Why is this drug prescribed?

Stugeron tablets contain the active ingredient cinnarizine, which is a type of drug called an antihistamine. Cinnarizine is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic drug. Cinnarizine is used to control travel sickness and the symptoms of inner ear disorders such as Meniere's disease. Vomiting is controlled by an area of the brain called the vomiting centre. The vomiting centre is responsible for causing feelings of sickness and for the vomiting reflex. It is activated when it receives nerve messages from the vestibular apparatus in the middle ear. The vestibular apparatus provides continual feedback to the brain about our body position. When something disturbs the vestibular apparatus, such movement of the head when travelling by boat or car, nerve signals are sent from the vestibular apparatus to the vomiting centre. This can cause sensations such as nausea, dizziness or spinning sensations and the reflex of vomiting. Cinnarizine works by blocking histamine and muscarinic receptors in the vomiting centre in the brain. This prevents the vomiting centre from receiving nerve messages from the vestibular apparatus. In turn, this prevents disturbances in the middle ear from activating the vomiting centre and causing nausea, vertigo and vomiting.

Treatments

* Preventing and treating motion sickness * Relieving nausea, vomiting, attacks of dizziness or spinning sensations and sensations of ringing or other noise in the ears associated with Meniere's disease and other middle ear disorders.

What side effects can this drug cause?

* Drowsiness * Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain * Headache * Dry mouth * Sweating * Weight gain * Abnormal movements of the hands, legs, face, neck and tongue, eg tremor, twitching, rigidity * Skin reactions * Jaundice