Nausea/motion sickness advice?

[brillohead]

On 1/1/2024 at 4:54 PM, Numer3 said:

I don’t take sleeping pills… I wonder how Bonine compares to sleeping pills, as far as whatever it is in sleeping pill that isn’t supposed to be good for you. I wouldn’t make a habit of it, but on the rare occasion that I need a little more energy at night, I like that it’s an option… after the coffee.

 

Bonine is Meclizine, an antihistamine.  It's like taking Benadryl (Diphenhydramine), which is the "PM" ingredient in meds like Tylenol PM or Advil PM.  

Most sleeping pills are some form of psychiatric medications -- sedative, anti-anxiety, hypnotic, etc.  They can be "habit forming" which is a nicer way to say "addicting".  Drugs like Ambien are sedating and hypnotic, which is why you hear about people sleep-walking (or even sleep-cooking and sleep-eating!) when they take it. I can't imagine waking up to find that my kitchen is a mess because I cooked something and didn't clean up and I don't remember any of it!

 

If you use an antihistamine to fall asleep every night, you may eventually have trouble falling asleep without it (because your body/brain kind of forget how to do it without the help and you need to learn again), but your body won't go through physical withdrawal symptoms.  The psychiatric meds, however, can result in physical addiction if used regularly.  

 

Hope that helps.

[Mum2Mercury]

Random thoughts: 

- I am never sea sick on a big ship, but I occasionally (and without warning) have trouble with car sickness and occasionally have trouble on a small boat (like an excursion boat).  DON'T ASSUME you'll be sea sick.  

- I like Crystalized Ginger for car sickness.  I make my own (loads of recipes on the internet -- it's basically just sliced ginger boiled in sugar water), but you can buy it in the produce department at Harris Teeter under the name brand Sweet Melissa.  The relief is INSTANT, though short-lived.  It could be a powerful tool to tide you over until your real medicine can "kick in".  

- Pay attention to the dosage you're buying.  A good friend of mine went on a cruise and had no problem with sea sickness ... until she used up her first box of 24-hour medicine.  Too late she realized that her second box was an 8-hour dosage.  

- I didn't realize that Zyrtec was useful for sea sickness.  But I take an allergy pill September - February, which isn't uncommon.  Are allergy pills something that can be "overdone"?  

- Definitely buy the store brand.  No reason to spend more money on the name brand -- not when you can see on the package exactly what's in the pill.  

[firstimer2009]

There is a concentrated ginger tablet from a company in Canada called GRAVOL.  It can be purchased in the U.S. on Amazon.  You have to make certain it is the small ginger tablet because they do sell more of a sedative sickness remedy too.  I do get car sick and can take one before and after and never get sick.   Never been sick on a cruise taking two a day - one in am and one at night.  It used to be very expensive, but the price just came down.  I bought 3 boxes for our trip this year!

Edited January 4 by firstimer2009