Dizinel in Spain: Cinnarizine Dimenhydrinate Tablets

Dizinel is a Spanish prescription tablet for vertigo. It is a cinnarizine dimenhydrinate combination: two medicines in one tablet. Dimenhydrinate is the same antihistamine found in travel-sickness pills such as Dramamine. But Dizinel is not a travel-sickness pill. It is for adults with vertigo and the nausea that comes with it. In the UK the same mix is sold as Arlevert.

Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is a GP licensed in Spain (Colegiado No. 484814280).

For a medical emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest local emergency department. Do not wait for a video consultation or an online reply.

What is Dizinel used for?

Dizinel treats vertigo. Vertigo is a feeling that you or the room is spinning. It often comes with nausea or vomiting. It can come from the inner ear or, less often, from the brain. The leaflet says Dizinel is for many kinds of vertigo, in adults.

• Cinnarizine calms the balance organ in the inner ear and helps blood flow there.
• Dimenhydrinate is an antihistamine. It works on the balance centre in the brain and eases nausea.

Dizinel comes as tablets, taken after meals. The doctor tells you how many and for how long. Courses are usually a few weeks. Do not stop early without asking, as the leaflet warns the vertigo can come back.

Is Dizinel the same as Biodramina or Dramamine?

No. They share one ingredient, dimenhydrinate, but they are made for different jobs.

Name	What it contains	Main use	Where
Dizinel	Cinnarizine + dimenhydrinate	Vertigo in adults	Spain (prescription)
Arlevert	Cinnarizine + dimenhydrinate	Vertigo in adults	UK, Ireland (prescribed)
Biodramina	Dimenhydrinate	Travel sickness	Spain (no prescription)
Dramamine	Dimenhydrinate	Travel sickness	US
Stugeron	Cinnarizine alone	Travel sickness in the UK; prescription only in Spain	UK, Spain
Kwells	Hyoscine, a different medicine	Travel sickness	UK

If you use Kwells or Stugeron at home, you will not find the same packs here. Hyoscine is a different medicine, not a version of Dizinel. The product information for Dizinel says it was not tested for travel sickness. So do not take a spare Dizinel for a ferry or a car trip.

What to use for travel sickness in Spain

Biodramina is the usual dimenhydrinate product for travel sickness in Spain. It needs no prescription. It comes as tablets, chewing gum and a liquid for children, and some packs add caffeine. The leaflet sets the age for each pack: the children's versions start at 2 years, and it is not for babies under 2. Ask the pharmacist which pack suits the person, and follow the leaflet for how much to take. Our motion sickness guide covers other tips for car, sea and air travel.

Do you need a prescription for Dizinel in Spain?

Yes. Dizinel is listed as a medicamento sujeto a prescripción médica on the AEMPS CIMA database. A pharmacy cannot supply it without a Spanish prescription, which can be a private electronic one. A UK prescription for Arlevert is not valid in a Spanish pharmacy. Biodramina, by contrast, is sold over the counter.

Who should not take Dizinel?

• Anyone under 18. It is licensed for adults only.
• People allergic to cinnarizine, dimenhydrinate, diphenhydramine or other antihistamines.
• People with angle-closure glaucoma, epilepsy or raised pressure in the head.
• Men with prostate problems that make it hard to pass urine.
• People with severe liver or kidney disease, or who drink heavily.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. The leaflet says not to use it.

Tell the doctor first if you have Parkinson's disease, low or high blood pressure, an overactive thyroid, heart disease or a bowel blockage.

Does Dizinel make you drowsy, and can you drink alcohol?

Yes, it can make you sleepy, especially in the first days. Do not drive or use machines if you feel drowsy. Avoid alcohol while you take it. Sleeping pills, strong painkillers, some antidepressants and other sedating medicines add to the drowsiness. It can also boost blood pressure tablets and should not be mixed with heart rhythm medicines. Tell your doctor about every medicine you take, and stop it before skin allergy tests if asked.

What Dizinel does not treat

• Travel sickness. Use a travel-sickness product instead.
• Light-headedness when you stand up, or feeling faint. That is not true vertigo and needs a different check.
• Vertigo from a stroke. That is an emergency, not a tablet problem.
• The cause itself. Some inner-ear vertigo is best treated with simple head movements a doctor shows you.

Our vertigo guide explains the common causes and what a doctor checks.

Side effects and warning signs

Common side effects are drowsiness, a dry mouth, headache and stomach ache. They are usually mild and often fade in a few days. Less often people get sweating, indigestion, ringing in the ears, tremor or memory lapses. Rarely it causes blurred vision or trouble passing urine. Very rarely it lowers blood cells: see a doctor for fever with an infection, or easy bruising. Stop it and seek help for a rash with blisters.

Call 112 if vertigo comes with double vision or loss of sight, trouble speaking, a drooping face, or weakness or numbness in an arm or leg. Also call 112 for a sudden, severe headache, or if someone cannot be woken.

Talking it through with a doctor by video

Dr. Yelamo is a GP licensed in Spain. He sees adults, children and pregnant patients by video, every day from 07:30 to 20:30 (Spain time). In the visit he will:

• Ask how the spinning starts, how long it lasts and what sets it off.
• Check for warning signs that need an urgent exam in person.
• Explain whether a medicine like Dizinel, head exercises or a referral is the right step.
• Check your other medicines for drowsiness and clashes.

He does not promise any test or prescription before the visit. Where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Treatment and prescriptions are issued solely at the doctor's discretion based on evidence-based clinical guidelines.

A prescription is never guaranteed: it is issued only where clinically appropriate after a genuine evaluation, as a private electronic prescription under Spanish law. This service is for urgent, non-emergency care. In an emergency, call 112.

See how the Urgent Care video visit works. It lasts 15 minutes and costs €50.

This guide is general information. It does not replace the package leaflet or the advice of your doctor or pharmacist.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• AEMPS CIMA: Dizinel package leaflet
• AEMPS CIMA: Biodramina package leaflet
• MedlinePlus: Dimenhydrinate
• NHS: Vertigo

Related guides

• Vertigo and dizziness: when to see an online doctor
• Motion sickness while travelling in Spain
• Which medicines need a prescription in Spain?
• Urgent Care video visit