Sea sickness - patch vs pill vs anything else

[RozWazowski]

I went on a very rough cruise several years ago. We dodged a hurricane the whole time and the seas were very rough - I remember feeling nauseated the whole trip. When I wasn't feeling sick, I was taking non drowsy Dramamine and sleeping the cruise away.

 

I'm afraid to get the patch b/c I don't know that I will really need it and have heard it can cause disorientation.

 

I hate to take Dramamine b/c I know it will zonk me out (even the non drowsy).

 

I have no experience with Bonine and am also afraid it will make me sleepy.

 

I have heard ginger pills work for motion sickness, and know that ginger root does help settle upset stomachs; but am not sure this will "cure" the problem.

 

Any advice? Please and thank you.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Try the gum ....

[mshimko]

Go see the doc/nurse, and get the SHOT!

 

My wife and I were on a cruise to Canada about 5 years ago, and the first 3 days we dodged one storm after another. Out cabin window wasa UNDER water most of the time; I was the ONLY ONE in the upper deck lounge, etc. My wife, who doesn't normally get seasick, spent 1 day and a half in bed. The second day I stopped by the nurses office and asked what they had. I then took my wife up, she got the shot around noon, went back to bed, and was up for a light dinner that evening!

 

If she (or anyone I know) ever has a bad case of seasickness I won't hesitate to get them up to see the doc.

[Talisker92]

My wife has had motion sickness- car, plane, boat-you name it, all her life. When she met me I introduced her to Bonine(generic meclazine). Since that time she has not had a problem. She flies with me in a light aircraft, and on a recent trip to Kauai, was out on a catamaran in 6 foot seas without a problem.

I buy the generic in 100 tablet bottles for the price of 8 Bonine. In general, it will not make you sleepy. Take one the day before you go on the cruise, then every night at bedtime.

[Underwatr]

Bonine is the same stuff as non-drowsy Dramamine, by the way. They're both meclizine.

[NorthCarolinaBelle]

Meclazine makes me sleepy, too. I have had great success with ginger capsules. I take one in the morning and one at night, beginning the day before my flight down to get it in my system. No side effects and no feeling seasick!:D

[JanineM]

Talk to your doctor. Everything for motion sickness, except for green apples and sea bands, is medication. That includes ginger.

 

I personally use the patch and have virtually no side effects, but that's what works for me. Some people are slighter of build so they use scopolomine tablets instead.

 

Meclizine/Bonine/Less Drowsy Dramamine all make me very sleepy HOWEVER if I take 1/2 at bedtime then it's isn't as bad. And with medications like this you have to take them every day, starting before you get sick.

 

Again, talk to your doctor.

[lady_cruiser]

I can tell you what works for us, the patch. We have been cruising since 2005 and always wore the patch whether or not we needed it. We put it on a few hours before we walk on the ship and every 4th day we replace it with a new one but, on the opposite ear.

 

We have been in seas so rough that as we were walking down the hallway to our cabin, we were actually being thrown from side to side, hitting the walls. Finally we just got on our knees and crawled back to our cabin.

We even came up with a dance name for the way people were walking: The Norwegian Shuffle (we were on the Norwegian Sun at the time.)

 

Over 60% of the people we talked to told us how sick they were. In fact one of the ladies cruising with our group told us she was literally thrwon out of bed, that is how rough the seas were.

 

But, thanks to the patch we never got sick. And I am very prone to motion sickness and won't take another train trip because of it.

[Maxpilot]

Synchronize what your eyes see to what your body feels. Get up on deck and look at the ocean, at the horizon. Drink plenty of water and be active. Walk around the deck and look at the ocean and horizon. Your inner ear will slowly get used to being tossed around, especially if your brain can confirm it from a couple sensory sources.

[bbwex]

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. You stated that you were on a very rough cruise, and that is different than a rough day or two. Among other things, heavy seas for a prolonged period get tiring.

 

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 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.

 

As for the remedies:

 

Ginger is clinically proven to dramatically reduce or prevent all motion sickness. You can take ginger pills (available in any drug store), eat candied ginger or ginger snaps, or drink real ginger ale (though you might need a lot). This is a natural remedy obviously, but clinically 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.

 

Some people 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 patch. The most common side-effect is dry mouth, but there can be some serious side-effects up to 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 generally get motion sick in other situations, you are likely to be fine or will be fine after a few hours. While cruise ships do move in the seas, and rough seas can cause a lot of motion as you are aware, bear in mind that really heavy seas are rarely encountered for a long period. The common motion on a cruise ship tends to be fairly slow and less dramatic than the seas around a major storm. If it were a really common problem, you wouldn't see so many cruise ships out there. 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.

[RozWazowski]

Wow. Thanks bbwex. That makes me feel A LOT better. I think I'll try the ginger route as its one of my favorite things and I prefer to not be doped up. I have some other anti puke meds that I will bring as a back up.

 

Both suggestions to stay out on deck make a lot of sense and I will be all over it. :)

 

 

 

 

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[Cruise staff]

I have to agree that ginger pills helps with motion sickness. I know this first hand since I work on a cruise ship. I have travelled through rough seas and that ginger pill was and will be my BFF ( best friends forever for people that don't know what that means )

 

In speaking to nurses and doctors I have met on the ship, I would not recommend the behind the ear patch. It will be a point of talk for some members but the medical staff on board mentioned that the patch is not good for most people. The cause pupil dilation and may hurt the retina in bright conditions.

 

Stick to the ginger and you will be all peachy!!!!;)

[CruiseCritic0123]

I've been recommending to everyone the Anchor Nutrition Bar, which is made out of real food and has the same effects as motion-sickness medicine! I've tried tons of different products like Dramamine but those made me drowsy :( I'm so excited that I discovered this bar! If anyone is interested I'm including the link because that's how much I love it!!! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011VHB950

[Floridiana]

Wow. Thanks bbwex. That makes me feel A LOT better. I think I'll try the ginger route as its one of my favorite things and I prefer to not be doped up. I have some other anti puke meds that I will bring as a back up.

 

Both suggestions to stay out on deck make a lot of sense and I will be all over it. :)

 

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He gave excellent advice. I love ginger and eat it candied on cruises and sometimes on trips where I eat local food. This (and ginger pills) is my only prevention.

Being on deck also helps, but it is often too cold to stay there long. If all else fails, I take bonine or dramamine before I go to bed. It makes me very sleepy. On long cruises, I sometimes manage to get sea legs! Nothing will prevent me from going on cruises to exciting places!