Key takeaways
Meclizine hydrochloride is an antihistamine that is used to treat motion sickness and vertigo. Like alcohol, it’s a central nervous system depressant, which means it can cause sedation.
Combining meclizine with alcohol may compound the sedating effects of both substances, which can lead to issues like excessive drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, and unsteadiness.
Doctors don’t recommend drinking alcohol when you are taking meclizine because it can lead to decreased alertness, extreme drowsiness, and dizziness, as well as falls or accidents.
Meclizine is an over-the-counter antihistamine chewable tablet that’s sold under the brand names Antivert, Bonine, and Dramamine. It’s an antihistamine used to treat and prevent motion sickness symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Meclizine works by blocking histamine H1 receptors in the brain. It’s also approved at higher doses to treat inner ear vestibular diseases, including Meniere’s disease, but a prescription is required, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Mixing meclizine and alcohol is not recommended due to the risk of serious side effects like dizziness, unsteadiness, and extreme fatigue.
Can you drink while taking meclizine?
Doctors strongly recommend that you do not drink alcohol while taking meclizine.
“It is not okay to combine alcohol while taking meclizine or any other vertigo/motion sickness medication,” emphasizes Theodore Strange, MD, a primary care doctor and chair of medicine at Northwell’s Staten Island University Hospital.
The problem is not that meclizine is bad for your liver, like alcohol can be. However, like alcohol, meclizine is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, which means that it “reduces activity in the brain to help control symptoms,” Dr. Strange explains.
The issue is that combining two CNS depressants at once can be risky. “The combination of taking both can multiply the side effects,” Dr. Strange explains. Other medications to avoid include other CNS depressants such as muscle relaxants like cyclobenzaprine, antipsychotics like risperidone, and sleep aids like zolpidem.
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What happens if you drink alcohol with meclizine?
Side effects of meclizine can include headache, dry mouth, drowsiness, and fatigue. Alcohol has some similar side effects, including dizziness, vertigo, and fatigue.
Let’s say you took meclizine for motion sickness or dizziness, and you’re feeling better, so you consider having an alcoholic beverage. What might happen in a case like this?
“Both meclizine and alcohol can make you feel sleepy, dizzy, and less alert,” explains Lindsey Forstie, FNP, a family nurse practitioner at Carefree Allergy. “Mixing the two can worsen drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, and poor coordination.”
The compounded side effects of combining alcohol and meclizine can cause other potentially dangerous side effects as well, such as “trouble focusing or feel more unsteady than usual,” Forstie adds.
All of this can increase the risk of falling, especially in older individuals, Dr. Strange warns. Combining meclizine and alcohol can also decrease alertness and slow reaction time, making you more likely to fall or have a car accident.
While not usually life-threatening, “more serious adverse effects can include respiratory depression and, in rare cases, death,” Dr. Strange says.
How long after taking meclizine can I drink alcohol?
Meclizine is intended for short-term use when you are experiencing motion sickness, vestibular imbalance, or dizziness. Meclizine’s half-life is six hours, which means that half of it is cleared from your body in six hours. But it remains in your body for eight to 24 hours.
Because having both meclizine and alcohol in your body at once is risky, most experts advise people to wait until the meclizine has cleared before drinking alcohol.
“While there is no ideal time frame for the combined use of meclizine and alcohol, the highest risks are anticipated in the first three to six hours from the medication use,” explains Irakli Todua, MD, an internal medicine physician at Tufts Medical Center. However, she advises patients to wait longer than 6 hours after taking meclizine to consume alcohol.
“Whenever possible, it is highly recommended to wait for at least 12 hours from taking the last dose of meclizine,” Dr. Todua suggests.
Some physicians urge their patients to wait even longer than this. “One should wait 24 hours after the last dose of medication for vertigo before resuming drinking alcohol,” Dr. Strange says, emphasizing that the safest approach is to avoid all alcohol while taking meclizine to prevent amplified sedation, impaired balance, and potential overdose. Consider not drinking alcohol when feeling dizzy so that your vertiginous symptoms can resolve sooner.
Everyone is different, though, and it’s essential that you discuss the timing of meclizine and alcohol with your healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns.
“When in doubt, avoid alcohol until you know how the medication affects you,” Forstie recommends. “If you’re taking vertigo medicine regularly, talk with your healthcare provider about what’s safest for you.”
Can you drink alcohol while taking other vertigo medication?
There are several other medications commonly prescribed to treat vertigo and motion sickness, including Phenergan (promethazine), Benadryl (diphenhydramine), and Dramamine (dimenhydrinate). Like meclizine, all three of these are antihistamines and central nervous system depressants.
Sometimes you will be prescribed a benzodiazepine, like Valium (diazepam) or Ativan (lorazepam), to help with severe symptoms of vertigo. These medications are also sedatives and central nervous system depressants.
Combining most vertigo medications with alcohol is risky and problematic. “Both alcohol and most of the conventional vertigo/motion sickness medications exhibit sedative effects on the central nervous system, including impaired balance and concentration, as well as unusually low blood pressure,” Dr. Todua explains.
How much the alcohol and vertigo medication combination affects each person varies. “Effects are unpredictable and can significantly differ depending on a person’s age, medication dose, and pre-existing medical conditions,” Dr. Todua says. But overall, combining alcohol with anti-nausea medication is not advisable, he adds, and can lead to serious injuries.
Safer vertigo medication alternatives
If you think you might be in a situation where you might need a vertigo medication but also would like to drink alcohol, talk to your healthcare provider about possible safer alternatives.
One alternative is an antiemetic called ondansetron, which is used to treat nausea and vomiting that results from vertigo or motion sickness. While not a sedative, ondansetron can still cause drowsiness.
Again, always seek out medical advice from your healthcare provider before combining alcohol with your new medication so that you can understand possible drug interactions. Your doctor knows your health background and can offer guidance about what medication and alcohol combination (if any) is safest for you.
The SingleCare prices in this article are the most accurate at the time of publishing in ZIP code 23666 as of Aug. 10, 2026. Prices vary by pharmacy. Visit our coupon page for updated drug prices at pharmacies near you.
- Meclizine, StatPearls (2024)
- Meclizine, LiverTox (2017)
- Interaction effects of alcohol consumption and dizziness/vertigo on fall risk in psychiatric inpatients: a cross-sectional study, Frontiers in psychiatry (2026)
- Benzodiazepines: uses, dangers, and clinical considerations, Neurology international (2021)
- Ondansetron, MedlinePlus (2024)
Featured experts
- Theodore Strange, MD, Primary care doctor and chair of medicine at Northwell’s Staten Island University Hospital
- Irakli Todua, MD, Internal medicine physician at Tufts Medical Center
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