Bonine Vs. Dramamine

[ols386]

What's the difference between Bonine and Dramamine? Is one better than the other? I've had regular Dramamine and it made me really drowsy. Is non-drowsy Dramamine better to take, as far as....does the fact that it's non-drowsy mean that it's less effective against getting sea-sick than regular Dramamine? I've head alot of positive things about Bonine. Should Bonine be taken 24 hours in advance? I've always taken Dramamine just one hour prior to departure.

 

[ededmd]

Dramamine is dimenhydrinate and is sedating.
Bonine and Dramamine Less Drowsy are meclizine and are typically nonsedating.

If you want to be up and around meclizine is a good choice.
If you are seasick and it is bedtime, go with the dimenhydrinate. I wouldn't combine this one with alcohol. And be forewarned that you will get more mouth dryness with this one.

fyi - Meclizine is the generic medicine in Antivert (Rx med) for vertigo. It typically will work in a short amt of time but maximal benefit may be obtained by taking for 24 hrs prior.

My DH swears by Bonine. He prefers it greatly to the Dramamine Less Drowsy believing the latter doesn't work as well. Talk about placebo effect.

Regards and good sailing.

 

[tchoney]

What's the difference between Bonine and Dramamine? Is one better than the other? I've had regular Dramamine and it made me really drowsy. Is non-drowsy Dramamine better to take, as far as....does the fact that it's non-drowsy mean that it's less effective against getting sea-sick than regular Dramamine? I've head alot of positive things about Bonine. Should Bonine be taken 24 hours in advance? I've always taken Dramamine just one hour prior to departure.

We have given our nephew non-drowsey Dramamine and it worked very well for him. He was able to enjoy everything without feeling sea sick!

Good Luck!

 

[mommasita]

We usually bring both, as an 'in case'.

My FIL is the one who needs it, and he brefers Bonine. He starts it 24 hrs prior, and sails like a charm. He becomes motion sick VERY easily..

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I started taking bonine the day before our cruise and took 2 a day for the next couple of days until I felt I had my sea legs. Never had one queasy feeling or felt drowsy the entire trip. It also helped that we had extremely calm seas.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Bonine all the way baby!!! It helped us on the EB PC cruise when we encountered Hurricane Hilary.

 

[andriade]

Can you get Bonine without a prescription? I am thinking about taking something. I have been on 3 other cruises on Carnival and had one night of seasickness. I cannot afford to have it on this one. I am starting to regret changing my Cat.9 Deck 2 reservation to a Cat. 8 Deck 6. I am hearing that being down lower is better for seasickness. I thought the opposite so I changed it. Oh well! Too late now. It would be more expensive to change my category to a lower one now.

 

[Zandy595]

You don't need a 'script for Bonine.


On our last cruise I forgot to pack mine, but DH said they had a basket of individual packets of Sea-Calm (same as Bonine) outside the medical center on deck 1. Anyone know if they still give them away?

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Walgreens sells a generic form which is cheaper than the name brand "Bonine." You want to look for the active ingrediant, meclazine.

 

[fredms]

What do you recommend for kids? Taking my neices (8 and 9). I bought Bonine and Dramamine. I didn't see the non drowsy dramamine but would prefer that. Can kids take Bonine?

I've reached out to a fmaily pediatric doctor as well.

 

[m4travel]

Another vote for Bonine. And prevention is much more effective than cure. Start taking it 24 hours in advance (it helps those bumpy airplane rides, too).

Not sure of the ages for which it is suggested, but there is a children's Bonine in a chewable form. And yes, Bonine is an OTC product.

The location of your cabin is really not a deal-breaker. Studies that showed position on the ship affecting seasickness were based upon passengers who were sitting up (as on a ferry). A more recent study based on a passenger ship in the Antarctic found that as long as one could lay down and see a steady horizon, the location on the ship was of small consequence. (I feel that access to fresh air is also a plus, hence my preference for balconies.) Age and sex were better indicators of a propensity towards mal de mer.

 

[PiratesGirl]

I just bought Bonine for Kids at Wal-Mart. It doesn't come with very many pills (I think 8) but Wal-Mart was much cheaper than Target. I believe it is for ages 6 years old and up. I'm going to ask my pediatrician if DD5 can take it though.

 

[Anal Annie]

On our last cruise DS was 8 - his pediatrician had said he could have 1 regular pill / 24 hrs. I just bought the Target brand generic to take just in case any of us needed it. We had the late dinner seating and it turned out on our first night that DS started to feel queasy about 30 min. before dinner. We were in the lobby for a pin trading event and he suddenly squat down in the middle of everybody /everything and announced he felt like he was going to throw up! We were all the way up front and our cabin was AFT!! I grabbed his arm and RAN, practically drug him back to the room. Gave him one of these pills...he sat in the bathroom for about 30 min. and then felt better. Never did throw up. But I just figured with the timing being right at dinner time I'd keep him on them all week at the same time. He was fine. And he slept like a baby by giving it to him in the evenings! Out like a light around 11:00 pm but he was fine during the day!

I will take them again this summer too!

 

[pooh_mania]

A more recent study based on a passenger ship in the Antarctic found that as long as one could lay down and see a steady horizon, the location on the ship was of small consequence. (I feel that access to fresh air is also a plus, hence my preference for balconies.)

Is this how I prove that a verandah is "medically necessary"?!

 

[DAKfever]

Your best bet with the best results would be Dramamine-Less Drowsy Formula in a PURPLE container! This is actually Meclizine which is generic for a prescription drug called Antivert. DO NOT BUY THE FORM IN THE ORANGE PACKAGE, THIS IS A FORM OF DIPHENHYDRAMINE WHICH IS BENADRYL AND WILL KNOCK YOU OUT! Antivert is mainly used for vertigo, or dizziness, but it's also a very effective sea sickness drug as well as for nausea. Walgreens has their own brand of the DRAMAMINE LESS DROWSY FORMULA called WAL-DRAM II also in a purple package! Also, don't forget if you're on the 7 nite Western cruise and you forget to purchase anything, you can always stop by the WALGREENS in Key West!!!

 

[swilphil]

You don't need a 'script for Bonine.


On our last cruise I forgot to pack mine, but DH said they had a basket of individual packets of Sea-Calm (same as Bonine) outside the medical center on deck 1. Anyone know if they still give them away?

Yes, they do still give away Sea-Calm. It came in very handy, though I had bought Children's Bonine for the kids who can also take a 1/2 pill of Sea-Calm.

The Bonine did make me sleepy even though it's less drowsy. Or maybe it was just the rocking of the ship.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

A tip on Bonine--the package says take it one hour prior to travel, but that is NOT enough time. I took it 1.5 hours before my last flight and it did not help at all. (don't read further if you don't want the yucky part) I got sick and it was obvious that the Bonine had not had time to even dissolve!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

What's the difference between Bonine and Dramamine? Is one better than the other? I've had regular Dramamine and it made me really drowsy. Is non-drowsy Dramamine better to take, as far as....does the fact that it's non-drowsy mean that it's less effective against getting sea-sick than regular Dramamine?

Dramamine Less Drowsy Tablets and Bonine Tablets are medically the same. Both are 25 mg/tablet of meclizine hydrochloride.

There's also Dramamine Original Formula (dimenhydrinate), which is medically entirely different than Dramamine Less Drowsy Tablets.

There is no product called Non Drowsy Dramamine. There is only Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula.

Any of these medications can cause drowsiness to some degree, but dimenhydrinate is likely to cause greater drowsiness than meclizine hydrochloride.

We have given our nephew non-drowsey Dramamine and it worked very well for him. He was able to enjoy everything without feeling sea sick!

I don't know how old your nephew was. Anyone planning to give any motion sickness products to children should read the instructions and talk to their pediatrician if their children are younger than ages in the instructions.

Bonine and Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula both have a warning, "Do not use for children under 12 years of age unless directed by a doctor." Again, both products are Meclizine hydrochloride, 25 mg per tablet.

Dramanine Original and Dramamine Chewable both have a warning, "Do not use for children under 2 years of age unless directed by a doctor." Both products are Dimenhydrinate, 50 mg per tablet.

"Bonine for Kids" is a new product for children 6 years of age and older. There's a warning, "Do not use for children under 6 years of age unless directed by a doctor." It's for Cyclizine Hydrochloride, 25 mg per tablet.

I'm not a doctor or pharmacist, but I had to deal with my kids' needing motion sickness prevention products for our cruises.

Also, the information in this post applies to the United States only. Other countries have other products or may have different labeling and instructions.