Seasick patch or no?

[dmrrn73]

I have been on many cruises and have used the patch on most of them and have had no issues other than the dry mouth mentioned. I have had success with Bonine as well. 

[GottaKnowWhen]

On 7/1/2019 at 4:42 PM, CarolineAnne said:

Hello everyone!

 

I’m setting sale on my first cruise in 578 days (but who’s counting?!? 😉)

 

My husband, 2 daughters and I (along with hubby’s parents and his sister) will be on the Carnival Breeze Feb 2021 for 8 days and stopping in St Maarten, St Kitts, San Juan, and Grand Turk. 

 

I live in a landlocked state (our lakes can’t compare to the ocean!) And I’m wondering if I need to go all out and get a rx for the patch. 

...

On my first cruise as an adult (in 2013)  I was very disappointed because I could hardly tell we were at sea. Way too smooth! Since then I have been on a few ships which encountered higher winds and waves and there was a bit of rocking which, for me, made it more fun. Such conditions are quite unlikely in the neighborhood you are traveling to.

[Side story - when I was 4 years old, and then again when I was 6 we did ocean crossings on ships considerably smaller than todays ships. My father and older brother got quite seasick during one stormy period, my mother and I did not suffer and we never ever let them forget it!]

My suggestion, rather than thinking about any form of medication, is to challenge yourself a bit over the next 1.5 years. Ride the bus, and stand the whole time. Go out in a small/medium sailboat. Go on a friend's pontoon boat when the water is a bit choppy and, again, stand rather than sit. Learn to sway and bend your knees and ride with the motion rather than fighting it. If any of the above makes you nauseous, then my apologies to your friend, sorry about the mess in his boat! And then maybe you should go talk to your doctor about safe & effective treatment options.

Stan

[melissa84]

Agree with others that you should consult your doctor.  But, that said, in my family we have one who is terribly prone to motion sickness.  Car rides, amusement parks, anything that *might* make someone queasy makes her miserable.  She walks onto a cruise ship and doesn't bat an eye.  No issues at all.  Another family member never has any issues on land, but the first night of a cruise is always rough.  After that first night's sleep she is fine though.  Green apples, Sprite, crackers, mint gum, the usual remedies help and sleep helps, even an hour's nap.  So you may be pleasantly surprised.  If you are concerned, I would pack the wristbands, some OTC Bonine, and maybe get the patch but hold off using it until the ship is underway.

[brillohead]

FYI, Royal Caribbean ships hand out meclizine for free at Guest Services and the Medical Center.  

Not sure about other lines....

[snirpville]

My first cruise, I was fine. On the second, I was fine on board but it was getting off the ship when I felt bad (headaches, dizzy). So for the third cruise, I took a Bonine every morning and felt fine the entire trip (on and off the ship). I continued it for 2 days after disembarkation too. I say bring some just in case. Maybe you will need it and maybe you won't.

[angie7911922]

Hi Caroline,

Try the "natural" ways first. Green apples, candied ginger (birng some with you) and make sure you eat something when you are feeling seasick. Don't drink to many fluids. 

If ever you get seasick, avoid the higher decks, they "swing" more. And if all fails, ask the reception for pills. Some cruise lines provide them for free.

[latebuyer]

Just a note for canadians that it appears bonine is available through amazon.ca

 

https://www.amazon.ca/bonine-canada/s?k=bonine+canada

[latebuyer]

Just a note i would consult with a pharmacist if you are taking medications before taking bonine as there are potential drug interactions. Mine had some concerns.

[Hlitner]

Just some additional info about Bonine.  It is simply a brand name for Meclizine Hcl (25 mg) which comes as a chewable tablet.  The usual cost is about 50 cents per tablet when purchased at just about any US located pharmacy.  However, you can also buy generic Meclizine at many pharmacies for far less money.  For example, the last time we bought some Meclizine we got it at Target where 100 tablets cost about $7.  We have heard that Costco pharmacies also carry the drug as do many pharmacies.  It is simply a matter of asking the pharmacist if they sell Meclizine Hcl.  Most of the generics are nearly identical to the brand name Bonine and also chewables.  Another brand name for Meclizine is "Dramamine Non-Drowsy" which should not be confused with the regular Dramamine.  For those who have a very good paid prescription plan you might want to explore asking your physician to write a prescription for "Antivert" 25 mg....which is another brand name for Meclizine.  It makes little sense that the prescription drug is exactly the same thing as the over-the-counter Bonine….but that is the way it is.

 

Hank

[kateg]

Just my experience.  I get motion sickness.  Oddly, I can handle small boats (fishing, jet skiing, zodiac, etc.) just fine.  Choppy waters and bouncing don't bother me a bit (I think it's fun).  As long as the boat doesn't do donuts (that makes me sick for the rest of the day). Everyone said I would be fine on a ship.  I wasn't.  I don't know if it is not being able to see the horizon or what-but even on literally the largest cruise ship I get sick.  I also learned the hard way that motion sick meds (even the non-drowsy) make me too sleepy to function.  Still I pack all the OTC meds and devices I can find when I go on a cruise.  Ginger chews, behind the ear patches, Bonine (even though I will lose a whole day to it), the pressure point wrist bands etc.  On my last cruise I didn't get sick.  At all.  The thing I did differently was to put on my OTC (Amazon) "Holistic" patch an hour BEFORE we started moving.  Then I just replaced the patches as needed through out the week.  I do use two at a time.  I had such a delightful trip.  We leave again in a few weeks and I am hopeful that this technique will work again.  

[bbwex]

Though others have talked about the alternatives to the patch, it is good to point out that the scopolamine patch is generally regarded as a last resort.  While some people have no reaction, the list of side effects is long and some are scary -- hallucinations, etc.  For a long time, it was used only when nothing else worked.  And as many have already pointed out, there are many alternatives that have a good track record. 

 

Others have mentioned ginger, and besides ginger ale, there are ginger cookies, ginger candies, and ginger pills.  As Kate P.C. pointed out above, eating at normal meal times, and avoiding greasy foods will help, even though having food in your stomach seems counter-intuitive.  A reasonable number of people take a little time to get used to the motion of the ship, and being in the fresh air out on deck, and watching the horizon will help many adjust. The current thinking is that most motion sickness is caused by a conflict between the inner ear and the eye -- when you are inside you see no motion, but your inner ear is telling your brain otherwise.  Then there are the ginger options mentioned and the sea bands that go on your wrist.  Then there are the OTC medications which have few side effects, and do the trick for the vast majority of people who are still having some difficulty. 

 

Bear in mind that in the vast majority of cases, the unease will pass in a day or two at the very most.  Yes there are people who remain seasick after a day or two, and a minimum of intervention (and I have been blasted by some members of that very small minority), but it is important not to talk yourself into more of a problem that it most likely is.  The mind is a big player in this as well.  As my Navy ship was putting out to sea, a young ensign in my bridge team was busy throwing up in a garbage can.  If you did not look out the window, you would not have even known we were moving -- we were still within sight of the dock, and still way in the harbor.  He had simply talked himself into being seasick.

 

As you can tell, this is all a bit complicated (ain't everything), but the general consensus is that the patch is a last alternative not a first alternative.

 

If you do decide to use the patch, you want to get an extra prescription and try it on dry land first to see if you will suffer any of the more serious side effects. 

 

 

[Kate P.C]

Nope, I have never tried it, not even my husband. We usually follow all advises about what food to eat or not and if that doesn't work then we take non--drowsy Dramamine or Ginger pills. Ginger Ale helps as well.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

On 7/30/2019 at 9:50 PM, dmrrn73 said:

I have been on many cruises and have used the patch on most of them and have had no issues other than the dry mouth mentioned. I have had success with Bonine as well. 

The patch works for many. The pill also works. I never get sea sick. However my wife used to get very sick and throw up fast. She decided to try to beat it and she did. When the ship is rocking, NEVER look down, never lay down. While eating, do you best no to look at the food on the plate. Focus on an object in the room instead. Sit by a window so you can see outside. If it is daylight, always look at the horizon. At night time, focus on a certain object and do not take you eyes off of it till the feeling goes away. Think about anything else and concentrate on it. Eventually she beat it. No longer does she have any problems with it at all.

She did it on one cruise.