Motion sickness is a feeling of nausea caused by movement, often experienced in a car or on a boat. Over-the-counter drugs that prevent and treat motion sickness include diphenhydramine (brand name Benadryl®), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine®) and meclizine (Bonine®). All of these drugs prevent and relieve motion sickness in about 50% of people who use them. Adults and children over 12 can use any of these products and children age two years and older can take diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and dimenhydrinate (Dramamine). For the best results, you should take these drugs about one hour before traveling and repeat as needed according to the product instructions. Drowsiness is the most commonly reported side effect of these products.

Sources: Swartzberg, J.E., S. Margen. The UC Berkeley Wellness Self-Care Handbook. Rebus, Inc., 1998.Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. American Pharmaceutical Association, 2000.Applied Therapeutics: The Clinical Use of Drugs. Applied Therapeutics, 1995.Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2007.Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts & Comparisons, 2007.This answer prepared 7/24/2001. This information updated 1/9/2007.