Meclizine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Meclizine is an antiemetic sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for motion sickness and vertigo. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Antiemetic
- Treats (across its forms)
- Motion Sickness and Vertigo
- Available as
- Tablet · Tablet, chewable
- Sold as
- 2 products — Meclizine Hydrochloride and Antivert
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- Half-life
- about 5-6 hours
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $1 for a 30-count supply — not your price
How meclizine is dosed
From the FDA label for Meclizine Hydrochloride (application ANDA205136). Other meclizine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Recommended dosage: 25 mg to 100 mg daily, in divided doses (2.1). Tablets: Swallow whole (2.2). 2.1 Recommended Dosage The recommended dosage is 25 mg to 100 mg daily administered orally, in divided doses, depending upon clinical response. 2.2 Administration Instructions Tablets Meclizine hydrochloride tablets, USP must be swallowed whole.
Meclizine side effects
The following adverse reactions associated with the use of meclizine hydrochloride tablets were identified in clinical studies or postmarketing reports. Because some of these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Anaphylactic reaction, drowsiness, dry mouth, headache, fatigue, and vomiting. On rare occasions blurred vision has been reported. Common adverse reactions are anaphylactic reaction, drowsiness, dry mouth, headache, fatigue, and vomiting. On rare occasions blurred vision has been reported (6). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc. at 1-866-901-DRUG (3784) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Who shouldn’t take meclizine
Meclizine hydrochloride tablets, USP are contraindicated in patients with a hypersensitivity to meclizine or any of the inactive ingredients [see Adverse Reactions (6) and Description (11)]. Meclizine hydrochloride tablets, USP are contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to meclizine or any of the inactive ingredients (4).
Meclizine drug interactions
Coadministration of meclizine hydrochloride tablets with other CNS depressants, including alcohol, may result in increased CNS depression (7.1). CYP2D6 inhibitors: As meclizine is metabolized by CYP2D6, there is a potential for drug-drug interactions between meclizine hydrochloride tablets and CYP2D6 inhibitors (7.2). 7.1 CNS Depressants There may be increased CNS depression when meclizine hydrochloride tablets are administered concurrently with other CNS depressants, including alcohol [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]. 7.2 CYP2D6 Inhibitor Based on in-vitro evaluation, meclizine is metabolized by CYP2D6. Therefore, there is a possibility for a drug interaction between meclizine hydrochloride tablets and CYP2D6 inhibitors. Therefore, monitor for adverse reactions and clinical effect accordingly.
Every meclizine product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $1 | View → |
What meclizine pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Meclizine recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
Can you crush or split meclizine?
At least one meclizineproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.
What each meclizine label says about crushing, splitting and chewingHow long meclizine keeps
No meclizine label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does meclizine expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsMeclizine and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for meclizine: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadOccasional doses of meclizine are probably acceptable during breastfeeding. Large doses or more prolonged use may cause effects in the infant or decrease the milk supply, particularly in combination with a sympathomimetic such as pseudoephedrine or before lactation is well established.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised April 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about meclizine
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 2,775 reports naming meclizine, and the FDA flagged 50% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- fatigue329 reports
- dizziness292 reports
- nausea275 reports
- headache249 reports
- diarrhoea207 reports
- fall190 reports
- dyspnoea176 reports
- cough137 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean meclizine caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
How long meclizine stays in your system
The elimination half-life of meclizine is about 5-6 hours. The FDA label reports a plasma elimination half-life of roughly 5-6 hours (Tmax ~3 hours, range 1.5-6). Meclizine is metabolized primarily by CYP2D6, so strong CYP2D6 inhibitors — or being a CYP2D6 poor metabolizer — can raise meclizine levels and prolong its effect; no active metabolite that outlasts the parent is named in the label. Not a prodrug. The label states human distribution characteristics are unknown and gives no specific half-life adjustments for age, kidney, or liver impairment. Sedation/drowsiness can be felt longer than the plasma half-life alone would suggest.
MECLIZINE HYDROCHLORIDE tablet — FDA label (DailyMed SPL) ↗Half-life is how long the body takes to clear half a dose. It is not the same as how long a drug test can detect it, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is meclizine?
Meclizine Hydrochloride is an antiemetic used to treat Motion Sickness, Vertigo.
What kind of drug is meclizine?
The FDA classifies meclizine as an antiemetic. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
How long does meclizine stay in your system?
The elimination half-life of meclizine is about 5-6 hours — that is how long the body takes to clear half of a dose. The FDA label reports a plasma elimination half-life of roughly 5-6 hours (Tmax ~3 hours, range 1.5-6). Meclizine is metabolized primarily by CYP2D6, so strong CYP2D6 inhibitors — or being a CYP2D6 poor metabolizer — can raise meclizine levels and prolong its effect; no active metabolite that outlasts the parent is named in the label. Not a prodrug. The label states human distribution characteristics are unknown and gives no specific half-life adjustments for age, kidney, or liver impairment. Sedation/drowsiness can be felt longer than the plasma half-life alone would suggest. Half-life is not the same as how long a drug test can detect the drug, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Can you take meclizine with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run meclizine against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is meclizine sold under?
We track 2 meclizine-containing products in the U.S.: Meclizine Hydrochloride and Antivert. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does meclizine come in?
Across the brands we track, meclizine is currently marketed as tablet and tablet, chewable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic meclizine?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic meclizine product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Has meclizine been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 1 recall record whose product description mentions meclizine. The most recent: Meclizine Hydrochloride Tablets (Mar 16, 2026). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Meclizine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/meclizine
- MLA
- “Meclizine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/meclizine.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for meclizine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.