Cinnarizine

What is Cinnarizine?

Cinnarizine is a tablet used for motion sickness. It stops nausea, so you can travel without any issues. You just swallow Cinnarizine a couple of hours before you’re about to get in a vehicle, or do anything else that might trigger your motion sickness. Cinnarizine then protects you from feeling sick.

Motion sickness is a condition where people get nauseous in response to movement. People with motion sickness often experience it during travel, like in cars or trains. It’s caused by a mismatch between the visual input from your eyes and the movement cues taken from your inner ear. This friction creates the nausea and even vomiting we see in motion sickness.

How does Cinnarizine work?

Cinnarizine is a type of medication called a H1 antihistamine. H1 antihistamines work by blocking the effects of histamines on H1 and ACh receptors in your brain. Histamines are a chemical made naturally in your body, but when you have motion sickness, an overload of them seems to trigger the H1 and ACh receptors to affect your vestibular system, which controls balance.

First generation antihistamines like Cinnarizine stop your H1 and ACh receptors from affecting your vestibular system. So taking Cinnarizine blocks too many histamines from working in your brain and eases your motion sickness.

What doses of Cinnarizine are there?

Cinnarizine comes in 15mg tablets. For motion sickness, you’ll usually take two tablets, two hours before you’re due to travel. If you’re on a long journey, like a long flight, boat or car trip, you’ll then usually take another 15mg tablet every eight hours.

Your clinician can help you figure out exactly which dose is right for you. You might try a lower dose and find you need a little more to treat your symptoms. If you talk to us about your motion sickness, we can help you find the right treatment for you.

How to take Cinnarizine

Your clinician will give you advice on how exactly to take Cinnarizine. If you order from us and you have any questions, just log into your account and send us a message.

• Two hours before you’re due to travel, take your recommended dose of Cinnarizine.
• Try to have a meal or snack before taking Cinnarizine. This will help stop it from causing stomach issues.
• If you have trouble swallowing, you can suck on or chew the tablets. Have some water with them.

How long does it take Cinnarizine to work?

The effects of Cinnarizine usually start to show a few hours after you take the tablets. So, you take it a couple of hours before you’re in a situation that triggers your motion sickness. This should mean it’s already working before you travel. The levels of Cinnarizine in your blood peak from one to three hours after taking it, and one dose can stay in your system for up to 24 hours. So you will need to take an extra dose eight hours into your journey, but it’s usually a half dose.

What should I do if I make a mistake while taking Cinnarizine?

Because it’s a first generation antihistamine, Cinnarizine usually makes you drowsy. So it’s not a good choice to take for motion sickness if you’re operating the vehicle, or doing anything else that could be dangerous if you lose consciousness. If you forget to take Cinnarizine, take it as soon as you realise. If it’s nearly time for your next dose, skip the missed one and carry on as normal. Don’t take double your dose to make up for missing one. If you take too much Cinnarizine, get medical attention right away.