Meclizine Warnings, Risks, and Complications

Precautions Before Starting Meclizine

Tell your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction to meclizine, any of the active or inactive ingredients in meclizine products, or any other drugs. Your pharmacy can give you a list of ingredients.

Give your healthcare professional a complete medical history. Meclizine may not be right for people with certain medical conditions like asthma, COPD, glaucoma, urinary tract blockage, enlarged prostate, liver disease, or kidney disease.

Give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. This can help avoid possible interactions between meclizine and your other medicines.

If you are over 65 years of age, talk to your doctor about the benefits versus risks of taking meclizine. There are other safer medications available.

Meclizine is a category B pregnancy drug with no proven risk in humans. However, you should tell your doctor if you are pregnant, could be pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or are breastfeeding. It is not known whether Meclizine passes into breast milk. You should  tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding before taking this medicine.

Precautions During Use of Meclizine

Keep all appointments with your healthcare professional while on meclizine treatment. Call your doctor if you become pregnant while on meclizine.

Meclizine Drug Interactions

The drug combination of meclizine and certain other medications can affect how the body processes drugs and how the medicines will work. Possible drug interactions between meclizine and other medicines can also increase the risk of severe adverse events. Your doctor may change the dose of your medications or monitor you carefully for possible side effects if there are known interactions between meclizine and your other medicines.

There can be possible interactions between meclizine and the following medications:

• Medications used to treat allergies and colds
• Amobarbital (Amytal)
• Phenobarbital
• Medications used to treat psychotic disorders
• Seizure medications
• Pain medications
• Medications used to treat muscle spasms
• Sedatives
• Tranquilizers
• Sleeping pills

Give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Also, tell your healthcare provider if you smoke, consume alcohol, or use recreational drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription and non-prescription medicines.