What this protocol covers
The query before a trip by car, boat or plane: what is taken and when, who should not take it, and which dizziness is not travel sickness.
1. What to ask
- Who is it for and how old are they?
- What trip are they making and how long is it?
- Will they be driving?
- Do they have glaucoma, prostate problems, epilepsy or asthma? Are they pregnant?
- Are they taking other medicines that cause drowsiness, or will they drink alcohol?
2. Refer if any of these appear
- Dizziness or vertigo when not travelling, especially with a severe headache, hearing loss, double vision, difficulty speaking or weakness.
- Vomiting that will not settle and stops them drinking.
3. If there are no red flags
Prevention with a medicine
- Dimenhydrinate 30-60 minutes before setting off, at the leaflet dose and without exceeding the daily maximum.
- It causes drowsiness: no driving after taking it, and alcohol makes it worse.
Measures that always help
- Sitting at the front, or in the most stable part of the boat or plane, looking at the horizon.
- Not reading or looking at screens during the journey, fresh air and a light meal beforehand.
- Ginger has limited evidence; it can be tried by someone who cannot take antihistamines.
4. Adjust to who will take it
- Children
- Dimenhydrinate from the age and at the children's dose given in its product information. In the youngest, measures first.
- Pregnancy
- Non-drug measures. An antihistamine only on medical advice.
- Older people
- Higher risk of confusion, falls and urinary retention: measures first and, if needed, the lowest dose.
- Long-term conditions
- Narrow-angle glaucoma, an enlarged prostate or epilepsy: ask before taking dimenhydrinate.
What not to recommend
- Driving after taking it.
- Combining it with alcohol or other medicines that cause drowsiness.
- Taking it once vomiting has started and expecting it to work as well: prevention is before setting off.
What to say at the counter. Take it half an hour to an hour before you leave, sit at the front looking into the distance and do not read on the way. And if you are the one driving, not this one.
Pharmacy Pills · conveniodefarmacia.com
Patient sheet: travel sickness
To print and hand over. It carries only what the patient needs at home.
- Take the medicine 30 to 60 minutes before setting off.
- It causes drowsiness: do not drive after taking it or drink alcohol.
- Sit at the front, look at the horizon and do not read during the journey.
- Have something light to eat beforehand and keep the vehicle aired.
- See your doctor if you feel dizzy when not travelling, or with a severe headache, hearing loss or double vision.
Self-assessment
Three questions. When you check your answers you will see the explanation for each one.
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As prevention, 30 to 60 minutes before the journey.
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The drowsiness caused by dimenhydrinate is incompatible with driving.
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This type of antihistamine can cause urinary retention in an enlarged prostate.
Training content. It does not replace the summary of product characteristics or clinical judgement.