When Relief Turns Risky: What Happens if You Mix Dramamine and Alcohol
We’ve all been there — you’re on an all-inclusive cruise or a vacation when motion sickness and nausea kick in. You want to take some Dramamine, but you’ve already been drinking; so what is the protocol?
Can you treat nausea and motion sickness with Dramamine if you’ve been drinking? The answer is complex.
Dramamine is a useful tool in treating motion sickness, but it can increase the negative effects of alcohol consumption. We’ve researched the potential risks of mixing Dramamine and alcohol, and what you can do to avoid them.
Table of Contents
- Can You Mix Alcohol and Dramamine?
- Why Mixing Dramamine and Alcohol Is Dangerous
- Commonly Asked Questions About Dramamine and Alcohol Use
- Reach Out to Dove Recovery for the Guidance and Care You Deserve
Short answer: No, you should not mix alcohol and Dramamine.
Alcohol and Dramamine (or any over-the-counter antihistamine for nausea) are both central nervous system depressants. This umbrella term covers many drugs and substances that interfere with the brain's ability to communicate with the body via the nervous system.
Dramamine works by slowing the nervous system’s response to histamine receptors that cause symptoms associated with motion sickness, such as dizziness and nausea.
Alcohol has a similar sedative effect on the nervous system. By combining the two, you risk depressing your nervous system to a dangerous level.
If you are concerned that you will not be able to stop drinking while taking medication, it might be time to reconsider your relationship with alcohol. Dove Recovery has programs for all types of alcohol use disorders, with options for anyone who wants to reassess their relationship with alcohol.
The Double Whammy of Taking Dramamine and Drinking Alcohol
Dramamine and alcohol are both nervous system depressants, but what does that mean, and how do these medications interact?
Since alcohol and Dramamine intensify the effects of each other, it is best not to mix them.
Both alcohol and Dramamine impede your body’s ability to “talk” to the brain via the intricate network of the nervous system. This network is responsible for everything from walking and talking to blinking and breathing, so an interruption can have grave results.
Dramamine and alcohol both depress the nervous system, and when combined, the effect is intensified. This can cause:
- Alcohol negates Dramamine’s positive effects: People take Dramamine to combat symptoms of motion sickness, like dizziness and nausea. However, alcohol increases dizziness and nausea caused by motion sickness. Mixing alcohol and Dramamine brings out the negative in both drugs while negating the positive.
- Increase likelihood of alcohol overdose: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism lists Dramamine as a drug to avoid while drinking because it increases the effects of alcohol and the likelihood of overdose.
- Intense fatigue: Dramamine itself can make you drowsy, and when mixed with alcohol, this effect is intensified.
- Increase risk of dangerous blackouts: Dramamine and alcohol both depress the nervous system, and this can greatly increase the effects of alcohol, causing dangerous blackouts and alcohol-related accidents.
- Possible deadly depression of the cardiac system and breathing: The central nervous system is responsible for all the things we do unconsciously, like breathing and pumping blood. If the CNS becomes too depressed, the brain cannot send signals to the heart and lungs, sometimes resulting in overdose and death.
Short-Term Risks of Combining Alcohol and Dramamine
Here are a few of the short-term negative effects from combining alcohol and Dramamine:
- Sedation
- Higher levels of impairment than alcohol alone
- Increased symptoms of motion sickness, like nausea and dizziness
- Slurred speech and confusion
- Higher possibility of blackout
Long-Term Risks of Combining the Two
Mixing Dramamine and alcohol has long-term consequences in addition to short-term consequences, such as:
- Increased strain on the liver and kidneys
- Increased chance of dependency
- Possible heightened mental health concerns
If you are struggling with alcohol and have issues limiting your drinking despite negative effects, you may have an alcohol use disorder. Dove Recovery offers options for anyone who is struggling with alcohol use, from outpatient and therapeutic programs to detox and partial hospitalization.
What Are Some Safe Alternatives for Managing Motion Sickness or Nausea?
If you plan to drink alcohol, you should not take Dramamine. Here are a few ways you can manage motion sickness without it:
- Stay well hydrated and eat something light that won’t upset your stomach.
- Practice breathing techniques and mindfulness.
- Take time to look at the horizon (useful on trains, cruises, etc.).
- Try ginger root tea or capsules to lessen nausea.
If you are really concerned about not being able to drink while on Dramamine, you might want to assess your alcohol use. Being unable to stop drinking, even when you want or need to, is indicative of an alcohol use disorder.
Can Dramamine Make You Feel Drunker?
Dramamine and alcohol are both CNS depressants that amplify each other. This can increase the negative outcomes of drinking alcohol, such as:
- Lowered inhibition
- Increased dizziness and loss of coordination
- Increased likelihood of “blackouts”
- Slurred speech
Is There Extra Danger in Combining Alcohol and Dramamine on a Cruise?
Yes! While you may be tempted to pop a few Dramamine on your all-inclusive cruise, mixing alcohol and Dramamine on vacation is a really bad idea. Here is why:
- Alcohol negates the motion-sickness benefits of Dramamine, so you will end up just as sick, if not more so.
- Alcohol and Dramamine are both nervous system depressants, and they amplify each other – on cruises, this can lead to rapid, unintended intoxication.
- We tend to do a lot of things we don’t usually do on vacation – like drinking more, swimming in pools, and walking on slippery areas. When combined with the unintended intoxication of alcohol and Dramamine, the results can be disastrous.
What Are the Signs Someone May Be Misusing Dramamine and Alcohol Together?
It is uncommon for people to intentionally combine alcohol and Dramamine for intoxicating effects, but it's not unheard of. Signs of combined abuse may include:
- Intentionally taking higher doses of Dramamine than prescribed for stronger effects
- Frequent blackouts and memory problems related to alcohol use
- Problems with the law, such as DUIs
- Social problems tied to intoxication and alcohol use
- Loss of a job
If these sound familiar to you or a loved one, it may be time to seek help from a qualified treatment center for alcohol use disorder.
What If I Can’t Control My Alcohol Use?
Are you or a loved one struggling with alcohol use disorder? Here are a few symptoms of problematic drinking:
- Inability to stop drinking, even for health reasons (like avoiding mixing medications)
- Not being able to keep drinking goals or limits
- Difficulty with social relationships related to alcohol use
- Neglecting familial, work, or school responsibilities due to drinking and/or hangovers
- Increased tolerance to alcohol
- Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
There is no shame in admitting you may need help to stop drinking. Alcohol use disorder is a disease with many stages of severity. Only a qualified rehab specialist can help you identify your relationship with alcohol and set you on the path to a better, sober tomorrow.
Are you concerned about mixing alcohol and Dramamine? Do you struggle to avoid alcohol, even in situations where you need to? If so, it may be time to reach out to Dove Recovery.
Dove Recovery is more than just an alcohol use treatment center. We offer everything from detox and partial hospitalization programs to therapy and outpatient treatment. Wherever you are on your journey, Dove Recovery has the support you need to break the control alcohol has on your life. Check out our website today and learn more about how Dove Recovery can help you.