How do travel sickness tablets work?
Ever wondered how travel sickness tablets work to prevent or relieve motion sickness?
Travelling is a wonderful opportunity to discover new destinations and enjoy special family times together. But for some it can be overshadowed by travel sickness.
At Kwells, we’re on a mission to help everyone to travel happily, free from the upset, stress and worry travel sickness can cause.
There are some simple self-help methods aimed at preventing or relieving the symptoms – you’ll find tips and advice in our blog ‘About motion sickness’. But if you’ve already tried every travel sickness self-help tip in the book and feel you need further help and advice, speak to a pharmacist about an over-the-counter travel sickness remedy.
In this blog we’ll head into the science around travel sickness and the different types of travel sickness medication.
What causes travel sickness?
Travel sickness, also referred to as motion sickness, is common and is used to describe the symptoms we might experience as a result of moving.1
Depending how you’re travelling you may call it car sickness, seasickness or airsickness.
However you package it up, it’s unpleasant and can be distressing, particularly for children who are more likely to suffer from it than adults.2 It can even make some of us anxious about travelling if it happens on a regular basis.
It’s caused by a sensory mismatch between the eyes and inner ear – the eyes sense you’re stationary while the inner ear senses movement.2 Those conflicting messages cause confusion in the brain which then triggers the symptoms we associate with travel sickness.2
What are the symptoms of travel sickness?
Symptoms of motion sickness can vary from person to person, but they can include:2
- Headaches
- Feeling sick or being sick
- Sweating and cold sweats
- An increase in saliva
- Feeling cold and going pale.
- Feeling weak
Self-help methods to try to prevent or relieve travel sickness include:2
- Eat a light carb-based food such as cereal a couple of hours before a journey.
- If you’re travelling by car focus on the road ahead if possible.
- Try to minimise motion by sitting in the front of a car, in the middle of a boat – preferably on deck – or over the wing of a plane.
How do travel sickness tablets work?
There are several different types of travel sickness medicines available over the counter from pharmacies which can prevent or reduce the symptoms of motion sickness.2
These include hyoscine hydrobromide, cinnarizine and promethazine.
Here we talk about how the main ingredients act to prevent or relieve travel sickness and how quickly they work.
Hyoscine hydrobromide
Hyoscine hydrobromide is the active ingredient in Kwells3 Adults Travel Sickness 300 microgram tablets and Kwells Kids Travel Sickness 150 microgram tablets* and is mainly used to prevent travel sickness4. It can also be used to reduce the amount of saliva in your mouth.4
It blocks a naturally occurring chemical in parts of the brain and nervous system called acetylcholine4 – a neurotransmitter which among other actions contracts smooth muscles and dilates blood vessels5.
For travel sickness, hyoscine hydrobromide is understood to temporarily block messages from the inner ear to the part of the brain that controls vomiting.4
It reduces the effect of movement on the balance organs of the inner ear and the nerves responsible for nausea.3
Tablets containing hyoscine hydrobromide, such as Kwells, can be taken up to 20-30 minutes before a journey or at the onset of sickness for the fast and effective prevention and control of travel sickness.3
Cinnarizine
Cinnarizine is known as a drowsy, or sedating, antihistamine and it’s also used to reduce dizziness and sickness caused by inner ear problems.6
Cinnarizine blocks the effects of histamine – created in the body in response to an allergic reaction7 – in the brain to reduce symptoms of travel sickness.
However, it works gradually and can take up to four hours from the time you take the tablet for it to reach its full effect.6
Promethazine
Promethazine is also an antihistamine.8 It’s used to prevent feelings of sickness (nausea) alongside treating hay fever, allergic skin rashes and, due to its sedative effect, treat sleep problems in adults.8
It works in the same way as cinnarizine, blocking the effects of histamine in the brain.8
As a travel sickness treatment it’s recommended to take a first dose at bedtime the evening before you travel if you’re going on a long journey and, if required, take a second dose on the morning of travel.8 If you’re going on a short journey, take an hour or two before.8
All medicines can have side effects and you should read the Patient Information Leaflet that accompanies the treatment or speak to your pharmacist or doctor before use.
*Kwells 300 microgram tablets. For the prevention of travel sickness, suitable for adults and children aged 10+. Contains Hyoscine Hydrobromide 300 microgram. Kwells Kids 150 microgram tablets. For the prevention of travel sickness, suitable for children aged 4+. Contains Hyoscine Hydrobromide 150 microgram. Always read the label
References:
2 https://patient.info/travel-and-vaccinations/health-advice-for-travel-abroad/motion-travel-sickness
3 https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/11746/pil#gref
4 https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hyoscine-hydrobromide/
5 https://www.britannica.com/science/acetylcholine
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Kwells 300 microgram tablets and Kwells Kids 150 microgram tablets are used for the fast and effective prevention and control of travel sickness.
- Contains Hyoscine Hydrobromide
- Helps prevent travel sickness
- 12 tablets
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Kwells 300 microgram tablets. For the prevention of travel sickness, suitable for adults and children aged 10+. Contains Hyoscine Hydrobromide 300 microgram. Kwells Kids 150 microgram tablets. For the prevention of travel sickness, suitable for children aged 4+. Contains Hyoscine Hydrobromide 150 microgram. Always read the label