Dizziness/Motion Sickness during and after cruise

[gude2]

My family and I will be going on our third cruise this summer.  The first time I was younger and could "feel the boat moving", but no lasting effects.  The second time was 2 years ago, in my early 40s, and I had extreme dizziness while on the boat and for almost 2 weeks afterward.  I wore Sea Bands and it helped a little, but I felt like I was on the move even off the boat.  Anyone else run into this?  Do you have any good precautions or remedies?

[dude_hdt]

I get motion sickness like you describe very easily.  I use ear patch nowadays which is good for 3 days.  Near the end of the cruise I'll switch to dramamine and continue using dramamine for about a couple of days or so after getting off the ship.

 

Lately, either I've been getting better "sea legs" or the ships are getting bigger with better stabilization technology, because I don't suffer that much anymore.  That's why I prefer the newer ships or ones that are 150k tons or bigger.

[ROXY GIRL]

I use Meclizine. If i start feeling a little queasy i take a 25mg. and in about 30 minutes I'm back to normal. If you are just laying around it can make you sleepy, but up having a good time you will be fine. I seldom use it on a cruise. but it works for me when i need it. Get it at any drug store OTC.

HAPPY SAILING 😎

[dmdiver]

The first few cruises we used the sea bands.  I thought they were effective, but soon tired of wearing them.  Now, I take a ginger capsule morning & evening.  If I have dizziness after returning home, I just continue them for 5 days or so.  Ship staff says green apples are good as well.

[Andoria]

I've only felt moments of queasiness during one cruise but the seas were particularly rough.  I've experienced mal de debarquement syndrome after most cruises.

[ShakyBeef]

I've never (thank God!) had even a tiny bit of motion sickness while onboard any boat or ship.  But I do get Mal de Débarquement Syndrome after every cruise.  It sometimes lasts for weeks, and usually occurs while I'm standing and looking down, such as when washing my hands at a sink.   I think of it as a weird little souvenir of my cruise.🤪

[gude2]

9 minutes ago, ShakyBeef said:

I've never (thank God!) had even a tiny bit of motion sickness while onboard any boat or ship.  But I do get Mal de Débarquement Syndrome after every cruise.  It sometimes lasts for weeks, and usually occurs while I'm standing and looking down, such as when washing my hands at a sink.   I think of it as a weird little souvenir of my cruise.🤪

Yep.  This is me!  Doing research.  It doesn't seem as if there is anything that can be done to prevent or treat it other than not going on a cruise.  Ugh!!

[BrezQ]

I always bring Bonine (mezclizine) chewables. Have never had to use them, except on very first cruise and had to for several days AFTER cruise! But now I just take them in case!!

[PortSideCruzan]

Hi Gude2 ☺️

 

During a sailing I use Meclezine. However if I experience any symptoms of Mal de Debarquement Syndrome after my voyage I always treat, manage & combat it with (exercise). 

 

Typically the symptoms of Mal de Debarquement Syndrome go away on its own. And it's essential to remember that each & everyone of us are different & the way we may respond to a particular medication or exercise varies; it's always best & warranted to seek advice from your doctor. Especially if is its lasting weeks after a cruise instead of days. 

 

In most instances of Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, exercise is best. But if the symptoms are severe or are lasting weeks, a doctor visit is warranted & a medication may be needed. 

 

Here is some info on Mal de Debarquement Syndrome @:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal_de_debarquement

 

Additional info located @:

https://www.webmd.com/brain/mal-de-debarquement-syndrome

 

Important:

Always remember when seeking medical advice on a public forum that what might work well for one person may wreak havoc on another. 

 

I hope you feel better soon!

 

 

 

🌴

 

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by PortSideCruzan

[pyropoodle]

I second the Bonine.  I start taking it the night before a flight if I have one, then take one a night until 2 or 3 days post cruise.   they make me drowsy, but I take one before bed and it works 24 hours.   They have really worked for me

[Can'tWait2SetSail]

7 minutes ago, BrezQ said:

I always bring Bonine (mezclizine) chewables. Have never had to use them, except on very first cruise and had to for several days AFTER cruise! But now I just take them in case!!

 

I have experienced seasickness in the past, so now I always take one Bonine every night while I cruise. Haven't been sick once since using this method and I had one cruise that the rocking was so bad, they had vomit bags available on the handrails of every staircase. It was so bad they had to close the shades in the DR because the ship was on such an angle. I was fine with my Bonine!

[Sean_B]

1 hour ago, dude_hdt said:

I get motion sickness like you describe very easily.  I use ear patch nowadays which is good for 3 days.  Near the end of the cruise I'll switch to dramamine and continue using dramamine for about a couple of days or so after getting off the ship.

 

Lately, either I've been getting better "sea legs" or the ships are getting bigger with better stabilization technology, because I don't suffer that much anymore.  That's why I prefer the newer ships or ones that are 150k tons or bigger.

Having been in the Navy and sailed through some of the worst weather Mama Nature could throw at a ship (30m seas anyone?), I can tell you that Scopolamine patches can be used for upwards of five days each and are really the only thing that truly works. other than the constant dry mouth/nose, they're a wonderful product and they certainly saved my Navy career until I could find something else to do.

Edited May 7, 2019 by Sean_B

[hawaiissunshine1]

I start using Bonine a few days before I get on the ship (1 tablet a day) so that it's in my system. The day we fly out, I start taking 2 a day, and the first full day aboard the ship, I either stick with 2 a day (one when I get up, one before dinner) or move up to 3 a day if we are really rocking. I'm a big fan of proactively trying to prevent it. My first cruise was a disaster (I had been in the hospital for a stuck gall stone for 3 days and released the day before we left AND I got super motion sick. It would been enough to turn ANYBODY against cruising), but I haven't had any issues since. My doctor told me I could take up to 4 meclizine a day if I need to. 

 

I also tend to still feel the boat when I get home (it's especially bad in the shower), so I continue to take 1 a day for the first few days I'm home and it tends to help. 

 

Pro tip: If you ask at the pharmacy, sometimes they'll sell you the big bottles of meclizine for super cheap (some will claim you need a prescription). I got a 100 count bottle for $4 from the Target pharmacy without a prescription! 

[Marauder40]

Anyone have any experience with kids and the different seasickness meds?   First cruise ever coming up.  I have a 11 year old and a 15 year old.  From what we can tell we will get the 15 year old the patch, but the patch isn't allowed on the 11 year old.  Both my kids have issues with car sickness, my son can get it just from normal riding in a car, my daughter gets it if she does things on her phone/tablet.

[fair-winds39]

Don't need anything anymore, but I bring along chewable Bonine, just in case. Sometimes it depends on your itinerary. My first sea venture was a transatlantic crossing on the QE2 from Southampton to Philadelphia, PA on the Atlantic Ocean...I was seasick pretty much the entire trip. After that I was sure I would never set foot on another ship. I never did stop cruising though. I tried the patch and it never worked for me. Finally I tried prescription meclizine and then  Bonine, and that worked the best of all. We've been cruising for many years and now I don't really need anything, but I never want to re-live that first journey.

[ObstructedView2]

3 hours ago, gude2 said:

 

My family and I will be going on our third cruise this summer.  The first time I was younger and could "feel the boat moving", but no lasting effects. 

 

The second time was 2 years ago, in my early 40s, and I had extreme dizziness while on the boat and for almost 2 weeks afterward. 

 

I wore Sea Bands and it helped a little, but I felt like I was on the move even off the boat.  Anyone else run into this?  Do you have any good precautions or remedies?

 

 

⬇️ This ⬇️

 

1 hour ago, PortSideCruzan said:

Hi Gude2 ☺️

 

During a sailing I use Meclezine. However if I experience any symptoms of Mal de Debarquement Syndrome after my voyage I always treat, manage & combat it with (exercise). 

 

Typically the symptoms of Mal de Debarquement Syndrome go away on its own. And it's essential to remember that each & everyone of us are different & the way we may respond to a particular medication or exercise varies; it's always best & warranted to seek advice from your doctor. Especially if is its lasting weeks after a cruise instead of days. 

 

In most instances of Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, exercise is best. But if the symptoms are severe or are lasting weeks, a doctor visit is warranted & a medication may be needed. 

 

Here is some info on Mal de Debarquement Syndrome @:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal_de_debarquement

 

Additional info located @:

https://www.webmd.com/brain/mal-de-debarquement-syndrome

 

Important:

Always remember when seeking medical advice on a public forum that what might work well for one person may wreak havoc on another. 

 

I hope you feel better soon!

 

 

 

🌴

 

 

 

[OCruisers]

1 hour ago, Andoria said:

I've only felt moments of queasiness during one cruise but the seas were particularly rough.  I've experienced mal de debarquement syndrome after most cruises.

 

Somewhat common after a cruise.

My doctor says taking anything for is AFTER a cruise is simply a placebo.

It goes away with time on its own no matter what you do.  

[awestover89]

Dramamine works for me, but not so much for my husband. He started using Motioneaze as well as Dramamine and has had really good experiences with that. https://amzn.to/2JklW7r

 

Honestly I was super skeptical with motionease (as well as other drug free remedies like the Sea Bands) but it's worked wonders for my husband. If the seas are particularly rough he might have a little trouble, but usually a ginger ale helps with that.

 

As for after the cruise, I find exercise and stretching helps a lot. For me it's a lot worse if I go straight from the cruise to a flight; I think it's the semi-constant motion while at sea compounded by suddenly being very still. 

[ShakyBeef]

2 hours ago, Marauder40 said:

Anyone have any experience with kids and the different seasickness meds?   First cruise ever coming up.  I have a 11 year old and a 15 year old.  From what we can tell we will get the 15 year old the patch, but the patch isn't allowed on the 11 year old.  Both my kids have issues with car sickness, my son can get it just from normal riding in a car, my daughter gets it if she does things on her phone/tablet.

 

My children are similar to yours with motion sickness in the car (it is most likely to happen to them when reading in the car), so I was worried about them getting seasick.  Thankfully, they never have on a cruise ship (although my youngest (12 at the time) did on a small boat in rough seas last year).  As a precaution, I started them on ginger capsules about 10 days before each cruise, then continue to make them take it throughout the cruise.  I figure it's not going to hurt, and it might really help.

 

I also pack just about every OTC seasickness med available, just in case my children or anyone else I know or meet needs it.

 

I packed this for the kids when they were younger:

 

 

I also packed these Meclizine thin strips:

 

 

I also packed natural ginger root gum, and gave it to them a few times.  It's kinda weird: starts out as a large, crumbly tablet, then turns into gum as one chews it.  They HATED that stuff!

 

ETA:  It looks like I can't delete this giant image of the wrong type of ginger gum.  Sorry.  The picture below is not the kind of gum I used.  I have no idea if the SeaBand brand pictured is at all like the type I used.

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by ShakyBeef

[ShakyBeef]

3 hours ago, gude2 said:

Yep.  This is me!  Doing research.  It doesn't seem as if there is anything that can be done to prevent or treat it other than not going on a cruise.  Ugh!!

 

That's a clear case of "the cure is worse than the disease".  No thank you!😛

[Kmangel]

This thread has got me thinking about how I feel when I have been on a long flight.  I don’t feel sick on board the flight but once I get off I am dizzy.  I have never taken anything prior to a flight, but now I am thinking maybe I should at least give taking Bonine a try before my next long flight.  

 

While on a cruise, I have take Bonine if there is considerable movement which seems to work for me.  Once off the boat, I have never noticed any dizziness.  Only after a long flight but until now never thought Bonine might help.

Edited May 19, 2019 by Kmangel