Over-the-counter medication · Antihistamine / Antiemetic
meclizine
Also sold as Antivert, Bonine. Meclizine treats nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 15,616
- FDA reportsModerately reported
- 1
- Recall record
What the data shows
meclizine (Antivert) is an over-the-counter Antihistamine / Antiemetic, reported less often than most tracked drugs (15,616 FDA reports).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
meclizine (Antivert) is an over-the-counter Antihistamine / Antiemetic. Meclizine treats nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Meclizine is an antihistamine and antiemetic. It helps prevent and treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, especially from motion sickness.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$0.03/unit
Generic Available
Yes (6 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Meclizine treats nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Common side effects
Dizziness, Fatigue
Key warnings
No specific warnings noted. Always follow your prescriber's instructions.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from meclizine's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Meclizine works by blocking certain natural substances in your body. These substances, like histamine, can cause nausea and dizziness. By blocking them, meclizine helps reduce these symptoms.
How to Take It
Take meclizine one hour before you start traveling. Adults and children 12 years and older can take 1 to 2 tablets once a day. You can chew the tablets or swallow them whole with water. For children under 12, ask a doctor.
This is a plain-language summary of meclizine's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before taking meclizine. It is important to weigh the benefits and risks with your doctor.
This is a plain-language summary of meclizine's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is close to your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.
This is a plain-language summary of meclizine's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store meclizine at room temperature, away from heat and moisture.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 15,616 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for meclizine, by number of reports
- Feeling dizzy
Feeling dizzy
1,569 reports
- Feeling sick to your stomach
Feeling sick to your stomach
1,350 reports
- Feeling tired
Feeling tired
1,302 reports
- Head pain
Head pain
1,010 reports
- Loose stool
Loose stool
989 reports
- General pain
General pain
985 reports
- Accidental fall
Accidental fall
964 reports
- Difficulty breathing
Difficulty breathing
852 reports
- Long-term kidney problem
Long-term kidney problem
839 reports
- Weakness
Weakness
792 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for meclizine each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where meclizine sits
meclizine has more FDA adverse-event reports than 49% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is meclizine; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 15,616 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
15,616
Reports Mentioning Death
1,426
9.1% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
4,910
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DIZZINESS | 1,570 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 1,351 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 1,303 |
| 4 | HEADACHE | 1,010 |
| 5 | DIARRHOEA | 991 |
| 6 | PAIN | 985 |
| 7 | FALL | 965 |
| 8 | DYSPNOEA | 851 |
| 9 | CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE | 839 |
| 10 | ASTHENIA | 793 |
| 12 | VOMITING | 691 |
| 13 | RENAL FAILURE | 639 |
| 14 | ANXIETY | 607 |
| 15 | VERTIGO | 606 |
| 17 | ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY | 579 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Common Questions
What is meclizine used for?
How long before travel should I take meclizine?
Can children take meclizine?
Can I chew the tablets?
What should I do if I miss a dose?
Are there any side effects?
Can I take meclizine if I am pregnant?
How should I store meclizine?
Can I use meclizine for other conditions?
Is meclizine the same as Dramamine?
What are the common side effects of meclizine?
What drug class is meclizine?
Is meclizine safe during pregnancy?
Has meclizine been recalled?
Active Recalls
Failed tablet specifications.
Amerisource Health Services LLC
Related Medications in Antihistamine / Antiemetic
Other drugs grouped near meclizine - same-class peers and common alternatives.
azelastine
Astelin, Astepro
Azelastine nasal spray is an antihistamine medicine.
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budesonide nasal
Rhinocort
Rhinocort is a nasal spray that helps relieve allergy symptoms.
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cetirizine
Zyrtec
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is an antihistamine medicine.
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chlorpheniramine
Chlor-Trimeton
Chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine medicine.
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ciclesonide nasal
Omnaris, Zetonna
Omnaris Nasal Spray is a medicine that helps treat allergy symptoms in your nose.
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What the FDA Data Shows for meclizine
The FDA label for meclizine (sold under brand names such as Antivert, Bonine) classifies it as an over-the-counter product in the Antihistamine / Antiemetic class. Meclizine treats nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Official labeling lists 2 commonly reported side effects, including Dizziness, Fatigue.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 15,616 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.03.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: January 9, 2025
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages