Anti-nausea medication

 

Names: Anti-nausea is the word for drugs that prevent vomiting and nausea.  In migraine therapy, the two anti-nausea drugs are dimenhydrinate (such as brand name Dramamine and Gravol), or metoclopramide (brand name Maxeran). In Canada, you need a doctor’s prescription for metoclopramide. Dimenhydrinate is available over-the-counter.

 

How anti-nausea medication works: Many people feel nauseated, or like they want to vomit, when they have a migraine taking an anti-nausea can help to stop that feeling. Anti-nausea drugs also seem to decrease pain and increase feelings of sleepiness. 1 As sleep is the best therapy for a migraine attack in children, feeling drowsy is a good thing. Anti-nausea drugs do not appear to improve headache pain or reduce the length of migraines once they are already happening.

 

Evidence in children: Healthcare practitioners generally agree that if someone is feeling nauseated with his or her migraines then it is good practice to take an anti-nausea drug and advise such. 1–4

 

Cautions: If someone is already vomiting, oral drugs will not work for their migraine or to reduce their nausea. Metoclopramide can cause muscle-spasm. Dimenhydrinate can cause dry mouth or blurred vision.