Stugeron

About Stugeron
Stugeron tablets contain cinnarizine which is an antihistamine. Cinnarazine is used to treat inner ear balance disorders and so it can help to prevent and treat travel sickness.

Preventing travel sickness
The dose of Stugeron for adults is two tablets (30mg) 2 hours before travel followed by one tablet (15mg) every 8 hours during the journey. The tablets can be sucked, chewed, or swallowed whole with water, and are best taken with food.

Possible side effects
Like all medicines, Stugeron can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The most common side effect is drowsiness and if affected you must not drive or operate machinery.

Other common side effects are feeling sick/nausea (less likely if taken with meals) and weight gain.

A full list of possible side effects can be found in the patient leaflet.

Cautions
Do not take Stugeron if you have or have had:

• An allergic reaction to cinnarazine.
• Parkinsons disease.
• Porphyria.
• Taken Tricyclic antidepressants or Monamine Oxidase Inhibitors (medicines for depression) within the last 14 days.
• Take other tranquilisers or hypnotics (to relax you, to help you sleep, or to relax muscles).
• Liver or kidney disease, or bladder obstruction/prostate problems.
• Epilepsy.
• Allergy to certain sugars – Stugeron tablets contain sucrose and lactose.

You should not take Stugeron at the same time as any other travel sickness medication.

Take special care with Stugeron and tell your doctor or pharmacist if you suffer with:

• Glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye).
• Liver or kidney disease, or bladder obstruction/Prostate problems.
• A reaction to sucrose or lactose.

Skin tests for allergy
If you are having skin tests for allergy, do not take this medicine as it interferes with the results. You should stop taking this medicine at least 72 hours before the skin tests.

Stugeron and taking other medicines
Do not take Stugeron whilst taking any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription, without first discussing it with your regular doctor or pharmacist.

Taking with food and drink
While taking Stugeron, you should avoid drinking alcohol as the tablets will add to the effects of alcohol. It is best taken with food.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding
If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant, you should not take Stugeron, unless they have been recommended for you by a doctor.

If you are breastfeeding your baby, you should not take Stugeron.

Driving and operating machinery
These tablets may make you feel drowsy. You should not drive or operate machinery until you are sure that you are not affected by these unwanted effects.

Other uses of cinnarizine
In addition to preventing travel sickness, cinnarizine can also be used to treat nausea and vomiting due to other vestibular (inner ear) disturbances e.g. Menières disease. Dr Fox provides cinnarizine (Stugeron) to treat travel sickness only.