Question for those who have motion sickness

[goldgirl2]

We would like to take all our kids on a cruise with us. However, my son gets terrible motion sickness. He is a volunteer EMT and can't wait can ride in the back of an ambulance. He doesn't fly well either. Would a patch or something work on someone this sensitive?

[JoyMouse]

My sister and I both get motion sick easily. We've had good luck with Bonine (it's sold next to the Dramamine at the drug store). She actually spent 1.5 days riding out a typhoon on a Filipino ferry with the help of Bonine. It's relatively inexpensive, so he could try it out on the ground while riding in cars, ambulances, etc. I actually carry it in my purse all the time.

 

For motion sickness as severe as his, though, it might worth seeing a doctor as well. Also, consider booking mid-ship and a lower deck for less motion.

 

 

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[Hotel CA]

My sister and I both get motion sick easily. We've had good luck with Bonine (it's sold next to the Dramamine at the drug store). She actually spent 1.5 days riding out a typhoon on a Filipino ferry with the help of Bonine. It's relatively inexpensive, so he could try it out on the ground while riding in cars, ambulances, etc. I actually carry it in my purse all the time.

 

For motion sickness as severe as his, though, it might worth seeing a doctor as well. Also, consider booking mid-ship and a lower deck for less motion.

 

 

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Bonine is the absolutely best thing for me-- it works like a champ (and I am sensitive to motion as well) and does not make you drowsy nor sleepy and you take 1 pill a day (good for 24 hors)--always worked for me

[champagne123]

BONINE BONINE BONINE. And start taking it one to two days BEFORE the cruise.....AND at night, as it makes you sleepy.

[bigkauhuna]

I am sure you are aware of the below, you should be able to find all your required information within the internet if you search for it. I know you are looking for a quick answer. We see a lot of ppl wearing the patch.

 

Behavioral Strategies for Motion Sickness

 

•In the car: sit in the front seat or drive.

•Aboard a ship: stay toward the middle and look at the horizon. Avoid ship travel if possible. Stay out of small tight places where you can't see the horizon.

•On the airplane: ask for a window seat. The front of the plane may be preferable, as it is usually less noisy. Some people find that sitting in the middle is the best location as it provides one with a better appreciation of the aircraft's tilt. Don't sit near the bulkhead as this gives you no visual help to figure out how much you are really tilted.

•For cars: It may be helpful to mentally rehearse a trip route as familiarity and anticipation is sometimes helpful.

•Face leeward (so if you vomit, it gets blown away from the ship, not into it).

•Eat bland foods -- crackers and bread, or bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.

[Langley Cruisers]

I suggest a non-medicinal treatment - Sea Bands wrist bands. They really do work for me and I have used them on cruises as well as when I was pregnant and had morning sickness. I tried Bonine on a cruise once - first and last time ever! It was awful. I was loopy and lost an entire day because of it. Never again.

.

[JoyMouse]

Bonine is the absolutely best thing for me-- it works like a champ (and I am sensitive to motion as well) and does not make you drowsy nor sleepy and you take 1 pill a day (good for 24 hors)--always worked for me

 

 

 

This is what I do and then use the second allowed pill in case there are rough seas, a tender, a ferry, or I'm riding in the back of a van. It doesn't make me drowsy either, but to Champagne123's point, that's why trying it out on land is helpful.

 

We should start a "Fans of Bonine" sub-forum!

 

 

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Edited April 29, 2016 by JoyMouse

[champagne123]

I suggest a non-medicinal treatment - Sea Bands wrist bands. They really do work for me and I have used them on cruises as well as when I was pregnant and had morning sickness. I tried Bonine on a cruise once - first and last time ever! It was awful. I was loopy and lost an entire day because of it. Never again.

.

 

I agree with you, which is why I tell everyone to take it at night and start 2 days before your cruise. Sorry you had a hard time with it.

[goldgirl2]

Maybe he can do the sea bands and the Bonine? For extra protection.

[JoyMouse]

Maybe he can do the sea bands and the Bonine? For extra protection.

 

 

 

That's what I did on my first cruise until I figured out what worked for me.

[cruiseguy1016]

DW has problems with motion sickness. She uses Bonine and it works great for her. Bonine has never made her drowsy. She takes one in the morning on the day of our flights and one in the morning every day of the cruise.

[linkerbink]

He may have to try different things before he finds what works best for him. I tried the wrist bands and all they did was hurt. Dramamine did not work well plus it made me sleepy. I find Bonine works best for me, plus just to make sure, I take ginger capsules or chew ginger gum. I was on the infamous Anthem of the Seas "cruise to nowhere" this past February which went through 30-40 foot seas and I never even got queasy. I get so motion sick I can't even read in a car or on a plane, but this works for me. I also tried some over the counter natural ingredient patch (from Amazon) that worked well. Good luck!

[Ethelfleda]

I am also very motion sensitive (and suffer from occasional vertigo) - When in cars I must either drive, ride shotgun, or take meds.. I must sit at or in front of the wing in planes (and take meds), and I take medication around the clock on cruises.

 

My preferred med (as many others have said) is Meclizine (that's the generic for Bonnie, Antivert, less-drowsy Dramamine, etc..). I get mine 300 at a time on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Meclizine-Generic-Bonine-Chewable-Tablets/dp/B00EMLC07O?ie=UTF8&keywords=meclizine&qid=1461951794&ref_=sr_1_2_a_it&sr=8-2

 

That said, you can also get them in 100 count bottles for a little less than half this price. They are a very tasty raspberry chewable tablet.

 

While I'm on a cruise I take the medication around the clock, I believe that most people use 2 doses per day.. read the package directions of course. I can neither diagnose nor prescribe! (I take a different number of doses per day, per my vertigo prescription for Meclizine). I recommend you have him start taking the medication the night before your cruise. (also try it out well in advance to make sure he doesn't have any allergic reactions or anything). FYI that the medication can cause a bit of drowsiness - some people find it more challenging than others - he can try a half tablet to see if that works well enough for him if necessary. Alcohol will increase the sedative effect. Most people start to get used to the med after a couple of days and don't find the sedation continues throughout longer term use but ymmv.

 

Regarding cabin choice - I found that the ocean view cabin mid-ship on deck 2 of the Freedom class was AWFUL for my motion sickness.. the distortion of the thick glass made my motion sickness worse whenever I caught a glimpse of the outside world. I do much better in either an inside, or a balcony, even if they aren't low and to the middle of the ship. You won't find me in an OV cabin again - at least not one with thick distortion heavy type glass.

 

I tend to prefer a mid-ship balcony these days - being able to see outside helps me a great deal - and feeling the breeze on my face also helps me if I'm feeling particularly sensitive. I've also done well in Promenade view cabins that are also mid-ship.

 

I love to cruise - but not if I let my Meclizine wear off!!

 

Cheers,

 

FL

 

 

 

We would like to take all our kids on a cruise with us. However, my son gets terrible motion sickness. He is a volunteer EMT and can't wait can ride in the back of an ambulance. He doesn't fly well either. Would a patch or something work on someone this sensitive?

Edited April 29, 2016 by Ethelfleda

[guardguy89]

I'd say to make sure you book on an Oasis class ship. Having been on both Oasis and Allure - you won't even feel the motion of the ship. I doubt he would need any medication and would appreciate the trip even more.

 

Mike

[tutzig]

I get seasick real quick and I take Bonine every AM, and have never gotten sick, even sailed into Bermuda after a Hurricane.

 

I take back I have never gotten sick, I forgot to take it the AM we did Parasailing, my fault. I took it right after! LOL

 

Bonine is marketed as non-drowsy and it has never made me feel drowsy.

[champagne123]

I'd say to make sure you book on an Oasis class ship. Having been on both Oasis and Allure - you won't even feel the motion of the ship. I doubt he would need any medication and would appreciate the trip even more.

 

Mike

 

It was on the Allure that my son was violently ill. He could not even leave the cabin for the whole cruise without throwing up. Our next cruise I had him take the Bonine and no seasickness at all...so this is not necessarily true. He now takes it for every cruise he takes.

[ColoradoGurl]

I use the scopolamine patch that you get with a prescription from the doctor.

 

Bonine and Dramamine do NOT work for me, neither do seasickness bands, ginger, or being on a lower deck of the ship.

 

If he has extreme motion sickness, I would go straight for the patch. You will find lots of people who say bonine works, and lots who say it doesn't, but I've never read any reports that say the patch didn't work.

 

We have sailed on voyager class ships (explorer, mariner and adventure) and the only time I was sick was when I used Dramamine and sea sickness bands on my wrists. In fact, it was so bad I was bed ridden for a day, and threw up outside of the windjammer right in front of everyone because I couldn't make it to a bathroom quick enough.

[brookie848]

I get seasick as well and decided to try to go with some natural remedies on my last cruise (didn't want to deal with potential side effects of the common drugs). I used the Sea Bands and MotionEaze, which is an oil that you put behind your ear.

 

For me, the MotionEaze really helped (or I thought it helped, so therefore it did ;)). This is sometimes sold on ships, but it can be purchased cheaply on Amazon.

[Argana]

Bonine chewable tablets here. One a day and you are all set. The first cruise I went on I used the patch behind the ear and I was so sleepy and groggy it was horrible. The second cruise, I brought Bonine, but decided I didn't want to take it unless needed, so I skipped the first day, but quickly realized that was the wrong move because I was so nauseous. I started taking Bonine on day two, and it worked like a charm for the remainder of my 7 day cruise.

 

I finished my third cruise last week, and took Bonine every morning and had no problems at all. Worked wonderfully.

[southnam]

Another vote for Bonine. Worked for our kids as well. Pharmacist said just give them half pill

 

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[BND]

Absolutely Bonine (or Less Drowsy Dramamine-they're both meclizine). Works great for me and even when we've had very bad seas, it's kept me from actually getting sick. Nauseous, yeah, but never actually sick and that was in 30 foot seas that lasted all day and into the night. The worst was the evening, so I just went to bed and woke up feeling fine the next morning. 19 cruises and have only had the meds not work 100% a couple of times. Both were mixed seas with 20+ foot waves. Below that, I feel fine, which is the majority of cruises.

 

You can only stay mid-ship for so long. Cabin location really doesn't matter as we mainly sleep there and laying down helps anyway. The location thing sounds good in theory, until you realize you will not be in the same place the entire trip.

 

As for not feeling the motion on Oasis or Allure, that's BS. If there's motion, you will feel it. The ocean is still a lot bigger than any ship. Oasis and Allure seem to have less motion because they sail out of FL to the Caribbean, where the seas tend to be calm, unless there is a storm.

[jagsfan]

I've been taking Bonine since 1984 when it was only by prescription, as Meclizine.

I take one the morning of sailing, and another around 4pm. That makes a huge difference when sailing out of Florida, and crossing the Florida Straits.

After that I'm good unless we run into really rough water. It's not the pitch that gets me, it's the roll.

I have been seasick on theme park rides, a ferry, a glass bottom boat!!! and just watching kids on a swing. I'm afraid to risk trying anything else, because once you're sick, it's too late for anything but an anti-nausea shot at the infirmary. $$$$$.

There is a child's version, and a lot of people buy generic Bonine. Just ask your pharmacist for Meclizine which evidently comes in larger packages for less money.

[Richst48]

We would like to take all our kids on a cruise with us. However, my son gets terrible motion sickness. He is a volunteer EMT and can't wait can ride in the back of an ambulance. He doesn't fly well either. Would a patch or something work on someone this sensitive?

 

If I were you I would check with your doctor first. I have severe motion sickness and I use the patches which require a prescription from your doc. I have never had any problems as long as I make sure they stay in the correct place. Sometimes they get wet and can slip. They need to stay right on the bone that you can feel behind your ear.

[cincicruisers]

Bonine for sure. Also Motion Ease. Available over the counter. It's a liquid that you dot behind the ear. You can use with Bonnie. Also Motion Ease can be done after you start feeling sick.

 

One more green apples. The ship will have plenty.

Edited April 29, 2016 by cincicruisers

[iamcsm]

If he has extreme motion sickness, I would go straight for the patch. You will find lots of people who say bonine works, and lots who say it doesn't, but I've never read any reports that say the patch didn't work.

 

Let me be the first - the patch did not work for me the first time I flew. I still threw up the entire flight. Again, each of us is a little different.

 

I take the generic bonine (really cheap) each night before I go to bed on the cruise. Helps me sleep and I sleep off any effects it might have. If I feel queasy during the day I take a 2nd one that is allowed. I am pretty sensitive. The last cruise I borrowed some wrist bands and that took the edge off any other queasiness I got. I did have one cruise that was really stormy for a couple of days where I spent a lot of time in my room - but so did half or more of the ship. The great thing was I learned how cool room service is on the cruise!

 

Probably the best advice for someone really sensitive is to do a port intensive cruise with very few, if any, sea days. Then you can still enjoy the destinations and can take drugs to sleep at night while the ship is moving.