Need Help Before My Next Cruise!

[Toby34]

I have been on numerous cruises and have issues after I get off the ship. I am fine while on the ship but once we get off I have terrible dizziness. I go back to work and my office is floating on waves. It has gotten worse and lasts longer after each trip. A couple cruises back my doctor suggested over the counter seasickness pills, didn’t work. I took them before I left, while on the ship and for a while after getting off.

The last cruise, last year (5 nights), he prescribed the patch behind the ear, didn’t work. I did the same steps, before, during and after.

Later this year my daughter wants to take a bigger cruise and we will go out of Barcelona. I need suggestions as to what could help my situation.

All suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[Essiesmom]

If you are not having problems while ON the cruise, don't take/use them. The time to use them is when you HAVE the problem. It's not that rare, others complain of the same thing. Mal de debarkment (debarquement) it is sometimes called. Visit Mr. Google...EM

[just erica]

I have been on numerous cruises and have issues after I get off the ship. I am fine while on the ship but once we get off I have terrible dizziness. I go back to work and my office is floating on waves. It has gotten worse and lasts longer after each trip. A couple cruises back my doctor suggested over the counter seasickness pills, didn’t work. I took them before I left, while on the ship and for a while after getting off.

The last cruise, last year (5 nights), he prescribed the patch behind the ear, didn’t work. I did the same steps, before, during and after.

Later this year my daughter wants to take a bigger cruise and we will go out of Barcelona. I need suggestions as to what could help my situation.

All suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

I have the exact same thing. It usually lasts for 2-4 days and then goes away. I find what helps me is to stay busy and moving strangely enough. If I stay still too long it comes back. Also if I take a 1/2 tablet of Gravol that helps too. Good luck with your next cruise and Barcelona is an amazing city! If it's in your budget I would suggest going a few days early to enjoy the city.

[lisiamc]

There is a series of movements recommended for people with vertigo, that can sort of “reset” your inner ear. Maybe make an appointment with a physiotherapist who can show you how they’re done.

[gerelmx]

I only feel these symptoms in my first 2 cruises, Maybe I'm used to it

[martincath]

If it's actually as you describe OP (multiple cruises, happens every time, gets worse each time) then logic dictates cruising should be reconsidered. I virtually never get seasick, but always have 'land legs' for a few hours after disembarking. Showed symptoms of 'real' MdDS twice - once for a few days and then another time for well over a week before it settled down. They weren't on consecutive cruises, I've had worse weather/waves on other trips that I showed no effects, nor did duration of cruising map to the condition - so I continued cruising and have been OK since.

 

While a lot of info out there is anecdotal from sufferers, treatments for vertigo/seasickness being used to mask the symptoms seems to be as much as you can expect from most medical professionals unless it doesn't go away (and even then, it's not like there are dedicated MdDS specialists available with magical cures).

 

The only actually-useful thing I can suggest other than speaking to your Doctor about a referral to an ENT specialist (inner ear does seem to be consistently involved in MdDS) is trying the Brandt-Daroff exercises (google for videos of how to do them, it's very easy). If your MdDS is caused by displacement of the 'stones' in your inner ear, this simple routine helps guide them back to where they're meant to be. Trained people can also perform the Epley maneuver which does the same thing more efficiently (but isn't something most docs need to learn, and even if they know it might cost you a lot unless you've got a great healthplan). If there's a different root cause it won't fix you but shouldn't have any risk of harm (as long as you avoid banging your head on something - do them on your bed rather than the living room floor!)

 

When my wife came down with BPPV (a fairly common condition with the same symptoms) she was prescribed 2 weeks 'seasickness' meds to let her function and Brandt-Daroff to do at home - boom, sorted. Meds let her continue her normal day-to-day while the condition was resolved. Since we have great healthcare up here we already had a plan locked in for our GP to move onto a series of visits to perform Epley if it didn't fix itself in that fortnight, with specialist referral a month later if still needed.