Basic Gravol Information

• INN (International Nonproprietary Name): Cinnarizine
• Brand Names Available In Canada (English): Stugeron, Cinnarizine (25 mg tab, non-Rx)
• ATC Code: N07CA02
• Forms & Dosages: Oral tablet (25 mg most common); Extended-release tab (rare, some markets); Syrup/suspension (available in select regions)
• Manufacturers In Canada (English): Janssen Pharmaceuticals; STADA; Hasco; Biogaran; LEK; Gedeon Richter; multiple local generic suppliers in Canada
• Registration Status In Canada (English): Sold online/offline; status varies by province
• OTC / Rx Classification: Mostly OTC in EU & UK; status may vary by country and by province in Canada

Everyday Use & Best Practices

Morning Vs Evening Dosing In Canadian Routines

Worried about when to take gravol for a trip or for daily dizziness?

Cinnarizine is commonly sold as Stugeron 25 mg and is used for motion sickness and vestibular symptoms.

For travel or short trips, take 25 mg about two hours before departure and repeat every eight hours only if needed.

For chronic vertigo, a typical regimen is 25 mg three times daily for a maximum of about 75 mg per day.

Link dosing to meals and predictable daily events in Canadian routines; take with breakfast, lunch and dinner for maintenance therapy.

If you experience gastric upset, take the tablet with a light snack rather than on an empty stomach.

Do not drive, operate heavy machinery or drink alcohol after dosing because drowsiness and slowed reaction time are common.

For bilingual households, check packaging for English/French labelling and confirm the DIN on the product.

Prefer a simple checklist for dosing times and organisation before travel.

• Checklist: Morning (with breakfast), Midday (with lunch), Evening (with dinner) for maintenance.
• Travel: 25 mg two hours before departure, repeat every 8 hours if necessary.
• Organisation: Use a pillbox and set phone reminders for dose times.

Taking With Or Without Meals (Canadian Diet Context)

Concerned that Stugeron will upset your stomach or make you too sleepy?

Cinnarizine may be taken with or without food according to the product monograph.

In practice, taking it with a carbohydrate-containing snack such as toast or a small portion of maple syrup on toast for morning doses can reduce nausea for some people.

Taking the tablet with food may also blunt peak drowsiness in some patients.

If gastrointestinal upset occurs, advise taking the tablet immediately after a meal.

In rural areas where access to pharmacies can be limited, carry a travel-dose blister and set a phone reminder noting the time of each dose.

For elderly Canadians, consider morning-only dosing if nighttime confusion or falls are a risk.

Always consult your local pharmacist—Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, London Drugs or Jean Coutu—about food timing and potential interactions with other meds.

• Take With Food? Y/N: Yes if GI upset or to lower peak drowsiness; optional otherwise.
• Avoid Alcohol: Avoid alcohol for at least the dosing day due to additive sedation.

Safety Priorities

Who Should Avoid It (Health Canada Advisories)

Unsure whether gravol is safe for you or a family member?

Cinnarizine is contraindicated in people with known hypersensitivity to the drug or excipients.

Do not use in porphyria or in severe hepatic impairment.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding are generally reasons to avoid cinnarizine unless a prescriber judges it absolutely necessary.

Patients with Parkinson’s disease or parkinsonian symptoms should avoid cinnarizine because it may worsen extrapyramidal signs.

Elderly patients have an elevated risk of confusion, sedation and falls, so dose reductions or alternatives are often advised.

Encourage patients to check Health Canada advisories and the product monograph for the DIN and any provincial formulary notes.

If in doubt, contact provincial poison control or a local pharmacist and mention the product name and strength: Stugeron / cinnarizine 25 mg.

Contraindication	Notes
Allergy to cinnarizine or excipients	Absolute contraindication
Porphyria	Absolute contraindication
Severe hepatic impairment	Absolute contraindication
Parkinson’s disease	May worsen symptoms; avoid

Activities To Limit (Driving, Workplace Safety)

Worried about safety at work or behind the wheel after taking gravol?

Do not drive or perform hazardous work until you know how cinnarizine affects you because dizziness and sedation are frequent side effects.

For shift workers or long-haul drivers in Canada, test a single dose at home before returning to work shifts.

Avoid combining cinnarizine with alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioids because of additive central nervous system depression.

Seasonal workers in agriculture or remote resource regions should discuss potential sedation with their employer and adjust duties if necessary.

Workplace safety regulators in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec may have specific guidance; ask your pharmacist at a national chain to document counselling if required.

• Do not drive until effects are known.
• Do not mix with alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioids.
• Seek medical help if severe sedation or confusion occurs.

Dosage & Adjustments

General Regimen (DIN References)

Need a clear dosing plan for motion sickness or vertigo?

Standard adult dosing for motion sickness is 25 mg taken about two hours before travel and repeated every eight hours if needed.

For vertigo and vestibular disorders, a common maintenance dose is 25 mg three times daily for a total of about 75 mg per day.

In Canada, check the product’s Drug Identification Number (DIN) on the packaging for exact monograph instructions and to confirm whether the product is non-prescription or requires a prescription in your province.

For short-term travel use, carry an extra tablet and record the time of each dose in a travel log or phone reminder.

Indication	Adult Dosage
Motion Sickness	25 mg, 2 hours before travel; repeat every 8 hours if needed
Vertigo / Vestibular Disorder	25 mg, three times daily (total ~75 mg/day)

Special Cases (Elderly, Comorbidities)

Managing doses for children, older adults or those with liver disease requires care.

Cinnarizine is not recommended for children under five years of age.

Children aged five to twelve often use 12.5 mg two to three times daily according to product sources.

Elderly patients may require lower dosages because of increased sedation and fall risk; consider starting at 25 mg once daily with close monitoring.

With hepatic or severe renal impairment, exercise caution and consult the product data since cinnarizine is primarily metabolised hepatically with CYP2D6 involvement.

Check provincial drug formularies—Ontario Drug Benefit, BC PharmaCare and RAMQ—for coverage rules and criteria for chronic therapy.

• Pediatric: Not recommended <5 years; 5–12 years: 12.5 mg 2–3x daily.
• Elderly: Start low, monitor for sedation and falls.
• Hepatic impairment: Use caution; consult prescriber/pharmacist.

User Testimonials

Positive Reports From Canadian Patients

Want to know if gravol really helps travellers and people with persistent dizziness?

Many Canadian travellers report that a single 25 mg dose of Stugeron taken two hours before flights or boat trips reduced nausea and allowed comfortable travel.

Some patients with chronic vestibular dizziness note gradual improvement over weeks of 25 mg three times daily, with better daily stability.

Combining cinnarizine with non-drug measures like ginger, fresh air and paced breathing often improves results for motion sickness.

Bilingual packaging and counselling at chains like Shoppers Drug Mart or Jean Coutu helped some users stick to dosing schedules.

• “One tablet two hours before my ferry ride and I felt okay” — typical travel report.
• “Took 25 mg TID and balance improved after a few weeks” — chronic vertigo experience.
• Pharmacist counselling improved adherence in bilingual households.

Common Challenges In Forums (Reddit Canada, Health Boards)

Curious about what people complain about online?

Common complaints include daytime drowsiness, dry mouth, and occasional weight gain with long-term use.

Patients report difficulty sourcing Stugeron in some provinces and confusion over OTC versus prescription status.

Rural patients sometimes order online while urban patients prefer in-store pickup at Rexall or London Drugs.

Reports of extrapyramidal symptoms with prolonged use, especially in older adults, are a red flag to stop and seek clinical review.

Reported Benefit	Reported Side Effect
Reduced nausea during travel	Daytime drowsiness
Improved vestibular stability over weeks	Dry mouth, mild weight gain
Better adherence with pharmacist counselling	Rare extrapyramidal symptoms with long-term use

Buying Guide

Pharmacy Sources (Shoppers, Rexall, Jean Coutu, London Drugs)

Not sure where to buy gravol in Canada?

Stugeron or cinnarizine 25 mg is available from national chains such as Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall and London Drugs, and from regional pharmacies like Jean Coutu in Quebec.

Stocking varies by province, so call ahead or check online inventory before heading to the store.

Look for the DIN on the label and bilingual patient leaflets when selecting a product.

In rural communities, use large chains’ online order-and-ship services or ask your local pharmacist about special ordering options.

• Ask the pharmacist: packaging, DIN, expiry date, known interactions with current medications.
• Confirm whether the product is sold OTC or requires a prescription in your province.

Price Comparison (In-Store Vs Online, Cross-Border Notes)

Wondering about cost and whether ordering from outside Canada is practical?

Price varies by brand and pack size; blister packs of 10–30 tablets are common and pricing differs between in-store and online pharmacies.

Online Canadian pharmacies sometimes offer competitive prices, but always verify licensing and credentials.

Cross-border notes: Stugeron and cinnarizine brands are more common in Europe, while dimenhydrinate and meclizine are more available in the United States.

Provincial plans generally do not reimburse OTC purchases unless prescribed and submitted under special criteria.

Source	Typical Notes
In-Store (National Chains)	Immediate pickup; confirm DIN and bilingual leaflet
Reputable Canadian Online Pharmacy	Competitive pricing; discreet delivery and verification required
Cross-Border (EU/US)	Availability varies; Stugeron common in Europe; alternatives in US

In our online pharmacy, gravol is available without a prescription, with discreet delivery to Canada (English) in 5-14 days.

What’s Inside & How It Works

Ingredients Overview

Want to check the active ingredient and possible excipients?

The active ingredient is cinnarizine (INN), commonly supplied as 25 mg tablets under brand names such as Stugeron.

Excipients vary by manufacturer and generics may contain lactose, starch and common binders—check the product monograph if you have allergies.

Tablets are the most common form in Canada; syrups and suspensions are available in select regions.

Type	Details
Active Ingredient	Cinnarizine 25 mg (typical)
Common Excipients	Lactose, starch, binders (varies by manufacturer)

Mechanism Basics

How does cinnarizine reduce motion sickness or dizziness?

Cinnarizine is a calcium channel blocker with antihistaminic and vestibular suppressant properties classified under ATC N07CA02.

It dampens vestibular sensory input and can improve microcirculation in certain cerebral and peripheral vascular indications.

This mechanism explains both its efficacy in motion sickness and vertigo and its tendency to cause mild sedation.

Mechanism	Clinical Effect
Calcium Channel Blockade; Antihistaminic	Reduces vestibular signalling; reduces nausea and dizziness
Vestibular Suppressant	Improves stability; causes sedation in some users

Main Indications

Approved Uses In Canada

What conditions is gravol typically used for?

Cinnarizine (Stugeron 25 mg) is commonly used for motion sickness and vestibular vertigo or vestibulopathy when indicated.

Health Canada product monographs and the DIN-listed indications guide the approved therapeutic uses for any specific product sold in Canada.

For short-term motion sickness, pre-travel dosing is the usual recommendation.

For chronic vestibular disorders, maintenance therapy under medical supervision is common.

• Motion sickness (prophylaxis)
• Vestibular vertigo and related vestibulopathy

Off-Label Uses By Canadian Physicians

Are there off-label situations where cinnarizine is used?

Off-label uses reported include certain types of chronic dizziness and migraine-associated vertigo in specialist practice.

Off-label prescribing should be documented, with informed patient consent and monitoring for side effects, particularly movement disorders.

Check provincial formulary rules as chronic or off-label use may require prior authorisation.

• Document baseline neuro exam and schedule periodic review if used off-label.

Interaction Warnings

Food Interactions (Alcohol, Caffeine)

Can what you eat or drink affect cinnarizine?

Avoid alcohol while taking cinnarizine because additive sedation increases the risk of accidents and falls.

Caffeine may counter sedation for some people but can worsen nausea; moderation is advised.

Herbal supplements that depress the central nervous system such as kava or valerian should be used with caution or avoided.

• Avoid alcohol while taking gravol.
• Use caffeine with caution; it may not be a reliable countermeasure to sedation.
• Avoid combining with herbal sedatives.

Drug Conflicts (Health Canada Database)

Worried about medicines that shouldn’t be combined with gravol?

Significant interactions include other CNS depressants such as benzodiazepines and opioids, which may increase sedation.

Cinnarizine can antagonise anti-Parkinson drugs and may precipitate or worsen parkinsonism.

Caution is advised with medications metabolised by CYP2D6 because cinnarizine is primarily hepatically metabolised.

Encourage consultation of Health Canada’s Drug Product Database and pharmacist review for patients on multiple medications.

• Medication reconciliation is advisable, especially in older adults on multiple drugs.
• Mention all current medications when asking the pharmacist about cinnarizine interactions.

Latest Evidence & Insights

Canadian And International Research Highlights

Looking for research on how well cinnarizine works?

International literature supports cinnarizine’s efficacy for motion sickness prophylaxis and symptomatic improvement in some vestibular disorders.

Trials and reviews often compare cinnarizine with antihistamines such as dimenhydrinate and meclizine showing similar efficacy with differing side-effect profiles.

Canada-specific clinical trials are fewer, so clinicians commonly rely on European studies and product monographs for guidance.

Outcome	Summary
Efficacy For Motion Sickness	Effective as prophylaxis when taken before travel
Comparison With Antihistamines	Similar efficacy; sedation and extrapyramidal risks vary by agent

Practical Takeaways For Canadian Practice

How should Canadian clinicians use this evidence in everyday care?

Cinnarizine is a reasonable option for patients who tolerate mild sedation and for whom alternatives are unsuitable.

For older adults, the risk–benefit often favours alternatives with lower extrapyramidal risk.

For long-term vestibular therapy, monitor for movement disorders and review therapy every three months.

• Document rationale in the patient record and consider provincial coverage when selecting therapy.
• Schedule reviews to assess benefit versus risk regularly.

Alternative Choices

Comparable Medicines With Pros/Cons Checklist

Wondering what to try if gravol isn’t suitable?

Alternatives commonly used in Canada include dimenhydrinate (Gravol/Dramamine), meclizine (Bonine), promethazine (Phenergan) and scopolamine patches for longer voyages.

Pros: dimenhydrinate and meclizine are widely available in North America; scopolamine patches work well for prolonged sea travel.

Cons: promethazine has strong sedative and anticholinergic effects and may not be suitable for older adults.

• Dimenhydrinate: fast onset for motion sickness; sedating.
• Meclizine: often less sedating; availability may vary.
• Scopolamine patch: good for multi-day voyages; patch-related side effects possible.

Choosing Among Them (Patient-Centred Factors)

How to pick the right option for your situation?

Consider age, comorbidities such as Parkinson’s or liver disease, travel type (single trip vs multi-day) and pregnancy status.

For elderly patients or those at risk of parkinsonism, prefer meclizine or non-pharmacologic strategies when feasible.

For long sea voyages, a scopolamine patch may be preferable to repeated oral dosing.

Agent	Onset / Duration	Key Considerations
Dimenhydrinate	Fast onset; short duration	Widely available; sedating
Meclizine	Moderate onset; longer duration	Less sedating for some; availability varies
Scopolamine Patch	Slow onset; long duration (days)	Good for prolonged travel; patch side effects possible

Regulation Snapshot

Health Canada Approval And DIN Requirements

Need to confirm whether a specific pack is approved in Canada?

Check Health Canada’s Drug Product Database for the DIN and product monograph for any Stugeron or cinnarizine product sold in Canada.

Products may be non-prescription in some provinces and prescription in others, so always verify the DIN and bilingual product monograph.

For imported products, ensure customs and provincial rules permit importation for personal use and retain receipts and documentation.

• Check DIN → Verify OTC vs Rx status → Read bilingual monograph.

Provincial Reimbursement And Formularies

Will your provincial plan cover cinnarizine?

Provincial drug plans such as the Ontario Drug Benefit, BC PharmaCare and RAMQ may have criteria for reimbursement, especially for chronic prescriptions.

OTC purchases are typically out-of-pocket unless prescribed and submitted under special criteria.

Pharmacists can advise on formulary alternatives and whether a Special Authority or prior approval is required for long-term therapy.

• Action Checklist: Check DIN → Verify OTC vs Rx → Consult formulary → Document decision.

FAQ Section

Common Canadian Patient Questions

Q1: Can I drive after taking Stugeron?

A: No — avoid driving until you know how it affects you due to the risk of sedation and slowed reactions.

Q2: Is it available without a prescription in Canada?

A: Status varies by product and province; check the DIN on the packaging and ask your pharmacist at Shoppers, Rexall, London Drugs or Jean Coutu.

Q3: Can pregnant or breastfeeding people use it?

A: Generally avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding unless a clinician determines the benefits outweigh the risks.

Q4: What if I miss a dose?

A: Take the missed dose when you remember unless it is near the time of the next dose; do not double up.

• When To Call Your Pharmacist/Doctor: severe sedation, allergic reaction, or movement disorders.

When To Seek Urgent Care

What signs mean this is an emergency?

Seek immediate medical attention for signs of a severe allergic reaction such as difficulty breathing, swelling, or a widespread rash.

Stop the drug and seek urgent care if sudden confusion, seizures or uncontrolled sedation occur.

If extrapyramidal symptoms appear — sudden rigidity, tremor or acute dystonia — stop the medication and contact emergency services or your prescriber promptly.

For overdose concerns, contact your provincial poison control centre immediately.

• Emergency Checklist: severe allergic reaction, seizures, sudden confusion, acute movement disorder → seek immediate care.

Guidelines For Proper Use

Canadian Pharmacist And Provincial Health Authority Recommendations

What should a pharmacist confirm when dispensing gravol?

Pharmacist counselling should confirm the indication, review current medications for interactions, check allergies and screen for existing neurological disease.

Advise on timing relative to travel or meals and warn about driving and workplace safety.

Provincial health authorities recommend conservative dosing in elderly patients and clear documentation when cinnarizine is used long-term.

• Pharmacy Counselling Checklist: indication, dosing schedule, interactions, driving caution, monitoring plan.

Practical Tips For Adherence And Monitoring

How can patients make sure they take gravol safely and remember follow-ups?

Encourage the use of pillboxes, phone alarms and travel blister packs to maintain adherence.

Document the medication in provincial e-health records or personal medication lists.

For long-term users, schedule follow-ups every four to twelve weeks to assess benefit versus risk and monitor for movement disorders.

In rural settings, use telepharmacy and mail-order services and ensure bilingual instructions are understood in Francophone households.

• Patient Checklist: Start date, dose, side-effect log, next review date, emergency contact.

Delivery Across Canada (English)

City	Region	Delivery Time
Toronto	Ontario	5-7 days
Montreal	Quebec	5-7 days
Vancouver	British Columbia	5-7 days
Calgary	Alberta	5-7 days
Edmonton	Alberta	5-7 days
Ottawa	Ontario	5-7 days
Winnipeg	Manitoba	5-7 days
Quebec City	Quebec	5-7 days
Hamilton	Ontario	5-9 days
Kitchener	Ontario	5-9 days
London	Ontario	5-9 days
Halifax	Nova Scotia	5-9 days
Victoria	British Columbia	5-9 days
Saskatoon	Saskatchewan	5-9 days
Regina	Saskatchewan	5-9 days