Over the Counter Medications for Dizziness

Experts believe that more than 40 percent of Americans experience dizziness serious enough that they will go to the doctor, according to 2010 information from the Senior Citizens Guide website. Fatigue, stress, anemia, menopause, inner ear infections and other conditions may cause dizziness or vertigo, a sensation or the illusion of motion. Various medications are used to treat dizziness, vertigo and concurrent nausea. These drugs come in tablets, capsules, skin patches and liquid form and may also be given sublingually or by injection. Always consult with your doctor before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication.

Meclizine Hydrochloride

Meclizine hydrochloride is an over-the-counter medication commonly called Bonine or Antivert. It may be the first choice medication for dizziness and is also used to treat travel-related nausea. The drug is thought to help people who are prone to dizziness by decreasing sensitivity in the balance centers of the central nervous system, according to the Washington University School of Medicine's Otolaryngology website.

Dimenhydrinate

Dimenhydrinate, known as Dramamine, a nonprescription drug is used for motion sickness. It settles the stomach and eases dizziness. Dimenhydrinate is often recommended for serious cases of vertigo. Dramamine is available in liquid form for children who suffer from motion sickness and dizziness, but this medication is not approved for children under 2 years old.

DizzyStop

DizzyStop is a medication formulated by Stuart Barton M.D., an otolaryngologist who for more than three decades has been working with patients and doing research into causes of dizziness and the best ways to treat it and alleviate suffering, according to DizzyStop.com and Desertent.org, the website of the Desert Ear Nose and Throat medical center where Dr. Barton practices medicine. Dr. Barton's determination to help alleviate his patients' motion sickness, nausea, dizziness and vertigo led him to create this all natural medication that seems to bring relief from vertigo and dizziness. Ginger, one of the main ingredients in DizzyStop, is considered very effective for controlling dizziness. The FDA has not evaluated this product's claims of effectiveness.

Diuretics

A well-known cause of vertigo and dizziness is Meniere's disease, explains Randy Swartz, M.D. of the University of California San Diego School of Medicine in a 2005 article on the American Academy of Family Physicians website. Too much endolymph fluid in the inner ear may cause this condition, and recommended treatment involves reducing the body's fluid retention. Patients are often advised to try diuretics and to eat a low-salt diet. Some diuretics can be purchased over the counter, and others are available as a prescription medication.

Vitamins

Vitamin B deficiencies may cause dizziness, and some people suffering from vertigo and dizziness find that taking vitamin B6 may alleviate some of the discomfort. Vitamin D is another supplement that may help with dizziness that stems from fluid disequilibrium in people's ears.