(For veterinary information only)
WARNING
The size of the tablet/medication is NOT an indication of a proper dose. Never administer any drug without your veterinarian's input. Serious side effects or death can occur if you use drugs on your pet without your veterinarian's advice.
It is our policy not to give dosing information over the internet.
Brand Names: Bonine, Antivert, UniVert, Vertin-21
Available in 12.5 mg, 25 mg tablets
Background
Motion sickness is an important problem for many pets and while there are several medications with the ability to relieve the discomfort and nausea associated with motion sickness, each has pros and cons. Sometimes sedation is desired for the travel period and sometimes it is not. Acepromazine, for example, lasts for 6-8 hours but is very sedating. Some medicines, such as maropitant, require an hour or more for their effect to kick in. Meclizine provides a relatively short-acting effect with minimal sedation and, even though it is a human medication, it has proved to be quite helpful for nausea relief associated with motion sickness.
How This Medication is Used
Meclizine hydrochloride is generally used for nausea relief due to motion sickness. It is also used to control the nausea resulting from vestibular disease, a syndrome characterized by vertigo and loss of balance.
To prevent motion sickness, meclizine hydrochloride should be given approximately 30 minutes before travel. Anti-nausea effects can be expected to last approximately 6 hours. Meclizine hydrochloride can be given with or without food.
If a dose is accidentally skipped, do not double up on the next dose. Simply give the medication when it is remembered and be sure to wait at least 6-8 hours before the next dose.
Side Effects
Meclizine hydrochloride is a member of the piperazine class of antihistamines. It may produce some drowsiness though nothing like the 6-8 hours of tranquilization yielded by acepromazine.
Most antihistamines can cause any of a group of symptoms referred to as anticholinergic symptoms: urinary retention, dry mouth, dry eyes, increased heart rate, and exacerbation of glaucoma (elevated pressure within the eye).
Interactions With Other Drugs
Meclizine hydrochloride should be used cautiously with other drugs that sedate or tranquilize. This includes other antihistamines, opioids, and benzodiazepines such as diazepam or alprazolam, and opioids such as hycodan or buprenorphine.
Meclizine may cause anticholinergic drugs to be more active. Examples include some drugs used to help relax the bladder (oxybutynin) or to help control vomiting (scopolamine).
Meclizine should not be given with fluoxetine (Prozac®, Reconcile®) because fluoxetine may cause meclizine to stay in the body longer. Talk to your veterinarian before you use meclizine with any of these drugs.
Meclizine can reduce the effectiveness of GI motility modifiers such as metoclopramide and cisapride.
Some brands of this medication are available in various regions OTC (over-the-counter). Never give over-the-counter medication to your pet without your veterinarian’s guidance, and always confirm the exact medication you should be giving.
Concerns and Cautions
- Meclizine hydrochloride is known to cause birth defects in experimental animals and thus should not be used in pregnant pets.
- Due to its potential to reduce milk production, meclizine hydrochloride should not be given to nursing mothers.
- Meclizine hydrochloride should not be given to patients who are at risk for urinary retention (prostate enlargement, spinal disease, etc.).
- Meclizine hydrochloride should not be given to patients with a history of heart failure.
- Meclizine hydrochloride use may interfere with allergic skin testing in patients undergoing evaluation for airborne allergies.
- Meclizine hydrochloride activity can be expected to be prolonged in patients with liver disease.
- Patients who do not tolerate meclizine hydrochloride might do better with maropitant citrate, an antinausea medication developed and labeled for the treatment of motion sickness in pets.