Ever had bad experience with sea sickness patch???

[eng4]

Talked to someone today that said they got more sich with the patch then w/o???? Anyone ever hear of this. I was really hoping this patch would help me not get any sea sickness. Never been on a cruise but I get car sick pretty easy. Just trying to take all the right precations to have an awesome trip. Help! :confused:

[bluehorizonlover123]

My doctor told me there is one side effect of the patch and that is it affects your vision for reading. Vision can get blurry when reading, like the menus and stuff and you might need bifocals for this, even if you don't need them regularly. Some people do get dizzy and nauseous from it. When I heard all this I wouldn't try it. But my husband swears by Bonamine. We bring it with and at the first sign of nausea he takes a pill and then feels fine. It is non drowsy formula so works great.

[firefly333]

We have both used them and they work excellent for both of us in rough seas. Rarely use them, but when I do, they work right away.

[NYJean]

Dont go by me cause I cannot take hardly any meds at all. But the patch was terrible for me... I could not focus my eyes.. this wasnt just reading.. my eye muscles wouldnt work and then I became so sick because I couldnt focus. Good news, once I took it off I became right as rain within a few hours. Ginger works for me as well as a little sugar water...I dont take any meds even though I always bring them.

[Gulf Breezer]

I live near the Gulf in Pensacola, FL. We have owned boats for years. I would always get seasick with the least little wave. My first cruise was in 2004 and I have taken four more cruises since then. I ALWAYS use the scopolamine patch and never get sick or have any side effects other than it might enhance the effects of alcohol a bit. LOL I have been in some ROUGH seas and never felt a thing. That's just my experience. I hope it works for you. I'm a firm believer in the patch.

[ohitssunshine]

I have not used the patch but did try the drops that you put behind your ear. I think it made it worse- once it wore off I was fine!

[klfrodo]

My wife actually had halluncinations the 2nd night out. I woke up in the middle of the night to see her petting and talking to our cat who had died a couple of years before. A couple of hours later, she woke me up having a conversation with her brother who was not on the ship.

 

We threw that stuff out and never again.

[Azure Moon]

I was fortunate and didn't have any negative side effects when wearing the patch.

 

I stopped bringing patches a couple of cruises ago, but plan on bringing some with me in the future due to having motion illness on our last cruise (Canada/New England Sept/Oct). May get some for hubby, too, since he experienced motion illness for the first time during that cruise. He used the wrist bands, which gave him some relief, but I think a patch would have helped him more.

 

Good luck and happy cruising.

[Gulf Breezer]

Scopolamine severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); confusion; difficulty urinating; fast or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; mood or mental changes; severe drowsiness; severe dry mouth; trouble speaking.

 

Just be careful, but it worked for me.

[CanWeGoYet?]

I had some difficulties with the patch I was wearing about 2 days into wearing it, the first time. I was willing to put up with the dry mouth, but started feeling jittery & my heart was going faster than usual. I noticed when I was putting on my make up that my pupils were huge - no wonder the light was bothering me. I took off the patch & by that time the motion of the ship had calmed down anyhow.

I still bring the patch in case the motion of the ship is too much for the ginger & bonine I bring - to me it's better than feeling queasy. It takes several hours for it to start working, but lasts for 3 days. I try to use it as a last resort.

[zqvol]

For every person that mentions horrible side effects there are hundreds that use the patch without any problem. Of course for every person that has problems with peanuts there are thousands that have no problem. Every drug effects each person differently. There is no way to tell without trying, what, if any side effects the patch may cause you.

[Jen1000]

Talked to someone today that said they got more sich with the patch then w/o???? Anyone ever hear of this. I was really hoping this patch would help me not get any sea sickness. Never been on a cruise but I get car sick pretty easy. Just trying to take all the right precations to have an awesome trip. Help! :confused:

 

It is like any medication, there may be side effects. I was a little tired but that was it. I was very pleased with the patch.

 

Jen in SoCal

[frazzledrazzle16]

I don't think I could cruise if I didn't use the patch. I don't have any side effects, but one time I did have really blurry vision for a day because I must have touched my patch in my sleep or something and then rubbed my eyes when I woke up. Make sure you thoroughly wash your hands after handling a patch and do not touch your eyes! :)

[Razorbackfan2010]

I have tried to use the patch twice and I got the blurred vision and just felt bad. It took me longer to take it off the first time. It took my vision about 24 hours to correct itself. It's awful to all of the sudden not be able to read a menu. The second time I tried it, I removed it the moment I started noticing the problem and it didn't take as long to get over it. I don't have a problem without it, if I start to get a headache I just go get a little something to eat. It always solves the problem.

 

P.S. Everyone else in my party used them without problem.

[redlef]

Talked to someone today that said they got more sich with the patch then w/o???? Anyone ever hear of this. I was really hoping this patch would help me not get any sea sickness. Never been on a cruise but I get car sick pretty easy. Just trying to take all the right precations to have an awesome trip. Help! :confused:

 

I scuba dive in the northeast Atlantic. Think small boats - which makes 5 foot waves feel like tsunami's. I use the patch every time I go out - because you never know what the ocean's like until you're there.

 

A few suggestions:

 

1) Most important: Wear one for a few days, a week or two BEFORE you go on your cruise. That way, you'll know in advance if you're one of the FEW people who can't tolerate it, and you won't ruin your cruise if you have reactions.

 

2) Wash your hands thoroughly, with soap and water, twice, after you put it on. If you have a trace of the scopalomine on your fingers and you rub your eyes (or touch your contacts) you are screwed for the next 24 hours.

 

I get one mild reaction to the patch: cotton mouth. Drink a lot of water and that's taken care of.

 

I also tend to be more tired at the end of the day. I definitely wouldn't want to drive 5 hours after wearing the patch a full day, and a 3 hour movie would have to be pretty exciting to keep me awake. Alcohol affects me much more quickly - not getting a buzz: just falling asleep. Two glasses of wine after a day of wearing the patch and I'd be down for the count.

 

If I was on a cruise and we were dancing or something that keeps me moving and active, I wouldn't fall asleep.

 

You can probably use it successfully - just try it before you go on your cruise where you're in your own home and can easily sleep it off if you have a problem.

 

You know you're supposed to put it on 6 hours before you need it. That's about how long it takes for the medication to get through your skin and into your brain. Remember - once you take it off, it'll be another 6 hours before it's out of your blood.

[tree811]

Bonine! I used patch back in '2000, made me "loopy". I would tell my family one thing & do something else that I swore I told them. I was basically the entertainment of that 4 day cruise! I get motion sick easily. (going around curvy roads; anytime I have to read in the car-even maps!)

I took non-drowsy Bonine last week when we were on the Pride-in seas w/ 40-50 mph gusts of wind. I took it the day we boarded (while still at dock) & one every day & never felt queasy! People were in their cabins for a day due to the rocking of the ship-feeling sick. Bonine took care of me & I was "the entertainment!!" Debbie

[boogerman54321]

I tried it on our 1st cruise. I went nearly blind! No kidding! I couldn't even read the name of the ship on the bow, that's how blurry things were. It was terribly frustrating. I took it off that day and it took a few days for my vision to return to normal. Never again will I be a 'patch person' ;)

[SkyMaster]

I see an awful lot of people with that patch behind their ears when we cruise, so it must work for some! Personally, we use Bonine, (Meclizine) and have absolutely no sea sickness, and no side effects. The lovely Mrs. Jones (Vita) takes a bonine each and every morning of a cruise, and I only take one when very rough seas are predicted. No problem.

 

"SKY"

[beaming90]

My mom and I both used the patch on our first cruise. We put them on the night before we flew into Orlando, spent the night in Orlando and then boarded the ship. While at the Orlando hotel I noticed I had real blurry vision and it kept getting worse. That first night out of Cape Canaveral (on the Fantasy) the water was very very rough. I wasn't sea sick, but my vision was horrible. I could barely read the menu that first night. My mom took her patch off and put on a new one because she was afraid she was going to get sick. (which was 24 hours too early to put a new one on I think) I took mine off because of the vision problem and went and bought bonine in the gift shop. The next morning (we were docked in Freeport) my mom was sitting in the cabin looking kind of strange and said "when is the plane coming to get us off the ship?" I was like what??? Then she said, "how are we going to get to hotel from here? Where are we going to sleep tonight?" And a few other really strange things. I thought she had a stroke...A few hours later she was back to normal. After the cruise, I was telling a friend that is a nurse about it and she said that she just got too much of the medicine in her system. I was fine with the bonine the rest of the cruise and my vision was back to normal right away.

So the second cruise we both took Bonine for the first few days (I get really car sick so I was afraid of getting sea sick) but we were both fine and we had gale force winds for two days of the cruise. That is just my long experience with the patch. I won't ever use it again but I hope if you do you don't have problems!

[Scottohiocpa]

My wife has used the patch and she said it worked great.

 

We did have one side effect, which might or might not explain some of the eyesight problems people have mentioned above. One time she put the patch on, then put one of her contact lens in. A few hours later, her one pupil was comepletely dialated and she had trouble seeing. The other eye was fine. The fine print on the medicine's information paper mentioned that if it got in your eye, this would happen, and it would wear off without harm. Sure enough, about 12 hours later all was normal again.

 

So, be sure to WASH your hands with soap after touching these things!;)

[sandraselling]

The patch works great for my husband and I, but my daughter had a bad side effect from it. She became very agitated and mean and her eyes were dilated. We had to take her to the ER on the way home. It finally wore off, but I think it just depends on the individual.

[cruisinJenF]

If I didnt wear the patch I couldnt cruise. I tried EVERYTHING else and the patch was like a miracle cure for me!! No side effects. Only issue I had was after steaming in the sauna and sitting in the therapy pool my patch wouldnt stick anymore! Kept sliding off...........but I have pretty oily skin so that might have done it. I just bring extras :)

[Eeyoregon]

I tried a Transerm Scopalamine patche for 48 hours and had to remove it due to the negative side effects.

 

I experienced blurred, double vision to the point that someone had to read my menu to me in the dining room and I don't even wear glasses!

 

The other problem was the lack of saliva production. My mouth, throat and tongue were so dry that I had trouble swallowing.

 

I removed the patch and the adverse reactions stopped within hours. Since then I just take one 25mg meclizine before bed each night and I do fine.

[Tara&Jas]

A few people from our group tried patches on our last cruise... all three of them had bad side effects (vision, dizzyness etc.). Although there was one guy in our group that swore by them and had no problems.

 

Personally I have heard of so many people having side effects from the patch that I won't try it. I do use Bonine/Meclazine once a day with zero side effects and it works perfectly for me... it does seem to be the one that works for the most people with the least amount of side effects.

[lillian marie]

It works for my mom and she's 82. Every med has side effects and a small number of individuals may have side effects. Talk to your pharmacist and MD about potential side effects before you cruise. In order for the FDA to approve a drug it's safety is researched-intensely. Your neighborhood pharmacist may have other over the counter sea sick products that may be great for you. Have a wonderful cruise.