motion sickness at high seas

[1612]

pills or patches?

 

any advice?

 

thanks for answer

[Keith1010]

There is no right or wrong answer. It really is what works best.

 

We do use the pill. We take Bonine that is sold over the counter. Another brand is Dramamine. We find it works well if we take it before we feel sea sick. Drawback is it can make some people feel drowsy. I alway recommend trying this at home to make sure there are no side effects.

 

Some people just take ginger capsules.

 

The patch is a prescription that a physician must prescribe. Many find that it works well for them. Biggest side effect is a dry mouth.

 

Again, we use Bonine and for us it works very well.

 

Keith

[Talisker92]

I agree with Keith. My wife used to get airsick car sick,and sea sick until I introduced her to Bonine. If it makes you drowsy-take it every night at bedtime.

[Tralynn]

Ginger capsules work fantastic if you start taking them before you get on the ship and continue taking them to keep it in your system. We also always bring Bonine with us in case it's needed. (Never had to use it so far.)

 

The good thing about ginger is it cannot make you drowsy AND you can add Bonine at any time along with it if you feel you need it.

 

I know people that swear by the "patch" and say it's a steady stream of medication so it's less likely to make you feel really drowsy. However, it is a prescription, so you have to make arrangements with your doctor to have it for your trip.

[Essiesmom]

Sea bands have always worked for me. EM

[Hlitner]

There was a very interesting post (recently) on another forum about the Transderm Patches. The post was from a ship's officer who has been on more then 1400 cruises with HA (it sounds like he worked in the Pursers Office). He said that he has never met a cruise ship physician that would dispense the patches because of the potential side effects. He talked about how it was not unusal to find a passaenger roaming the hallways (sometimes naked) completely confused and not aware of his/her surroundings. These folks were have a bad reaction to the patches and he said the symptoms would disappear within a few hours. DW has used the patches in the past, and after 2 or 3 days she would have slight blurring to her vision which made it impossible to read her book. The truth is for most folks they work fine, but it does have its risks (try reading the PDR info on the drug (Transderm Scopolomine). Scopolomine is actually a dangerous poison, but the patch dispenses very low levels that are relatively safe. As to us, we rely on Boninie (Meclizine HCL) which is over the counter (although the prescription drug Antivert is the same thing). Bonine is the drug of choice for most ships physicians and it is the drug usually given out (often free) at the Guest Relations Desk and sold in the ship's shops. I believe that Dramamine II (not the same as Dramamine) also has Meclizine as its active ingredient. The key to any drug is using it before you get sick. Once you are really ill, this stuff does not work well. If you get really bad you can go to the ship's medical center, pay the big bucks, and they can give you a shot of something like Compazine which works....but it also knocks you out for hours.

 

Hank

[STARFISH*4]

we use Ginger Capsules...a day or two before traveling and then every meal during the cruise and more if needed for boat rides or tenders!

 

have used the SEA BANDS too, they seem to help but they seemed awful tight, but guess they have to be to work!

 

the PATCH is the worst for me and 5 out of the 8 people i traveled with on our first cruise!

 

with anything even the GINGER and especially if you take other medication...check with your DR.

 

take several things with you so you are prepared.

also Ginger Ale and Green Apples help!!

ENJOY and SMOOTH sailing!!!

[Megs867]

Personally I swear by the patch, but they are not the cheapest. What I have learned is each insurance has an amount they cover 10 or 12 patches if you buy less insurance doesn't cover it. I have never had any side effects with the patch, but everyone's different.

[Putterdude]

We have a friend who finds the ginger capsules work well for her. DW uses SeaBands and she has no problems.

[bbwex]

Well, this is a large topic, and some background information will really help you before we get to remedies.

 

First of all, most people don't get seasick, and if you do, it almost always passes in a day, once you get your sea legs. Yes, I know, there are some people (a very small number) who seem to take several days to get over it. Then again, you could be fine and then hit really heavy seas and start feeling the effects of the motion.

 

Seasickness is primarily caused by a conflict between the eyes (if they are not seeing the motion) and the inner ear which detect the motion. So, prevention is somewhat easy -- stay someplace where you can see the motion until you get your sea legs. Staying out on deck and watching the horizon is often the cure, and the fresh air will help as well. If you are inside, stay near a window so you can see the horizon. If you are not feeling well, do not go inside and lose sight of the seas. The other thing is to eat normally. While this seems counter-intuitive, an empty stomach is not the answer. Keep away from greasy foods and don't overeat, but eat normal meals at normal times.

 

A ship's motion is a complicated matter. The size of the seas (height of the waves), frequency of the waves, and distance between the waves are all factors, and they interact with the size of the ship as well as the direction of the ship as opposed to the direction of the waves. Stabilizers do help, but do not and cannot stop all motion. What seems odd is that you will notice motion, but notice very small seas, and sometimes get little motion in seemingly heavy seas. And do not think that the new, super large cruise ships won’t move in the ocean. The ocean is much bigger and more powerful than any ship no matter how big!

 

As for the old saying of staying in a low cabin, that is not so true any longer. With the very large superstructures on modern cruising ships, the center of motion is significantly higher than it used to be, so the ideal place is often somewhere above the main deck. Being amidships minimizes pitching (bow going up and down), but has no effect on rolling (side-to-side).

 

As for the remedies:

 

Ginger is clinically proven to dramatically reduce or prevent all motion sickness. You can eat ginger snaps, candied ginger, drink real ginger ale (though you might need a lot), or take ginger pills (available in any drug store). This is a natural remedy obviously, but proven to work. Start taking or eating it before you get on the ship, but you do not need more than a few hours' time for it to get into your system -- you do not need to take it days in advance. This is particularly good if you experience heavy seas after many calm days and have not been taking anything.

 

Some people, as noted in a previous post, swear by the seabands, others notice no effect whatsoever. Again, no medications, but not always effective.

 

Bonine and dramamine are OTC medications available everywhere. They will work for most people who get seasick. They should be started before getting on the ship. Ships also dispense generic forms of these pills.

 

For cases of severe seasickness where nothing else has worked, there is the scopolamine patch. The most common side-effect is dry mouth, but there can be some serious side-effects as mentioned and including hallucinations. If you know you are going to get seasick, and you have tried other medications without success, and your doctor recommends it, get the prescription filled in advance and try it for a week on dry land first -- you don't want to start hallucinating as you walk along the rail while you are at sea.

 

Perhaps most of all, don't worry yourself into it. If you don't get motion sick in other situations, you are likely to be fine or will be fine after a few hours. If it were a really common problem, you wouldn't see so many cruise ships out there. While cruise ships do move in the seas, and rough seas can cause a lot of motion, bear in mind that they are not anything like small pleasure craft that bob and bounce along all the time. Motion on a cruise ship tends to be much, much slower and less dramatic. For most passengers, the gentle motion is calming. Cruise lines try to avoid rough seas when they can, though that is not always possible, and the seas are not always coming from the right direction (Mother Nature can be soooo finicky). For the most part, though, relax and enjoy. Odds are that you are going to be just fine, and the initial prevention suggestions should be enough by themselves.

[msk1]

As one who has suffered from motion sickness for years I have the "Golden Ticket" for you. I've tried the OTC products, generic Meclazine (Bonine), etc. I often travel with students so my wits need to be with me at all times.

 

Several years ago we did an Alaskan cruise. I used the Transderm Scop patch (scopolomine). I followed the directions fastidiously. Our cruise was 10 days, it worked well. Once on land, and no longer using the patch, I encountered the residual side effects which must have been the basis for Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo." I became so ill I was close to being hospitalized. I swore NEVER AGAIN!

 

My brother is president of a San Diego fishing club. He put this issue to his members, many of whom are medical professionals. To a one they recommended SCOPACE. This is the patch in pill form. One takes this one hour before getting aboard (ship, plane, whatever). This pill is taken every 8 hours as needed. When one is ashore (excursions, beach days, etc.) no pill is needed. The residual effects do not accrue and with the usual flushing with water there are NO side effects (I do sleep quite soundly--an added bonus). I would encourage you to visit the website and then discuss with your doctor. Scopace.com has great information. I am now a happy cruiser and highly recommend it!

 

msk1