Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site bbnccv.UUCP Path: utzoo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!bbnccv!sdyer From: sdyer@bbnccv.UUCP (Steve Dyer) Newsgroups: net.med Subject: Re: Long term effects of Dramamine(tm)? Message-ID: <212@bbnccv.UUCP> Date: Sat, 13-Jul-85 11:47:37 EDT Article-I.D.: bbnccv.212 Posted: Sat Jul 13 11:47:37 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jul-85 23:56:31 EDT References: <2972@nsc.UUCP> Distribution: na Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, MA Lines: 37 > I am rather susceptible to motion sickness, so I take one-half tablet > of Dramamine(tm) before boarding transit. Are there any long-term effects > of the stuff that I should know about? Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) is simply a salt of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine also known as Benadryl. If you're not having any immediate side-effects from the drug, you probably don't have anything to worry about. Both products have been in use for almost 30 years without any serious side-effects being reported. Of couse, all things being equal, one prefers not to take ANY drug chronically, no matter how safe it appears. You should at least discuss this with your doctor. Short-term effects would include drowsiness and dry mouth, though 1/2 tablet is small enough that you might be avoiding these. > Also, are there any types of foods that I can eat to prevent the motion > sickness in the first place? Are there any Dramamine(tm) clones that are > better and/or less expensive? I don't know about foods, but it has been shown that drivers are much less likely to suffer from motion sickness than passengers. Something about focusing on the horizon in the direction of travel. Maybe you could gaze out the front of the train? Both Dramamine and Benadryl have been available in generic form for years, though these forms rarely appear on consumer shelves. Ask your pharmacist. If you decide to take Benadryl (or its generic equivalent), it contains approximately twice as much diphenhydramine per milligram of drug as Dramamine, so you'd want to cut your dosage in half. The only other anti-motion sickness drug available OTC in the US is Bonine (meclizine), it has the advantage of a long duration of action (12-24 hours) but has been associated in some studies with birth defects when taken during pregnancy. The label warns about this. If you only need this for a short transit ride, meclizine is probably overkill. I think it is also available in generic form. -- /Steve Dyer {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA