Originally posted by hydster
Original Dramamine is dimenhydrinate which is an antihistimine. Dramamine Less Drowsy or Bonine is Meclizine which you can buy from a pharmacy at a fraction of the cost of dramamine and you can drink occasionally with Meclizine aka Bonine or Dramamine Less Drowsy.
As hydster noted, there are two different medications, both of which are called Dramamine. There's Dramamine Original Formula, which is Dimenhydrinate and which can be given to children. And there's Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula, which is Meclizine Hydrochloride, and which should not be given to anyone under 12 unless directed by a doctor. Both are antihistamines, and both can make you drowsy.
As hydster noted, Bonine is also Meclizine Hydrochloride. And you can get generic Meclizine Hydrochloride from pharmacies (but my local pharmacy would only sell it in quanities of 100 tablets).
By the way, when we went on our last cruise in 2002, Pfizer made Bonine. Now Pfizer makes the Dramamine products and another company makes Bonine.
According to Pfizer's web page about
Dramamine® Less Drowsy Formula:
When using this product
- drowsiness may occur
- alcohol, sedatives, and tranquilizers may increase drowsiness
- avoid alcoholic drinks
- be careful when driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery
In other words, they're not warning you about any dangerous interaction between the medication and alcohol, just that alcohol may increase drowsiness.
If you don't mind some drowsiness and you don't overdo it, having wine with dinner when you're taking Bonine or Dramamine Less Drowsy every 24 hours does not appear to be a problem.
I'm not a doctor, so this is not medical advice.
Oh, and don't operate any machinery while on the ship!
. But if you take it (the pills) with breakfast and hold off the booze until mid afternoon I would imagine that you would not suffer any ill effects. As alway, check with your doctor and/or pharmisist. 
