What is Vertigon – Promethazine Teoclate used for?

Vertigon – Promethazine Teoclate is primarily used to both prevent and relieve the symptoms of vertigo and motion or travel sickness such as nausea, dizziness, headaches and vomiting. However, this product is also suitable for treatment of these symptoms for reasons other than those stated above, such as in cases of extreme stress or food poisoning, or following a recent surgery, for example.

How does the active ingredient work to help me?

Vertigo and motion sickness is caused by your inner ear sending different signals to your brain compared to what your eyes are seeing. Essentially, one part of your body senses movement where the other doesn’t, and these mixed messages are what cause the symptoms associated with motion sickness.

The active ingredient in each Vertigon tablet is 25mg of promethazine teoclate, which is an antihistamine medication. Promethazine teoclate works by stopping histamine from affecting the vomiting center of your brain, which means the messages sent by your inner ear to the brain can’t create any vomiting response or nausea while the medicine is active in your system.

How do I take Vertigon?

In adults, taking one tablet should suffice to treat the symptoms of vertigo and motion sickness.

To treat symptoms in children above the age of 10, they should be given the lower adult dose of one tablet per day. For children between the ages of 5 and 10, however, half a tablet should be given each day.

To ensure Vertigon promethazine teoclate is effective, tablets should be taken orally each night before bed. However, in more severe cases, two to three tablets may be necessary, taken at regular intervals throughout the day. It should not be necessary to take more than four tablets in any 24 hour period.

You should not take this medication for more than 7 days. If your symptoms have not improved by this point, you should contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Does my doctor or pharmacist need to know anything first?

You’re perfectly able to purchase and take Vertigon tablets without a prescription, but if you suffer from certain conditions or health problems, you should discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist first so they can provide advice and guidance on the suitability of promethazine teoclate for your situation.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have:

• Glaucoma
• Epilepsy
• Heart, liver, kidney or bladder problems
• Chest conditions such as asthma or bronchitis
• Severe headaches with blurred vision
• Severe stomach pain with vomiting, dizziness, loss of balance, ear ringing or other ear issues
• Reye’s Syndrome, or associated symptoms such as persistent vomiting and drowsiness

You should also inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are currently taking any other medication, whether it was obtained over the counter or through prescription. Of particular note is medication such as anticholinergic agents, sleep aids, mental illness or anxiety medication, or medication for bladder or stomach problems.

What side effects could occur from taking promethazine teoclate?

Cease taking Vertigon Promethazine tablets immediately and contact your doctor or pharmacist in the first instance if you experience any of the following side effects immediately after taking this medication.

• A rash, itching or swelling around the face, lips, or mouth.
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• irregular heartbeats or low blood pressure

Contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice and support if you experience the following side effects:

• Infections, fevers, or sore throats that seem to be lasting longer than usual
• Unexplained bruising or nosebleeds
• Yellowing of the skin, dark urine, and yellowing of the whites of the eyes

Other side effects could include:

• Headaches, dizziness, restlessness, confusion, or drowsiness.
• Loss of appetite or upset stomach.
• Muscle cramp, or unusual muscle jerks.

As dizziness and drowsiness is a possible side effect, you should avoid operating machinery or driving a vehicle at least for the first few days of treatment until you are certain these particular side effects haven’t presented themselves.

While taking promethazine teoclate, elderly people may experience dry mouth, slight blurred vision, or difficulty passing water, while children who take this medicine may become more excitable and energetic than usual.

A minor interaction with promethazine teoclate is that it can interfere with the results of skin tests to determine what you are or are not allergic to. The antihistamine properties of promethazine teoclate mean that the results of said allergy test may be inaccurate. Make sure you stop taking this medicine at least 72 hours before any skin allergy tests are scheduled.

Similarly, you should also avoid taking Vertigon promethazine teoclate tablets before a pregnancy test, as this medication can interfere with the accuracy of the results.

Please also note that if you experience any other side effects not listed here that you believe are a result of this treatment, talk to your doctor or pharmacist and consider reporting these side effects through the Government’s Yellow Card Scheme.

When shouldn’t I be taking Vertigon promethazine teoclate tablets?

Please ensure you read the ingredients of Vertigon to help avoid the risk of an allergic reaction. For example, this product contains lactose, which may cause a reaction if you suffer from lactose intolerance. It also contains sodium metabisulphite, which may rarely cause an allergic reaction and difficulty breathing.

You should not take Vertigon If you have taken Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) for depression within the last 14 days. Similarly, if you suffer from Central Nervous System (CNS) depression, do not take this product. You may begin to feel excessively sleepy or become unconscious.

If you’re pregnant, or think that you may be pregnant, do not take Vertigon unless on the advice of your doctor. Taking this medication while breast feeding may cause your baby to become more excitable or irritable.

You should also avoid drinking alcohol until you’re finished with your Vertigon treatment, as this medication can make the effects of alcohol worse.

Safety notes

For safety purposes, Vertigon should be stored out of the sight and reach of children.

Also remain aware of the expiry date printed on the pack. Do not take the medication after this date. For this reason, you should always store Vertigon in the original container.

Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines you no longer require, as medicine should not be placed in the standard household waste. Disposing of medication properly can help to protect the environment.