Skip to main content

Motion Sickness Drugs and Alcohol Interactions

Medically reviewed by Leigh Ann Anderson, PharmD. Last updated on May 20, 2025.

What is Motion Sickness? | Why do I get it? | Preventive Medicines | Tips to Help Prevent Motion Sickness

You should avoid drinking alcohol when you are using medicines for motion sickness. This can make you drowsy or dizzy and may worsen the chances for nausea or vomiting.

Motion sickness medicines (also called antiemetics) can be helpful for people who suffer from this disorder, but these drugs tend to work in the brain. When you combine them with alcohol this drug interaction can cause extreme drowsiness, dizziness or confusion. It can make driving more dangerous and you may be at greater risk of a fall or other injury. This can be especially hazardous in older people. 

What is motion sickness?

If you've ever had motion sickness, sometimes called travel sickness, you probably remember it as a very unpleasant event.

Fortunately, motion sickness is usually a temporary event and there are several anti-nausea medications to help prevent a future episode, when needed.

Why do you get motion sickness?

Motion sickness occurs when the motion you see is different from the motion you feel. Input from your eyes, your body, and your inner ears send motion signals to your brain. When these signals are mixed, motion sickness occurs.

Symptoms of motion sickness include:

Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to motion sickness.

Women who are pregnant or think they may be pregnant should consult with a doctor before taking any drug, including anti-nausea medication for treatment or prevention of nausea. Parents or caregivers should follow directions for children on the Drug Facts labeling for all over-the-counter (OTC) products.

How can I prevent motion sickness?

Several common medications (see Table 1) are classified as antiemetics (to help prevent motion sickness). Common treatments include:

Meclizine tends to cause less drowsiness than dimenhydrinate or diphenhydramine, and all three agents are available at the pharmacy without a prescription. These medications should be taken 30 minutes to one hour before travel.

Scopolamine (Transderm Scop) is a prescription patch than can be worn behind the ear and replaced after 3 days. It's available in a generic version which may be more affordable.

Promethazine is a phenothiazine antiemetic and H1 receptor blocking antihistamine that provides clinically useful antiemetic effects, but can also cause marked drowsiness. It is available as an oral tablet, oral solution, or rectal suppository. There is also an injectable form, but its use is not recommended due to the risk of severe tissue damage. You more commonly encounter promethazine administration in a hospital setting.

Many motion sickness medications, like dramamine, are "anticholinergic". This means the way they work (by blocking the action of the acetylcholine neurotransmitter) can lead to side effects like dry mouth, constipation, urinary retention, blurred vision, increased heart rate, and decreased sweating, which can be especially problematic in older patients. 

Table 1: Common Motion Sickness Medications

*Note: Not a complete list; always check with your pharmacist or other healthcare provider for possible drug-alcohol interactions.

Tips to Help to Prevent Motion Sickness

When possible, it's best to avoid any activity that causes you motion sickness. When that's not possible medicine may help, and here are some tips to help ease or prevent the feeling of nausea or dizziness:

For cost-savings: Review the Drugs.com Price Guide and Discount Card online tool.

Types of Drug Interactions With Alcohol

Learn more

Treatment options

Symptoms and treatments

Medicine.com guides (external)

Sources

  • Breslow RA, Dong C, White A. Prevalence of Alcohol-Interactive Prescription Medication Use Among Current Drinkers: United States, 1999 to 2010. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2015; 39:371-79. doi: 10.1111/acer.12633
  • Weathermon R, Crabb DW. Alcohol and medication interactions. Alcohol Res. Health. 1999;23(1):40-54. PMID: 10890797.
  • Travel Sickness (meclizine) Drug Interactions. Accessed May 20, 2025 at Drugs.com at https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/meclizine,travel-sickness.html
  • Ekor M. The growing use of herbal medicines: issues relating to adverse reactions and challenges in monitoring safety. Front Pharmacol. 2013; 4: 177 at doi: 10.3389/fphar.2013.00177.
  • Alcohol's Effect on Health. National Institute on Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). National Institutes of Health (NIH). Accessed May 20, 2025 at  https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/alcohol-facts-and-statistics
  • Davies M. The role of GABA-A receptors in mediating the effects of alcohol in the central nervous system. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2003 Jul; 28(4): 263–274. PMID: 12921221.
  • Ginger. Drugs.com. Accessed May 20, 2025 at https://www.drugs.com/mtm/ginger.html

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.