Stugeron is cinnarizine 25 mg, used for motion sickness, vertigo, dizziness and the nausea that accompanies inner-ear problems. It works well for travel sickness, and it is deliberately not a long-term treatment — particularly in older people.
What is Stugeron?
Stugeron is a Schedule 2 tablet containing cinnarizine 25 mg, listed in the South African Medicine Price Registry — available from a pharmacy without a prescription.
Cinnarizine is unusual in acting several ways at once. It is:
- An antihistamine, blocking H1 receptors — which is where the anti-nausea and sedating effects come from.
- A calcium channel blocker, which reduces the excitability of the vestibular system in the inner ear.
- Anticholinergic, contributing to the anti-motion-sickness effect.
The result is a vestibular sedative — a medicine that dampens the balance system. That is precisely what you want when the balance system is generating false signals, as in motion sickness and vertigo.
And it is also why it should not be taken for long. Recovery from most vestibular disorders depends on the brain adapting to abnormal signals — a process called vestibular compensation. Vestibular sedatives suppress that adaptation. Taking them beyond a few days actually slows recovery, which is the opposite of what most people assume.
For motion sickness, timing decides whether it works. Cinnarizine is a preventer. Take it before travelling — typically two hours beforehand — because once nausea has started, absorption slows and it works far less well.
What is Stugeron commonly used for?
- Motion sickness — car, sea, air. Its best-known use, and the one where it performs best.
- Vertigo from inner-ear disorders, including labyrinthitis and vestibular neuritis.
- Ménière’s disease, for acute attacks.
- Nausea and vomiting associated with vertigo.
- Tinnitus and dizziness of vestibular origin, in some prescribing.
- Peripheral circulatory problems, at higher doses in some markets.
Acute versus ongoing matters here more than usual:
For an acute attack of vertigo — the room spinning, nausea, unable to stand — a vestibular sedative gives real relief, and is appropriate for a few days at most.
For ongoing or recurrent vertigo, it is the wrong approach. What works is vestibular rehabilitation — exercises that deliberately provoke mild symptoms so the brain adapts — plus treating the underlying cause.
Not all dizziness is vestibular, and this is worth checking:
- BPPV — brief spinning triggered by head position, lasting under a minute. This is the commonest cause of vertigo and it responds to a repositioning manoeuvre such as Epley, often in a single visit. Anyone with positional vertigo should ask about that before taking tablets for weeks.
- Ménière’s disease — attacks lasting minutes to hours with hearing loss and tinnitus; prevention is with betahistine and salt reduction.
- Light-headedness from low blood pressure, dehydration, anaemia or medication — different problem entirely.
- Vertigo of central origin, from the brain — see the red flags below.
How Stugeron fits into this medicine category
| Group | Examples | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Vestibular sedatives | Cinnarizine (Stugeron), prochlorperazine, promethazine | Acute vertigo and motion sickness — short-term |
| Antihistamines | Meclizine, dimenhydrinate | Motion sickness |
| Anticholinergics | Hyoscine (scopolamine) patches | Motion sickness prevention |
| Histamine analogues | Betahistine | Preventing Ménière’s attacks, long-term |
| Repositioning manoeuvres | Epley manoeuvre | BPPV — highly effective, not a medicine |
| Vestibular rehabilitation | Exercise programmes | Retraining balance; strong evidence |
Two of the most effective treatments here are not medicines. See the general medicines hub, which also covers K-Fenak OTC and HP553.
What to check before using Stugeron
The most important caution concerns older people, and it is under-appreciated.
Cinnarizine can cause extrapyramidal side effects — tremor, muscle stiffness, slowed movement and shuffling — that closely resemble Parkinson’s disease. This is well documented, occurs mainly with prolonged use and in older adults, and is reversible when the medicine is stopped. It has been mistaken for Parkinson’s disease and treated as such.
If an older person develops tremor or stiffness on cinnarizine, tell the doctor they are taking it. That single piece of information can prevent a wrong diagnosis.
Also speak to a pharmacist or doctor if you:
- Have Parkinson’s disease or another movement disorder — cinnarizine can worsen it.
- Are elderly, where both the movement effects and sedation, confusion and falls are more likely.
- Have glaucoma, particularly narrow-angle.
- Have an enlarged prostate or difficulty passing urine.
- Have liver disease or porphyria.
- Have depression, which cinnarizine can worsen.
- Take sedating medicines or drink alcohol — the drowsiness is additive.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Are treating a child — follow the age limits on the pack.
Practical points: take it after food to reduce stomach upset; take it two hours before travelling for motion sickness; do not drive until you know how it affects you; avoid alcohol; and use it for a few days at a time, not continuously.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
Common effects are drowsiness, dry mouth, stomach upset, headache, weight gain and, with longer use, tiredness and low mood.
Get emergency help for:
- Vertigo with new weakness, numbness, slurred speech, double vision, difficulty swallowing, severe headache or trouble walking. These suggest a central cause — possibly a stroke — rather than an inner-ear problem, and they need immediate assessment. This is the most important distinction on this page.
- Sudden hearing loss.
- Severe eye pain with blurred vision and a red eye — possible acute angle-closure glaucoma.
- Inability to pass urine.
- Swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing.
Contact your doctor if:
- Tremor, stiffness or slowed movement develops, particularly in an older person.
- Vertigo is not settling within a few days, or keeps recurring.
- Dizziness is triggered by particular head positions and lasts under a minute — that suggests BPPV, and a repositioning manoeuvre often resolves it quickly.
- Hearing is worsening, or tinnitus is becoming intrusive.
- You are using it for more than a few days, or regularly.
- Vertigo is causing falls, or stopping you driving or working.
- Low mood develops on it.
Related medicine guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Stugeron 25 mg used for? Motion sickness, vertigo, dizziness and the nausea that goes with inner-ear problems. It contains cinnarizine.
When should I take it for travel sickness? About two hours before travelling. Once nausea has started it works far less well.
Do I need a prescription? No. It is Schedule 2 and available from a pharmacy.
How long can I take it? A few days at a time. Longer use suppresses the brain’s adaptation to abnormal balance signals and actually slows recovery.
Can it cause Parkinson’s-like symptoms? Yes — tremor, stiffness and slowed movement, mainly with prolonged use and in older adults. It is reversible when stopped, but has been mistaken for Parkinson’s disease.
Will it make me drowsy? Commonly. Do not drive until you know how it affects you, and avoid alcohol.
Why does my dizziness only last seconds when I turn over in bed? That pattern suggests BPPV, which responds to a repositioning manoeuvre rather than tablets. Ask your doctor.
When is dizziness an emergency? With new weakness, numbness, slurred speech, double vision, difficulty swallowing, severe headache or trouble walking — those suggest a central cause and need immediate assessment.