Sea-Legs vs Stugeron: two travel tablets, two countries
Short answer: they are different drugs, and they no longer share a shelf. Sea-Legs is meclozine hydrochloride 12.5 mg. The UK Sea-Legs tablet was discontinued in November 2014, per the NHS Dictionary of medicines and devices, and the brand is now sold in New Zealand, where the pack says to take it the previous night or an hour before travelling, for 24-hour prevention. Stugeron is cinnarizine 15 mg, a UK pharmacy medicine whose label puts the first dose 2 hours before travel and a further dose every 8 hours during the journey. Both can cause drowsiness. Which one, if either, suits you is a question for a pharmacist, and the pack you are holding is the final word.
Key facts
- Sea-Legs is meclozine hydrochloride 12.5 mg and Stugeron is cinnarizine 15 mg, so they are two different sedating antihistamines.
- The NHS Dictionary of medicines and devices lists the UK Sea-Legs 12.5 mg tablet as discontinued, with a discontinued date of 5 November 2014, while Sea-Legs is still sold in New Zealand.
- The New Zealand Sea-Legs pack says to take it the previous night or an hour before travelling, for 24-hour prevention, and not to give it to children under 6.
- The Stugeron label puts the first dose 2 hours before travel, with a further dose every 8 hours during the journey, and gives children 5 to 12 half the adult dose.
- The Sea-Legs pack says to avoid driving or operating machinery within 8 hours of a dose, and in Stugeron's pooled trial data somnolence was reported by 9.9% of people.
Sea-Legs was sold in UK pharmacies until 2014. Stugeron is still sold in them today. So in the UK, Sea-Legs against Stugeron compares a tablet that has left the shelf with one that is still on it.
This page sets out the label facts for both: the active ingredient, the timing each pack gives, the repeat interval, the ages and the drowsiness wording. It does not tell you which to take. That is a question for a pharmacist, and the pack in your hand is what you follow.
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Sea-Legs vs Stugeron, label by label
| Feature | Sea-Legs | Stugeron |
|---|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Meclozine hydrochloride 12.5 mg | Cinnarizine 15 mg |
| Drug family | Sedating antihistamine | Sedating antihistamine with calcium-channel action |
| Where it is sold | New Zealand pharmacies; the UK tablet was discontinued in 2014 | UK pharmacies |
| Label timing | The previous night, or an hour before travelling | 2 hours before travel |
| Repeat interval | One dose covers up to 24 hours | Every 8 hours during the journey |
| Drowsiness and driving | May cause drowsiness; no driving within 8 hours | Somnolence 9.9% in trial data; do not drive if affected |
| Youngest age on the label | 6, at a lower amount | 5, at half the adult amount |
Sea-Legs left the UK shelf in 2014
The UK Sea-Legs tablet, meclozine 12.5 mg from G.R. Lane Health Products, is listed as discontinued and not available in the NHS Dictionary of medicines and devices, with a discontinued date of 5 November 2014. Ireland's medicines regulator lists Sea-Legs Tablets as withdrawn in March 2019. The brand is still sold in New Zealand, where meclozine can be bought over the counter from a pharmacy.
Meclozine is the same ingredient Americans buy as meclizine, the active ingredient in Bonine. In the UK, the travel tablets on sale include Stugeron, which is cinnarizine, and the hyoscine and promethazine tablets beside it, such as Kwells and Avomine.
How the two labels differ
Sea-Legs contains meclozine hydrochloride 12.5 mg, a sedating antihistamine. The New Zealand pack says to take it the previous night or an hour before travelling, and describes the cover as 24-hour prevention. It gives adults and children over 12 one amount and children 6 to 12 a lower one, and it says not to give it to children under 6.
Stugeron contains cinnarizine 15 mg, a sedating antihistamine that also blocks calcium channels. Its label puts the first dose 2 hours before travel and a further dose every 8 hours during the journey. Adults and children over 12 take the full amounts, and children 5 to 12 take half. The product information puts peak blood levels 2.5 to 4 hours after a dose.
Drowsiness, driving and who should ask first
Neither tablet is non-drowsy. The Sea-Legs pack says it may cause drowsiness, to avoid driving or operating machinery within 8 hours of taking it, and to avoid alcohol. In Stugeron's pooled trial data, somnolence was the most commonly reported side effect, at 9.9%, and its label says not to drive or operate machinery if affected.
Pregnancy is a doctor question for both: the Sea-Legs pack says not to take it during pregnancy without medical advice, and the Stugeron label says use in pregnancy is not advisable. Parkinson's disease and porphyria are on Stugeron's caution list. Children's ages, older age and other sedating medicines change the answer too, so bring the pack and your list of medicines to a pharmacist.
When to use which
Start with where you are buying. In the UK, Sea-Legs is no longer on sale, so the practical question is whether Stugeron or one of the other UK travel tablets fits. In New Zealand, Sea-Legs is the current pack. Set label against label, Sea-Legs is one dose taken the previous night or an hour ahead, covering up to 24 hours, while Stugeron is taken 2 hours ahead with a further dose every 8 hours during the journey. Both can make you drowsy, and pregnancy, children's ages and other medicines change the answer, so put the question to a pharmacist and follow the pack you are holding.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you still buy Sea-Legs in the UK?
Not as a UK medicine. The NHS Dictionary of medicines and devices lists Sea-Legs 12.5 mg tablets as discontinued, with a discontinued date of 5 November 2014, and Ireland's medicines regulator lists them as withdrawn in 2019. Sea-Legs is still sold in New Zealand pharmacies. In the UK, a pharmacist can go through the travel tablets on sale today, Stugeron among them.
Is Sea-Legs the same as Stugeron?
No. Sea-Legs is meclozine and Stugeron is cinnarizine, two different sedating antihistamines with different label timings. The Sea-Legs pack says to take it the previous night or an hour before travelling, for 24-hour prevention. The Stugeron label puts the first dose 2 hours before travel, then a further dose every 8 hours during the journey. Meclozine is the ingredient sold as meclizine in the United States, in Bonine.
Which makes you less drowsy, Sea-Legs or Stugeron?
Neither is non-drowsy, and the labels do not rank them. The Sea-Legs pack says it may cause drowsiness and to avoid driving or operating machinery within 8 hours of a dose. In Stugeron's trial data, somnolence was the most commonly reported side effect, at 9.9%, and its label says not to drive if affected. Reactions vary from person to person, so ask a pharmacist if you need to stay alert.
Sea-Legs versus Stugeron is partly a question of geography: one left UK shelves in 2014, the other is still there. The labels then differ on timing and on the repeat interval. Let a pharmacist match the label to your trip and your health, and read the pack you are holding.
Related comparisons
- Sea-Legs tablets: the full label facts
- Stugeron 15: the full label facts
- Motion sickness medicine names by country
- Cinnarizine, the ingredient behind Stugeron
- All motion sickness comparisons
Where these facts come from
- Sea-Legs 12.5mg tablets, discontinued UK pack, NHS Dictionary of medicines and devices (dm+d)
- Sea-Legs Tablets, withdrawn medicine record, Health Products Regulatory Authority (Ireland)
- Sea-Legs, official product page (New Zealand)
- Healthify NZ, Meclozine
- Stugeron 15mg Tablets, Summary of Product Characteristics (emc)
Active ingredients and label warnings were re-read at these sources in October 2026. Labels and formulations change, and they differ by country, so the box in your hand is the final word.
This page is informational and not a substitute for professional medical advice; talk to your doctor or pharmacist and follow the product label. Sea-Legs, Stugeron and other product and brand names are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.