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7 Cures for Vertigo and Motion Sickness

rmgadmin General Posts , Motion Sickness , Vertigo

Does the prospect of a road trip make you uneasy? Do twisted rural roads cause your stomach to lurch? Are you adamant to make sure you’re always the one driving or riding “shotgun?”

Motion sickness and vertigo can make anyone miserable. Certain people seem prone to these conditions, and we’ll take a detailed look at the causes behind them and how our internal medicine physicians can help you.

What’s The Difference Between Vertigo and Motion Sickness?

Vertigo is a specific type of dizziness that comes from problems deep within the inner ear. Vertigo can occur regardless of whether or not you’re in a moving vehicle or on a plane. In fact, vertigo can occur even if you’re lying down.

Motion sickness frequently occurs in response to either your motion or the motion in the environment.

Many of the reasons behind vertigo and motion sickness center on what’s happening in the inner ear. We’ll review its role in balance, the difference between vertigo and motion sickness, and what you can do about it.

What Is Vertigo?

Vertigo gives a severe, false sense of spinning. It’s usually centered on problems with the fluid in the inner ear, which plays a vital role in balance. It usually comes in short bursts lasting for several seconds. Symptoms include:

• A feeling that the world is spinning

In certain types of vertigo, this spinning occurs whenever you move your head.

Do You Get Nauseous With Vertigo?

Yes, it’s not at all unusual to get nauseous with vertigo.

What Causes Vertigo?

Sometimes there is no cause. Other times it centers on carbonite crystals in the inner ear that have become dislodged (we’ll explain in more detail when we talk about the inner ear at the end of this article).

We do know that vertigo is more common in the elderly, and it can even be seen after major or mild head trauma.   Ménière’s disease  and labyrinthitis (an inner ear infection) are also common causes.

What Causes Dizziness and Motion Sickness?

We don’t have to explain what motion sickness is—you may have undoubtedly experienced it either riding in a car or on an amusement park ride.   But the causes of dizziness and motion sickness are more nuanced.

First, let’s separate these two conditions.

Dizziness can have several different causes. It’s a symptom and not a disease in itself. If you’re experiencing dizziness, we’re in a unique position to help you as internal medicine doctors in Raleigh.

We’re able to look at your overall health and determine which of your body’s systems are influencing others. This is one of the things that separates internal medicine physicians in Raleigh from other physicians.  We look at how these systems interact with the understanding that one disorder can have a “domino” effect on the others.

While motion sickness can cause dizziness, every case of dizziness isn’t due to motion sickness.

Motion sickness occurs when your brain can’t separate conflicting information. This happens when there’s a disconnect between what you see, what you feel, and what your muscles are experiencing.

Consider this example:

You’re flying when the plane goes through turbulence. While your muscles feel the movement and the balance organs in your ear detect a shift, your eye can’t see what is causing the motion. In many cases—especially if you are in an aisle seat—your eyes may not see anything “moving” at all.

These conflicting messages cause the nausea found in motion sickness.

The Inner Ear and Its Role in Balance

To fully understand the far-reaching effects of vertigo and motion sickness, we have to take a closer look at the inner ear , which is considered the balance center of the body.

In your inner ear are several tiny, fluid-filled canals .  They also have hair-like sensors that let your body know if you’re standing upright or where the body is in relation to your center of gravity.

At the base of these canals, sensory cells can help you distinguish between motions such as up and down (if you’re in an elevator or an airplane) or forward and backward. They also tell your body if you’re upright or lying down.

These sensors relay their messages to the brain, which can then enable the body to change direction to balance itself or make a different direction in motion.

Can You Take Motion Sickness Pills for Vertigo?

For certain types of vertigo, motion sickness pills may help. However, for other types—such as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)—motion sickness pills will not address the underlying issue, and may even delay your recovery.

What Is the Treatment for Motion Sickness and Vertigo?

We evaluate each individual case and recognize that there is no one treatment that is effective for everyone. However, in general, the following can be effective to help those with motion sickness or vertigo.

1. Repositioning

BPPV vertigo can be treated through “repositioning.” This procedure, often done in your doctor’s office, involves placing you in a position that induces vertigo, then turning you carefully into another position.

This change allows fluid and crystals in your inner ear to realign. This treatment has a good success rate.

2. Medications

There are several different medications to treat motion sickness . Contact your medical provider who will explain the benefits of each one and make a recommendation based upon your individualized needs.

U se caution when giving medication to children. Speak with their pediatrician first.

3. Determine Where You Sit

This can be a useful preventative technique when combating motion sickness. Wherever you decide to travel, make sure that you can see some type of motion. By ship that may mean getting a cabin near the water level, while on a plane , it may mean a seat over the front edge of a wing.

Opting to drive or sitting in the upfront passenger seat can help.

The goal is to give your eyes a chance to relay the message of motion to your brain, so that the “signals” between your muscles, eyes and inner ear balance without conflict.

Keep your focus, too. Try to look at the horizon and keep your head still.

If at all possible, avoid sitting around smokers.

4. Consider Ginger

Ginger supplements or even ginger ale can help combat nausea that accompanies motion sickness.

5. Eat Lightly

Avoid having a large meal before traveling. You might want to have some plain crackers to nibble on to help settle your stomach. Carbonated drinks—without caffeine—are also a good idea. Don’t drink alcohol.

6. Acupressure

While research into alternative therapies is ongoing, there is some evidence that a small amount of pressure on your wrist can alleviate nausea. However, other studies have shown mixed results.

7. Fresh Air

If you feel motion sickness coming on, roll down a window or, if possible, go outdoors.   Alternatively, you may wish to turn air vents toward you. Essentially, blowing cool air on your face or around your forehead may provide some relief.

Chronic Motion Sickness? Contact Us for An Appointment

Fortunately, most cases of motion sickness can be easily alleviated. However, if you’re having extensive trouble with nausea that resists treatment , it may be a symptom of another condition. 

For more than 20 years, we’ve served the Raleigh area as the leading internal medicine doctors in the Triangle area. Contact us  for solutions to your motion sickness and vertigo problems.

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• Meclizine (Oral Route)

Description and Brand Names

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex ®

US Brand Name

• Dramamine II
• Motion Sickness Relief
• Simply Motion
• Travel Sickness

Descriptions

Meclizine is used to prevent and control nausea, vomiting, and dizziness caused by motion sickness. It is also used for vertigo (dizziness or lightheadedness) caused by ear problems.

Meclizine is an antihistamine. It works to block the signals to the brain that cause nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

• Tablet, Chewable

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Below is an overview of the medication often prescribed for vertigo. This information is not intended to replace specific medical advice from your GP, consultant, specialist or pharmacist, but to give a general description of the medication currently prescribed. You should always check with your medical professional for information and advice relating to your symptoms/condition and treatment.

Betahistine

Betahistine is a histamine analog and is a prescription only medication. It is also known by the brand name Serc. Betahistine is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs used to treat vertigo, tinnitus and hearing loss associated with Ménière’s disease in the UK. It works by acting on histamine receptors that are found in the walls of blood vessels in the inner ear. By activating these receptors, a process is started which is thought to reduce the pressure of the fluid that fills the labyrinth in the inner ear. This helps to relieve the symptoms associated with Ménière’s disease.

Prochlorperazine 

Prochlorperazine, also known by the brand name Stemetil, is an anti-sickness drug which acts to reduce the impact of the abnormal signals coming from the balance organ helping to relieve the symptoms of nausea, vomiting and vertigo associated with Ménière’s disease, labyrinthitis and other inner ear disorders. It is a prescription only medication available as a tablet, injection and buccal preparation (Buccastem). It is usually taken as needed, rather than on a regular basis. Prochlorperazine affects the dopamine receptors in an area of the brain that controls nausea and vomiting. Vomiting is controlled by an area of the brain called the vomiting centre. The vomiting centre is responsible for causing feelings of sickness and for the vomiting reflex. It is activated when it receives nerve messages from another area of the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone and when it receives nerve messages from the gut. Prochlorperazine controls nausea and vomiting by blocking dopamine receptors found in the trigger zone and prevents it from sending messages to the vomiting centre that would otherwise cause nausea and vomiting.

Cinnarizine 

Cinnarizine is an antihistamine medication used to control travel and motion sickness. It is also known as Stugeron and is available from chemists without prescription. Cinnarizine is used to treat the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, vertigo and tinnitus associated with Ménière’s disease as well as disorders of the middle ear. Cinnarizine has two pharmacological actions. It is a calcium antagonist, though not a powerful one. This acts mainly on the blood vessels and prevents constriction on these vessels. In theory it therefore improves the micro circulation of the ear. At the same time it has a mild antihistaminic effect.

Cinnarizine and Dimenhydrinate

The combination medication of Cinnarizine and Dimenhydrinate has been licensed in the UK for the treatment of vertigo with mixed origins since 2007 and has been available in Germany since 1982. It is also known in the UK by the brand name Arlevert. Cinnarizine and dimenhydrinate is a prescription only medication used to treat vertigo of various origins (central and/or peripheral vertigo), including otogenic vertigo, vertigo because of vestibular neuropathy, Ménière’s disease, Ménière-like syndrome and vertigo because of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. The usual prescription is one tablet three times a day, taken with water after meals. Due to its specific calcium antagonistic properties, cinnarizine acts mainly as a vestibular sedative through inhibition of the calcium influx into the vestibular sensory cells. Cinnarizine thus acts predominantly on the peripheral vestibular system. Dimenhydrinate exhibits anti-emetic and anti-vertiginous effects through influencing the chemoreceptor trigger zone in the region of the 4th ventricle. Dimenhydrinate thus acts predominantly on the central vestibular system.

Domperidone

Domperidone is a dopamine antagonist, also known by the brand name Motilium. It is used to treat nausea and vomiting and is also used to relieve stomach discomfort, bloating and reflux or heartburn by helping food to move faster through your digestive system to help prevent feelings of sickness, bloating and regurgitation. Domperidone is available as a suppository, tablet or oral suspension. Suppositories are available on prescription only. Some tablets containing the active ingredient domperidone are available from pharmacists over the counter.

Further information 

Please  contact us for further information or to chat with a member of our team. 

The Ménière's Society can provide general information, but is unable to provide specific medical advice. You should always check with your medical professional for information and advice relating to your symptoms, treatment and condition.

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If you have found our information helpful, why not become a member. As well as supporting our work, we'll keep you informed about the latest management/treatment options for vestibular disorders and what research is taking place.  Find out more about membership .

If membership isn’t for you, please consider making a donation to support our work and help us continue to supporting people affected by vestibular conditions. 

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Travel-Ease

Generic name: meclizine [  MEK-li-zeen  ] Brand names: Antivert , Bonine , Bonine Max, Dramamine Less Drowsy , Dramamine Nausea Long Lasting, Travel-Ease Drug class: Anticholinergic antiemetics

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com on Aug 29, 2023. Written by Cerner Multum .

What is Travel-Ease?

Travel-Ease is used in adults and children aged 12 years and older to treat or prevent nausea , vomiting and dizziness caused by motion sickness .

Travel-Ease is also used in adults to treat symptoms of vertigo (dizziness or spinning sensation) caused by disease that affects your inner ear.

Travel-Ease may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Travel-Ease side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction : hives, difficult breathing, swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Common side effects of Travel-Ease may include:

drowsiness ;

dry mouth ;

vomiting; or

feeling tired.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Use only as directed. Tell your doctor if you use other medicines or have other medical conditions or allergies.

Before taking this medicine

You should not use Travel-Ease if you are allergic to it.

Do not give Travel-Ease to anyone younger than 12 years old without medical advice.

Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had:

breathing problems such as asthma , emphysema , or chronic bronchitis ;

an enlarged prostate or urination problems;

recently used alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers; or

liver or kidney disease.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

How should I take Travel-Ease?

Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.

Swallow the tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break it.

You must chew the chewable tablet before you swallow it.

To prevent motion sickness, take Travel-Ease about 1 hour before you travel or anticipate having motion sickness. You may take this medicine once every 24 hours while you are traveling, to further prevent motion sickness.

To treat vertigo, you may need to take Travel-Ease several times daily. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Travel-Ease is used when needed. If you are on a dosing schedule, skip any missed dose. Do not use two doses at one time.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

What should I avoid while taking Travel-Ease?

Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how Travel-Ease will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.

Avoid drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol with this medicine can cause side effects.

What other drugs will affect Travel-Ease?

Using Travel-Ease with other drugs that make you drowsy can worsen this effect. Ask your doctor before using opioid medication, a sleeping pill, a muscle relaxer, or medicine for anxiety or seizures .

Sometimes it is not safe to use certain medicines at the same time. Some drugs can affect your blood levels of other drugs you use, which may increase side effects or make the medicines less effective.

Other drugs may affect Travel-Ease, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins , and herbal products . Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use.

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Hyoscine hydrobromide (Kwells and Joy-Rides) - Other brand names: Kwells Kids, Travel Calm, Scopoderm

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Peer reviewed by Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGP Last updated by Dr Toni Hazell Last updated 16 May 2023

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In this series: Dizziness Vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo Fainting

Vertigo is a type of dizziness. If you have vertigo, you may only experience dizziness for a short period of time (minutes). However, in some people, vertigo dizziness can also last for hours or even for days. People who have the condition may also have a feeling of sickness (nausea) and be sick (vomit). They may also have a loss of balance. Vertigo is usually caused by problems within the inner ear.

Medicines to treat vertigo help to ease nausea and vomiting and some can also ease dizziness. These medicines are not needed for every cause of vertigo and are usually only given for a short period of time (up to 14 days). In many cases your doctor is able to find out what condition has caused the vertigo and will then advise on treatment for this condition.

In this article :

What is vertigo, who does vertigo affect, what causes vertigo, vertigo treatment, medication for vertigo, what is the usual length of vertigo treatment, side-effects of vertigo treatment, who cannot take medication for vertigo, can vertigo medication be bought over the counter, self-help tips to ease vertigo.

Continue reading below

Vertigo is a type of dizziness that can last just for a short period of time (minutes) or that can last for hours or even days. People who have dizziness and vertigo have a false feeling of their surroundings moving or spinning caused by a fullness in the ear. This is usually accompanied by a feeling of sickness (nausea) and balance problems, which can interfere with daily activities

Central vertigo can also cause someone with the condition to be sick (vomit). Vertigo is a symptom and not a condition in itself. In most cases there is a medical condition that causes vertigo such as head injury and ear problems. However, sometimes the cause is unknown.

Vertigo can affect people of any age, and of either sex.

The most common cause of vertigo is a problem with the inner part of the ear - for example, an infection or inflammation. When we move our head, the inner part of the ear is a balance organ and tells us where our head is. If there are problems with the inner part of the ear then this causes us to feel sick (nausea) and feel dizzy. Ringing in the ear (tinnitus) or hearing loss is not common with most causes of vertigo and should be investigated in its own right.

Other conditions that can affect the inner ear and cause an episode of vertigo include:

Ménière's disease .

Motion sickness .

Toxicity of the ear caused by medicines.

A common cause of vertigo in older people is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. This causes intense dizziness (short episodes of vertigo) in head movements when you move your head in certain directions. It it thought to be caused by tiny particles in the inner ear which have got 'stuck' and cannot move as they usually do.

Less commonly, vertigo may be caused by conditions that make changes to certain parts of the brain - for example:

Multiple sclerosis .

A growth in the brain (acoustic neuroma) .

Double vision (diplopia) .

Drinking too much alcohol .

See the separate feature Can stress cause vertigo?

How to tell which ear is causing vertigo

An examination by a doctor can sometimes tell which side the vertigo is coming from, but this cannot be worked out from symptoms alone.

The treatment for vertigo depends on what has caused it - the treatment may just be rest, it may be tablets or it may be special exercises to do. The rest of this leaflet only discusses medicines that help to ease the symptoms of dizziness and nausea caused by vertigo.

There are separate leaflets for different types of vertigo called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), Ménière's Disease , Vestibular Neuritis and Labyrinthitis , Dizziness and Migraine .

Note : vertigo is sometimes referred to as a 'fear of heights' - this is not correct. The right term for the fear of heights is acrophobia.

A number of medicines can be prescribed to help with the symptoms of vertigo. They include prochlorperazine or antihistamines such as cinnarizine , cyclizine or promethazine . These medicines are the same ones that are used to help treat any feeling of sickness (nausea) and motion sickness . They work by blocking certain chemicals in the brain. Prochlorperazine blocks a chemical called dopamine; this helps with severe sickness.

Antihistamines block histamine, which helps with mild sickness and being sick (vomiting) as well as vertigo. Betahistine is an antihistamine that may be prescribed for patients with Ménière's disease, to prevent attacks from occurring. It is thought that this medicine improves the blood flow around the ear.

These medicines come in various brand names and are available as tablets, capsules, liquids and injections. Some are available as tablets that dissolve between the upper gum and lip (sublingual tablets).

How well do vertigo medicines work?

There are no good studies that tell us how well these medicines work. However, they have been prescribed to treat vertigo for many years.

What medicine is prescribed for vertigo?

The choice of medicine depends on what is causing your vertigo and how severe your symptoms are. If you have a severe feeling of sickness (nausea), your doctor may prescribe prochlorperazine. The advantage of this medicine is that it is available as an injection or as a tablet to dissolve between the upper gum and lip (a sublingual tablet). It may be more suitable for people who are very sick and being sick (vomiting).

If you have mild nausea, your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine such as cinnarizine, cyclizine or promethazine. These will also help to treat dizziness.

Medicines to treat vertigo and sickness are usually only taken for a short time - normally from 3 to 14 days. If you have vertigo frequently and long term, your doctor may prescribe a short supply of these medicines to keep at home, to use when you have another attack.

It is not possible to list all the possible side-effects of each of these medicines in this leaflet. However, as with all medicines, there are a number of side-effects that have been reported. If you want more information specific to your medicine, see the information leaflet that came with your medicine.

Most side-effects of vertigo treatment are not serious and each person may react differently to these medicines. Common side-effects include drowsiness, constipation , headaches , tiredness, trouble with sleeping ( insomnia ) and indigestion . Prochlorperazine can cause muscle twitching of the shoulders, face and neck. This usually goes away once this medicine is stopped.

There are very few people who cannot take a medicine for vertigo. If for some reason one medicine has caused a side-effect or there is a reason you cannot take one, your doctor can choose a different type of medicine that will suit you.

You can buy cinnarizine from your pharmacy but the pharmacist can only sell it to people who have motion sickness.

For benign positional vertigo, Brandt-Daroff exercises may be given to use at home - it is important that these are done regularly.

Further reading and references

• British National Formulary (BNF) ; NICE Evidence Services (UK access only)
• Kerber KA, Baloh RW ; The evaluation of a patient with dizziness. Neurol Clin Pract. 2011 Dec;1(1):24-33.
• Vertigo ; NICE CKS, December 2022 (UK access only)

Article History

The information on this page is written and peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.

Next review due: 14 Apr 2028

16 may 2023 | latest version.

Last updated by

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