Antiemetic Medicines: OTC Relief for Nausea and Vomiting

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines you can buy without a doctor’s prescription. Antiemetic drugs are medicines that can help relieve nausea and vomiting. Several OTC drugs are used as antiemetics.

Bismuth subsalicylate works by coating the stomach lining.

Antihistamines appear to dull how the inner ear senses motion. They “block” messages to the part of the brain that controls nausea and vomiting. This is why they work best if you take them before you think you might have a problem with motion sickness.

Side effects from antiemetic drugs aren’t common for healthy adults. Side effects can be a concern for older adults or people who have health problems. Bismuth subsalicylate can cause your tongue or stool to turn dark. This is a short-term side effect.

Antihistamines may make you feel sleepy. This can affect your ability to drive or operate machines. It can make it hard for you to think clearly. Antihistamines may also cause your mouth and eyes to feel dry.

Alcohol can increase the drowsiness caused by antihistamines. Also, be very careful if you drive a car or run machines while taking an antihistamine. Antihistamines may slow your reactions without you even being aware of it.

Don’t take bismuth subsalicylate if you’ve ever had an allergy to aspirin or any other product that contains salicylates. Also, don’t give bismuth subsalicylate to children who may have the flu or chickenpox because they will have a higher risk of Reye’s Syndrome.

If certain drugs are taken at the same time, they may interact with each other and change the way your body processes them. This is called a drug interaction. When this happens, the risk of side effects increases.

Bismuth subsalicylate may affect some drugs so that they don’t work as well. It also may cause side effects if combined with other drugs. If you take any of the following drugs, talk to your doctor before taking bismuth subsalicylate:

Also, be sure not to “double up” on salicylate. Some pain relievers, cold medicines and prescription drugs contain aspirin, which is a salicylate, or some other type of salicylate. Some cold medicines and prescription drugs may also contain aspirin or another type of salicylate. Because bismuth subsalicylate also contains salicylate, you may take more salicylate than you intend if you take more than one of these products.

Talk to your doctor before taking an antihistamine if you take sleeping pills, sedatives, muscle relaxants or high blood pressure drugs. Many OTC cold and allergy products contain antihistamines. Some prescription drugs do too. If you take more than one of these products, you’ll take more antihistamine than you intend.

See the Know What’s in the Medicines You Take chart (PDF file: 6 pages / 75 KB. More about PDFs.) to help sort out which drugs contain aspirin or antihistamines so you can avoid taking too much.

Before taking an antihistamine, talk to your doctor if you have any of the following problems:

When choosing an OTC product to treat nausea and vomiting, check the drug label for possible side effects or interactions with other drugs you’re taking. This information will appear in the “Warnings” section of the label.

Be sure to check that you’re not taking two medicines that contain the same ingredient. You’ll find this information in the “Active Ingredient” section.

Always read and follow the directions on the label. Be sure you understand what the label says before taking the medicine. If you have any questions, ask your family doctor or pharmacist.