Travel sickness (motion sickness) can turn a holiday, a ferry crossing or even a school run into an ordeal. It's very common, especially in children, and it's not a sign of anything wrong. Simple tricks help many people, and travel sickness tablets or patches taken before you set off can prevent it altogether. MedsRus offers hyoscine travel sickness patches and cyclizine tablets after a quick online consultation.
What causes travel sickness?
Travel sickness happens when your brain gets mixed messages. Your inner ear senses movement, but your eyes, focused on a book or the inside of a car, tell your brain you're still. That mismatch triggers nausea.
It can happen in cars, coaches, trains, planes and boats, and on fairground rides or in virtual reality headsets. Symptoms include:
- feeling sick, and sometimes vomiting;
- dizziness;
- cold sweats and looking pale;
- headaches;
- feeling tired or yawning a lot.
Symptoms usually ease once the movement stops, though some people feel unwell for a few hours afterwards.
Travel sickness treatment options
Most travel sickness medicines work best when taken before you travel, rather than once you already feel sick.
| Scopoderm patch | Cyclizine tablets | |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | Hyoscine (an anticholinergic) | Cyclizine (an antihistamine) |
| How you use it | A small patch stuck behind the ear | A tablet swallowed with water |
| When to start | 5 to 6 hours before travel, or the evening before | 1 to 2 hours before travel |
| How long it lasts | Up to 72 hours | About 8 hours per tablet |
| Good for | Longer journeys, cruises and ferry crossings | Shorter journeys and flights |
Hyoscine patches (Scopoderm)
Scopoderm contains hyoscine, which calms the signals from your inner ear to the part of your brain that controls sickness. One patch releases medicine slowly through the skin for up to 3 days, which makes it popular for cruises and long sea crossings.
How to use it:
- Clean and dry a hairless area of skin just behind your ear.
- Apply the patch 5 to 6 hours before you travel, or the evening before.
- Wash your hands straight away. Touching your eyes with hyoscine on your fingers can blur your vision.
- Only wear one patch at a time, and remove it when you no longer need it.
Cyclizine tablets
Cyclizine is an antihistamine that prevents nausea and vomiting. Take one tablet 1 to 2 hours before you set off, then another every 8 hours if you need it, with no more than 3 tablets in 24 hours. It suits shorter journeys and flights.
Side effects
Both medicines commonly cause:
- drowsiness, so don't drive if you're affected;
- a dry mouth;
- blurred vision.
Don't drink alcohol with them, as it increases drowsiness. If you're driving, don't take these medicines. Use the tips below instead, and speak to a pharmacist about other options.
Who shouldn't use them
They may not be suitable if you have:
- glaucoma;
- an enlarged prostate or difficulty peeing;
- epilepsy;
- heart, liver or kidney problems.
Tell us about any other medicines you take. Neither treatment is suitable for young children through our service, so speak to a pharmacist about options for children.
Tips to prevent travel sickness
- Sit where movement is felt least: the front seat of a car, over the wings on a plane, or the middle of a boat, near the waterline.
- Look at the horizon or a fixed point in the distance.
- Don't read or look at screens while moving.
- Get fresh air: open a window or go out on deck.
- Eat light before and during the journey, and avoid alcohol.
- Close your eyes if you can, or try to sleep.
- Try ginger, such as ginger biscuits, which helps some people.
- Acupressure bands worn on the wrist help some people, though the evidence is mixed.
Children aged 2 to 12 are most affected, and many grow out of it. Distractions such as music, audiobooks or games where they look out of the window can help.
Planning a trip?
If you're heading somewhere with a malaria risk, you may also need malaria tablets. For long-haul flights across time zones, our jet lag page explains how to adjust more quickly.
When to see a GP
See a GP if you get dizzy or sick when you're not travelling, if symptoms last long after the journey ends, or if you have hearing loss, ringing in your ears or headaches. These can be signs of an inner-ear problem rather than travel sickness. If you feel sick for other reasons, see our anti-sickness tablets page.
How to order travel sickness treatment from MedsRus
- Answer a few questions about your trip, your health and any medicines you take.
- Our pharmacy team or a UK prescriber reviews them and approves a suitable treatment.
- We send it in discreet packaging. Order a few days before you travel.
Travel sickness FAQs
Do travel sickness tablets work for sea sickness and car sickness?
Yes. Sea sickness, car sickness and air sickness are all types of motion sickness, so the same motion sickness tablets and patches help. For a long ferry or boat trip, a patch can be easier because one lasts up to 72 hours.
What's the best travel sickness treatment?
It depends on the journey. Patches suit long journeys and cruises, while tablets suit shorter trips. Both work best taken before you travel.
Which is better, cyclizine or a patch?
Neither is better for everyone. A hyoscine patch lasts up to 72 hours, so it suits cruises, ferry crossings and long trips. Cyclizine tablets last about 8 hours, so they suit flights and shorter trips. The prescriber can help you choose.
How long before travelling should I take travel sickness tablets?
Cyclizine is usually taken 1 to 2 hours before you set off. Scopoderm patches go on 5 to 6 hours before.
Can I use a travel sickness patch on a plane?
Yes. It's useful for long flights, as one patch lasts up to 72 hours.
Do travel sickness tablets make you drowsy?
Many do, including cyclizine and hyoscine. Don't drive if you're affected.
Can I drink alcohol with travel sickness medicine?
It's best not to, as alcohol makes drowsiness worse.
Can you grow out of travel sickness?
Many children do. Adults can still get it, especially at sea.
What travel sickness tablets can children take?
Some travel sickness tablets sold in pharmacies can be given to children from a certain age, depending on the product. Our online service is for adults, so ask a pharmacist about a suitable option for your child.
Further reading
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