I, like a lot of other Americans, get carsick. It’s not as bad as when I was a child, but I still experience it from time to time. I also hate flying because that too makes me nauseous. Trust me when I say that those little barf bags they provide don’t work well for those who can’t handle the motion.
Today, however, I don’t dread riding in cars or planes as much as I used to because a found I couple of really good motion sickness medications – – Dramamine and Equate’s Motion Sickness. But is one of them better than the other? Let’s examine them.
Dramamine’s technical name is dimenhydrinate. It is used to prevent and control the symptoms related to motion sickness. These include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and vertigo
Dramamine can be purchased over the counter in smaller doses than might be prescribed a physician. However, you should not take this drug if your condition requires continuous monitoring during treatment. People with the following conditions should also avoid this medication:
– Kidney disease,
– Liver disease,
– An enlarged prostate,
– Difficulty urinating,
– Bladder problems,
– Glaucoma, or
– Heart problems.
The good news is that dramamine is approved by the FDA for women who are pregnant. However, patients must always contact their physician before taking any new medication, even if it is purchased over the counter.
Dimenhydrinate can cause the following side effects:
– Drowsiness,
– Dizziness,
– Restlessness,
– Nervousness,
– Insomnia,
– Dry mouth, nose, or throat,
– Decreased appetite,
– Nausea and/or vomiting,
– Diarrhea,
– Difficult urinating, and
– Heart palpitations.
Dramamine is sold three ways; in 30 tablet bottles for $29.99, 60 tablet bottles for $36.00, and 90 tablet bottles at $43.99. It can be purchased in most drug and discount department stores that have a pharmacy.
Equate Motion Sickness is a generic version of dimenhydrinate. Like dramamine, there are certain people who should not use it:
– Kidney disease,
– Liver disease,
– An enlarged prostate,
– Difficulty urinating,
– Bladder problems,
– Glaucoma, or
– Heart problems.
It carries the same possible side effects as dramamine:
– Drowsiness,
– Dizziness,
– Restlessness,
– Nervousness,
– Insomnia,
– Blurred or double vision,
– Dry mouth, nose, or throat,
– Decreased appetite,
– Nausea and/or vomiting,
– Diarrhea,
– Difficult urinating, and
– Heart palpitations.
However, Equate is not nearly as expensive as dramamine. It can be purchased in small twelve count blister packs or 100 tablet bottles. Equate can be purchased at Wal-Mart. The 100 tablet bottle retails for $4.34.
My husband insists there are never any differences between brand names and generic ones. I’m not sure that is always true. I’ve found a lot of generic brands that simply don’t work as well as the brand names. However, the Equate brand of dimenhydrinate works just as well as dramamine. It doesn’t hurt that it costs a fraction of that of dramamine.
Head to head, these two medications are a toss up. Therefore, I give both of them five out of file stars.
