Question for those who get sea sick

[Pier Pressure 53]

My wife and I will be going on our 1st ever cruise in a few months. In the past she has been very prone to sea sickness on small boats, to the point that we don't do any boats at all. I have read here the many posts here on sea sickness and remedies.

My question would be directed at those that have gotten very sea sick very easily, and what they took to cure/fix it, and has it been 100% effective since???

 

I do appreciate the help and any and all suggestions. The cruise will be in celebration of our 35th wedding anniversary and I do want it to go as well as possible.

 

John

[packedandready]

My DH is the KING of motion sickness :( I was really surprised when he agreed to go on our first cruise. He took some of the non-drowsy sea sick meds (can't think of the name right now...starts with a m) for a couple of days and then tried not taking anything. We're about to leave on cruise #14 and he's NEVER been sick or anything near it.

 

Take some meds with you "just in case" and have fun.

[cb at sea]

A small boat moves completely differently than a large ship.....while you will feel some motion, it won't be that frantic rocking that you feel on a fishing boat or something...

[ronbarb]

Having had motion sickness on every mode of transportation (even while looking down on a moving elevator), here is what works for me. I take nondrowsy Dramamine for airline flights- some dry mouth, but no hungover drowsy effect. And for cruises, Scopalomine patches work great. These are prescription only and do effect everyone differently. The benefit is that one patch is effective for 72 hours, which is great for a long cruise. Again, the only effect I notice is dry mouth. Be sure to wash hands thoroughly after applying. After waking up one morning with a very dilated pupil and the fear that I was "stroking out", I realized it was the patch!

[mom says]

I'm another who gets seasick easily. I've about tried them all. Sea bands and ginger pills were not effective for me. Dramamine(dimenhydrinate) worked but left me very drowsy. The Scopolomine patch worked but gave me a dry mouth and caused such bad blurred vision that I had to take it off. The only thing I found that worked well but gave me no side effects was Bonine (non drowsy Dramamine, generic name meclizine). I started it the night before embarkation and continued taking one tablet every night for the duration of the cruise.

 

I will add that there is no comparison between the motion felt on a small boat and on a big cruise ship. Very little motion is felt unless you encounter high winds or storms.

[JSWalk]

I agree with the previous poster. I use Bonine or Meclazine also. It works great. I however start taking it 3 days precruise and take it at night before I go to bed. Take one every day of the cruise. I learned that the hard way. It worked so well I thought I was not going to be sea sick so stopped in the middle of the cruise. We were on an 11 night cruise. We hit 20-25 foot swells and no meclazine in my system so I was very sick for 2 days back to San Francisco. I have cruised several times since then and always take a pill every night of the cruise, just to be sure.

Edited March 3, 2014 by JSWalk

[MCC retired]

75 plus cruises under my belt and I don't get seasick .

However whenever I go on a fishing charter boat I fell lousy get sick even after bonine/dramamine.

Boat VS ship , totaly different motion or none at all on the cruise ship.

 

 

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[slyfox0113]

First cruise I used the Scope patch behind my ear, heard it was the best way NOT to get seasick, well I was sick before we left the Hudson River. Finally called the ship dr at 9 pm because I was literally green (so everyone I was traveling with told me). He said I was having a reaction to the patch and to take it off immediately, which I did. Dramamine after that, no problems. I will take my 11th cruise very soon and I take Bonine, start the night before we leave. Take it twice a day, never any problems, and I have been in some rough weather. Hope you have a great cruise.

[ger_77]

Another sea-sick person here, and yes, I also swear by Bonine, or the generic brand meclizine that you can purchase in bottles of 100 tabs at places like Costco or Walmart. Happy Anniversary - tell your bride of 35 years to take the pill at night and that way if she's going to fall asleep, it really won't matter. Please come back and let us know how your cruise was.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[Dayenu]

I get sea sick just by looking at boats :) And like your wife I try to avoid small boats at sea.

 

First, choose a cruise with more port days, less sea days.

 

Second, you need to pick up the cabin wisely. Stay in the lower half of the ship, in the middle third of it. The cabin should have at least a window (porthole OK), never an inside cabin.

 

Third, if you don't take blood thinners, start taking ginger 2 days before the cruise, continue through the cruise, and 2-3 days after it (to avoid "sea legs" after cruise). Bring Bonine for emergencies, or ask a doctor for prescription. Worst case scenario, there is a doctor on-board. Make sure your health insurance has world-wide coverage.

 

The last, but not least, don't be afraid. Be prepared, but not afraid.

[dreamer320]

My husband is very prone to motion sickness. He used scopolamine patches, starting before we even boarded. However, it wasn't 100% effective - after a miserable first night, he added seabands and was fine for the rest of the trip. Whenever he forgot to put the seabands back on after a shower or whatever, he very quickly felt the difference! So be prepared, because what works for one person won't be another, and you may need a mix of remedies.

[SPacificbound]

Taking Bonine and ginger capsules prophylactically is really the best thing to do. You don't want her to get seasick and then start trying to treat it.

 

We take them before going to bed, starting a couple of nights in advance. :)

 

We had seabands also but never needed them.

Edited March 3, 2014 by SPacificbound

[Cruisin' Chick]

The thing to remember is what works for one person won't for the next.

 

I'm the sufferer in my family -- my hubby and teen aren't bothered at all with motion sickness. But many medications tend to make me drowsy, even some that aren't supposed to.

 

What I advise my fellow sufferers to do is to try out various different ones while still on land. Check with your doctor if you're on prescribed medicine to make sure there won't be a conflict.

 

Then take along a few that don't give you side effects. While on the ship, some might not work that well in actual practice. Best case scenario, you'll have a smooth cruise and won't need anything. But most likely something will help if that's not the case.

[olemissreb]

On a ship, I don't usually get seasick any more. Our first cruise, I started to get a little woozy and took some dramamine and that knocked me out. Not wanting to sleep through my cruise, a lady in the gift shop recommended SeaBands and they worked great.

 

Summer 2013, we went to Alaska and knowing my penchant for seasickness on small boats, I started taking Bonine Non-Drowsy (which still makes me drowsy) 3 or 4 nights before we left. I continued taking it nightly until we got to Vancouver. I never got sick and we did white water rafting, an 8 hour school bus (Denali shuttle bus) ride, Kenai Fjords boat tour, flight seeing, tram ride and dealing with my DH's driving!

 

If you start taking seasickness meds a couple days/nights in advance, you can find out how they will affect you and make adjustments. If we hadn't been doing excursions on the cruise portion of our trip last year that I knew would affect me, I could have stopped taking my meds when we got on the ship. I rarely feel the movement of a ship anymore. Not sure where you plan on cruising, but make sure it's a calmer area like the Caribbean - not to say that it will be totally smooth, but it tends to be calmer than the Atlantic or Pacific.

[charmed101]

I find the only thing that works for me is to drink less the night before, doesn't always work because I forget the next night.

[houstoncruisers2001]

i just take an over the counter motion pill before I get on the ship. I'll take a couple more the first few hours onboard. I watch what I eat right off the bat and go easy on the drinking until i get my sea legs. After that i'm good to go unless the ship is really rocking. And, if it's really rocking even half the crew is sick. Not fun.

[Sue Do-Over]

Start with treatments with the least interactions, and work your way up.

Sea bands

Ginger pills

Bonine

Dramamine

Prescription compazine (suppositories)

 

If sick:

Gatoraid -- provides some calories and hydration, while the potassium will prevent leg cramps.

[apkpcruisers]

On our last cruise I was told to eat green apples, and it worked for me. I ordered it from room service. :-)

 

 

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[mopedmom1]

I have been taking Bonine with great results since the late '80's for air travel.

 

When I use for cruising I start taking 1 pill at bedtime 2 days before any travel. I take an additional 1/2 tablet just before boarding the plane to my cruise port. Since we fly the day before a cruise I take a whole one again at bedtime, then 1/2 tablet in the morning, approximately 12 hours later and just before boarding the ship. I continue this protocol until I am home again on solid ground: 1 pill in the evening and 1/2 pill 12 hours later.

 

During a particularly snotty passage from Victoria out into the Pacific Ocean I succumbed briefly (along with MANY a pax) to nausea but as mentioned above green apples were a tremendous help.

 

Things that I have tried with little to no success: Dramamine-makes me too drowsy, Ginger pills and pressure bands-totally useless much to my chagrin because I ALWAYS prefer the natural route.

[CheckersMidwest]

Another extreme sea sick victim here !:rolleyes: I tried the sea bands. They provided absolutely nothing.

 

I now use Bonine. I take it 2 days prior, every day of the cruise, and 2 days after. I also get 'land sick' once we return. My body just gets use to rocking and then it has to 'stand still'.

 

It does make me a bit sleepy. I called the pharmacy and asked about the patch. Since I am prone to headaches/migraines anyway they said I'd be better off with Bonine. They also said that the patch also sometimes causes drowsiness.

[EasyBreezy83]

When I went on my first cruise I didn't take anything at all thinking I wouldn't get sick. I WAS SO WRONG!! I missed the first day and a half of a 3 night cruise to my stateroom bathroom. It was the most awful feeling ever! I honestly thought I would never cruise again! :eek:

 

I've since been on two other cruises and I ALWAYS take Bonine. I take it very early in the morning of cruise day, and take is religiously every morning I am on the ship and I have not had a problem since. My last cruise I was aware of the ships motion, but it didn't make me sick at all. I'm getting ready to go on another cruise in April and bought generic dramamine, however I'm going to return it and get Bonine. I figure, if it ain't broke...... ;)

[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. The OP said that his wife does get seasick on small boats, so let's go on, but bear in mind that the motion of a cruise ship and the motion of a small boat are totally, and I mean totally, different. A small boat hit and goes up and down every single wave. I large ship will move in the seas, and I discuss this a bit more below, but the motion is a very slow and gentle motion in 99% of the cases.

 

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 sometimes 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 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 about an hours' time before the ship gets underway for it to get into your system -- you do not need to take it days in advance.

 

Some people swear by the seabands, that put accupressure on a point on the wrist, 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 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 or let your spouse worry herself into it. If you don't get motion sick in most 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, as I said earlier, 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.

[Juicy2143]

Thanks to all that provided information - this has helped me. This is our first cruise and we are going to Alaska - my DH gets seasick on smaller boats if the seas are over 4ft and this has been concerning him that it will happen on this cruise. He normally just eats the ginger gum and takes the ginger pills, but I think I should pick him up something more for the "just in case".

[MandyMooToo]

I get severely motion sick on every mode of transportation and the only thing that works for me is the patch. I have tried so many OTC's, etc. that did not work or made me a sleepy zombie I finally gave in and tried the RX patch. I realize some people have side effects but I have not had a single issue and I use them on cruises and planes and have done so since 2005 without any side effects or problems. I just put on a patch about 24 hours before I get on the boat/plane and carry "less drowsy" Dramamine in case of breakthrough nausea (hasn't happened but you never know). I also get a RX from my doctor for phenergan gel in case I get sick with anything nausea inducing while traveling. Basically your wife needs to consult her doctor and see what he or she recommends. Always remember to check the recommended directions as some remedies are to be started before you begin travel. Good luck!

[BeagleOne]

You've gotten a lot of suggestions here. MY suggestion would be to make a list of those suggestions, and have your wife take the list to her doctor to discuss it with him.

 

MY experience, which is valid only to me, just as others' are valid only to them, is that the scopolamine patch works great. It works 100% of the time for me and I have no side effects. It also lasts a week for me instead of the advertised three days. I put it on the day before the cruise and have extras with me in case the patch gets sweated or washed off, or if the cruise is longer than a week.

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise!