Scopoderm

What is Scopoderm?

Scopoderm is a preventative medication for motion sickness that comes as a patch.

Dizziness, fatigue and vomiting while travelling are all signs of motion sickness, and while women and children between the ages of two and 12 are most at risk, it can affect anyone.

Scopoderm patches should be applied to the area of skin behind your ear, five to six hours before starting your journey. One patch provides protection for up to three days (or 72 hours). If you’re travelling for a shorter period, you should remove it when your journey ends.

How does Scopoderm work?

Motion sickness occurs when your eyes and your ears don’t send the same signals to your brain, which then confuse it. It normally happens while travelling via air, car, train, or boat, or on amusement park rides. Scopoderm is absorbed through the skin and prevents motion sickness by stopping the messages sent from the vestibular system (inner ear) from reaching an area of the brain responsible for the vomiting reflex. This reduces the severity of motion sickness symptoms.

Hyoscine hydrobromide is the active ingredient in Scopoderm. One patch of Scopoderm contains 1.5mg of hyoscine.

What doses of Scopoderm are there?

Scopoderm is a single dose treatment, so it only comes in one dose: a 1.5mg patch. If it doesn’t reduce your symptoms of motion sickness as expected, log in to your account and send our clinician a message. They may advise you to try an alternative medication.

How to use Scopoderm patches

You should use Scopoderm exactly as advised by our clinician. Here are the instructions.

• It’s for external use only.
• The patch comes placed on a hexagonal film. One side of the patch is tan and the other is silver.
• Peel the patch from the film, holding the edges.
• Press the silver sticky side of the patch onto a clean, dry, hairless area of the skin behind your ear. Avoid areas or skin that is cut or irritated.
• Wash your hands after application.
• Don’t touch the patch after it’s applied. If you touch it accidently, wash your hands immediately. Avoid any contact with your eyes.
• One patch is effective for three days (or 72 hours). If you’re travelling for a longer period, remove the old patch and apply a new one behind the other ear. If you’re travelling for a shorter period, remove the patch once your journey ends. After removal, wash your hands and the area of skin where the patch has been.
• If the patch comes off accidentally, discard it and apply a new one.

You can shower or swim with the patch on, as there’s little risk of it falling off if you’ve applied it properly. But you should avoid spending long periods of time in water whilst wearing it.

Apply only one patch at a time.

How long does it take Scopoderm to work?

Scopoderm starts to work within five to six hours of application. So you should apply it five to six hours before you start travelling.

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Scopoderm?

Always follow product instructions carefully when you use Scopoderm. If the patch is applied to the wrong area, remove it and apply it behind the ear as it’s most effective there. If you accidentally apply multiple patches, remove them immediately. Putting on too many patches may cause restlessness, confusion or hallucinations which can be severe. If you experience any of these effects, you should contact a healthcare professional immediately.

Medically reviewed by

Dr Daniel Atkinson

GP Clinical Lead

on August 02, 2022.

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