Why do I still feel motion sickness after taking motion sickness medication?
People who suffer from motion sickness often take motion sickness medication before traveling to prevent symptoms. However, some people find that the medication they take has no effect at all. Why is this? Let's analyze 5 reasons why motion sickness medication may not work.
Why do I still feel motion sickness even after taking medication? Reasons why motion sickness medication may not work
5 reasons why motion sickness medication may not work
The medication is not suitable for you
There are many types of motion sickness medications, and their mechanisms of action are not the same. If a certain medication does not work for you, it may be because you have not chosen the one that is suitable for you. In fact, in addition to motion sickness medications that act on the central nervous system to prevent motion sickness and nausea, some commonly used stomach medications can also be used to prevent motion sickness. For example, cinnarizine can be taken orally one hour before boarding or half an hour before meals, 5-10 milligrams per dose for adults, three times a day. Gastrocamine can be taken half an hour before boarding using the same dosage as cinnarizine.
Taking medication too late
Oral motion sickness medication is generally absorbed quickly, taking effect within about 0.5 to 1 hour, so it should be taken 0.5 to 1 hour before travel. Motion sickness patches are different, as they are absorbed more slowly, so they should be applied 5 to 6 hours in advance.
Taking an excessive dosage
Some people, in order to be safe, take motion sickness medication before boarding, and then take more medication after boarding. This is very dangerous. Doctors say that most motion sickness medications can maintain their effectiveness for a long time, and taking an excessive dosage increases the chance of adverse reactions such as dizziness, headache, palpitations, dry mouth, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Therefore, taking an excessive dosage of motion sickness medication not only cannot "cure motion sickness," but may also "cause motion sickness."
Poor physical condition or environmental factors
For people who sometimes find the medication effective and sometimes ineffective, it may be due to being on an empty stomach or being too full, fatigue, lack of sleep, polluted air, emotional stress, or exposure to special odors such as gasoline and smoke. These factors can trigger or worsen motion sickness, so it is important to avoid these negative factors before boarding a car, ship, or plane.
Drug interactions
If you are taking medication that may conflict with motion sickness medication, it can not only affect the effectiveness of the medication but also increase the chance of adverse reactions. For example, Bonine should not be used in combination with ototoxic drugs, and Gastrocamine tablets can increase the toxicity of cold medication.
Precautions when taking motion sickness medication
1. Most motion sickness medications can cause drowsiness after taking them. If you need to avoid this side effect, choose a medication with milder sedative effects.
2. Do not use motion sickness medication in combination with other cold medicine, antihistamines (allergy medicine or nasal congestion medicine), sedatives, cough suppressants, expectorants, or gastrointestinal analgesics and antispasmodics.
3. Pay attention to the duration of the medication's effectiveness. Motion sickness patches usually last for 3 days, while most oral medications only last for 6 to 8 hours. If your journey is too long, you may need to take another dose during the trip.
4. During the journey, if you feel bloated, you can take digestive aids, chew gum, or eat mint-flavored candies. If you feel nauseous, you can take medications like cinnarizine or Gastrocamine. If you feel mentally stressed, you can take sedatives. For severe vomiting and dehydration, you should go to the hospital for intravenous infusion of 5% glucose saline.
