vestibular nausea pathway is suppressed. Stocked in two strengths so you can match dose to need: Phenergan 10 mg (the milder, finer-titration option suitable for evening allergy use, mild motion sickness, and paediatric dosing over age 2) and Avimax 25 mg (full adult strength for short-haul travel, post-operative nausea, and pre-procedural sedation).
Meclozine and dimenhydrinate — H1 antihistamines with moderate anticholinergic effect. Less sedating than promethazine. Stocked as Diligan (meclozine 25 mg) and Draminate (dimenhydrinate 50 mg — the diphenhydramine-8-chlorotheophylline salt, the original Dramamine). Take 30–60 minutes before travel.
Betahistine — for vestibular-mediated dizziness and Meniere’s disease. Betahistine 16 mg three times daily reduces vertigo frequency in Meniere’s disease and selected peripheral vestibular conditions. Not specifically a motion-sickness drug but useful where vertigo coexists with travel-related nausea. Stocked as Vertin (8 mg, Abbott), Betavert (8 / 16 mg, Sun Pharma), and Betavert Tab (24 mg — full BEMED-trial dose in two tablets daily).
How to choose. Short-duration travel, no need to drive at the destination → promethazine 25 mg (Avimax — powerful and simple). Lower-strength or paediatric (over age 2) → promethazine 10 mg (Phenergan). Long-duration travel where you need to function → meclozine (Diligan) or dimenhydrinate (Draminate) — meaningfully less sedation than promethazine. Recurrent vestibular vertigo or Meniere’s disease → betahistine (Vertin / Betavert / Betavert Tab) for daily background therapy plus a short course of an antihistamine for acute spells. Children over 2 years — meclozine or dimenhydrinate are the better paediatric options; promethazine is contraindicated under age 2.
Important. All H1 antihistamines and anticholinergics cause varying degrees of sedation, dry mouth, blurred vision, and urinary retention — avoid in narrow-angle glaucoma, severe BPH, severe asthma, and elderly patients with cognitive impairment. Do not combine with alcohol or other CNS depressants. First-trimester pregnancy: meclozine and cyclizine have the longest safety record; Doxinate (doxylamine + B6) is first-line for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. Severe vertigo with hearing loss or new neurological symptoms is not motion sickness — needs same-day medical assessment.
Procurement gap. Cinnarizine (Stugeron) and hyoscine (scopolamine) transdermal patches are widely used internationally but are not currently in our catalogue. Until they are stocked, vestibular-prone customers may use betahistine for background therapy and meclozine or dimenhydrinate for acute travel.
All MedsBase Travel Sickness products ship from WHO-GMP πιστοποιημένους κατασκευαστές with discreet packaging and are covered by our Πολιτική Εγγύησης Επαναποστολής.