Motion Sickness?

[new_cruiser_22]

- Is it going to be a potential problem? are motion sickness medication available on the cruise ship - or do we need to bring some, just in case? Any suggestions on what kind of medication causes the least drowsiness? We are going for a 4-day cruise in ~2 weeks.

 

Thanks for any comments.

[thoneycu]

We took Bonine on our first cruise. We took it the nite before we left. I had a little trouble on the first nite, just trying to get used to the rocking and I think it was also due to the fact that I was just so tired. My girls and dh never had a single problem and I didn't again after the first day and did not take it again the whole cruise. However, I did get sick once we were back on land, couldn't get my land legs back! Now, after reading advice from these boards, I will take the bonine every nite and continue to do so afterwards for several days. :) There are many posts on here about motion sickness and a lot of them suggest Bonine and to take it at nite so you won't be drowsy. Also, a lot of cc members suggest ginger tablets.

Good luck!

[rox1234]

Is Bonine suppose to be better than Dramamine? I've always taken Dramamine (non drowsy...) but by the 3rd or 4th day...I AM Drowsy!

Maybe I should try Bonine for this next cruise in June!

[jeff33436]

Hi-

I will be on my fourth cruise in June. I get seasick in a rowboat! But on the big cruiseships, I have never had a problem. That is not to say that I didn't take precautions:

 

The night before the cruise, I take one Bonine. Contrary to what the box says, it definately makes you drowsy, but it works.

 

Then, every 12 hours, I take a 1/2 tablet and it seems to work. If you find you are getting too drowsy, try just taking it at night before bed.

 

I have also tried ginger candy, and I think it definately settles your stomach. I get mine at a local Asian food store. Not expensive, but taste is not the greatest.

[caribbean dreams]

I have never had a problem on a cruise ship, but i would always get a little bit of seasickness on the Bellingham / Alaska ferry on every trip.

I started carrying around a small bottle of peppermint oil, a dab behind each ear seemed to do the trick. I still carry it on my cruises with me but thankfully have never had to use it.

[tookiepetie]

I use stuff called Motion Ease. It is a liquid that you rub behind your ear. It works great! I find that Dramamine and Bonine make me sleepy. But then again I can look at Benadryl and get sleepy. LOL. It comes in 1 oz bottles and cost about $7.00 at Walmart. It smells really bad for about 5 minutes but works great. I dont leave home without it now. A pharmacist told me about it. Said that it was the best non-drowsy medicine out there.

 

Since I have started using this I can fly, ride a roller coaster, and virtual reality rides (like in Disney) without getting sick.

 

Hope this helps!!

[terri910]

- Is it going to be a potential problem? are motion sickness medication available on the cruise ship - or do we need to bring some, just in case? Any suggestions on what kind of medication causes the least drowsiness? We are going for a 4-day cruise in ~2 weeks.

 

Thanks for any comments.

I would take motion sickness meds with you, and BEGIN USING it the day before you sail. But, there is motion sickness medication on the cruise ship.

 

I usually take Dramamine. I haven't noticed it making me drowsy, but then cruises are so darn relaxing, maybe I just think it's me winding down! *L*

 

On our very first cruise my husband (who never suffers from motion sickness) was so sure that cruise ships are so large, and have stabilizers and blah blah blah, that he insisted I wouldn't get sea sick.

 

WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I was sooooo sick the very first night. The following morning I was so green that a crew member stopped us in a hallway to make sure I was alright. When he found out it was sea-sickness he told us to call the ship's doctor's office and have them give me a shot for it. Which is just what we did. A nurse came to our cabin, gave me a shot and in 20 minutes I had my sea legs and never had a problem after that.

 

But it's kind of expensive to get a shot (but, obviously worth it if you have nothing else!), so since then I just stick to over-the-counter stuff.

[BND]

Is Bonine suppose to be better than Dramamine? I've always taken Dramamine (non drowsy...) but by the 3rd or 4th day...I AM Drowsy!

Maybe I should try Bonine for this next cruise in June!

 

Bonine and Less Drowsy Dramamine are the exact same thing. After the first night of my first cruise I will NEVER cruise without taking less drowsy dramamine. It gives me no side effects at all and keeps me from getting sick. I'm very prone to sea sickness after I'm at sea for a couple of hours. Funny, I can ride any amusement park ride. I start the meds the night before the cruise and take it twice a day through the day after. I also take Ginger tablets at least once a day. I've found on days there's more motion I really need both.

 

You don't want to find out the hard way that you get sick!

 

You sure the Drowsiness you feel isnt' from late hours and those foo foo drinks?:D

[new_cruiser_22]

Thanks for all the replies. It is very informative.

[Unruly Julie]

Take Ginger for motion sickness. Go to GNC or Hi Health and ask them for Ginger Caps. They have about 500 mg of Ginger in them. Start taking them before you go on the plane or boat if you are driving.

 

We have a friend who gets very sick on ships. This has been wonderful for him. The other items are good, but not perfect. He takes it 2 days before he leaves, then takes 2 caps 2 times a day while on the ship. Works perfect for him.

 

Even if you don't know if you will get sick, I would just take them profolactically (sp?) just to save you the hassle of being sick on the ship and loosing a day or two to motion sickness. $6 is a small price to pay for a good time.

 

Good luck.

[terri910]

profolactically (sp?)

prophylactically

[txcruzr]

Take Ginger for motion sickness. ... $6 is a small price to pay for a good time.

 

DITTO! DITTO! DITTO!

 

I've used ginger caps on our 2 cruises with great success! I have also found that it's helpful if I get to feeling bad while riding in a car. Great homeopathic remedy if you ask me!

[LovetheSea]

I have only had motion sickness once. When I did, they were handing out the pills at the front desk in white envelopes. I think it was Bonine. It made me really sleepy and didn't help much. The only thing that worked is when the ship went into a calm harbor and stopped rocking and rolling! The people I have talked to on the ships swear by the patches you put behind your ear.

[gammaf]

I have a wonderful watch called the Relief Band that works on batteries and sends pulses to your brain to your stomach. I can actually cruise, fly and enjoy life and even have a drink without getting really sleepy. It is a life saver. I purchased it at Aeromedex.com and can change the batteries at any time. I take it off when I take a shower and in port and then put it on when we move. It is wonderful and drug free! Hope this helps!

[Jlrymedic]

My vote is for bonine, but if you buy the generic, it is a lot cheaper. Look for meclizine 25 mg tablets, that is the same as bonine. It doesn't make me sleepy, but different people have different reactions to medications, and I take it at night, so maybe it does but I don't realize it :D . I take meclizine 25 mg once a day beginning the night before the trip and continuing 3-4 days after.

 

The pharmicist I work with recommended this and it worked great!

[Unruly Julie]

They are scopolamine patches for a variety of things. They require a prescription. You have to change them every 72 hrs. They dry you up like a desert. I am a nurse and I use them on my patient when they are dying (I am a hospice nurse). We use them for pulm. congestion. They can cause hallucinations too. Why use something that that has all those side effects when you can buy Ginger caps?

 

The patch is treated with the belladonna alkaloid scopolamine, an anticholinergic drug that is a central nervous system depressant and an antiemetic. That's why it reduces your nausea. Scopolamine also has a mild analgesic and sedative effect. Ginger doesn't. Elderly patients should use caution with scopolamine as they are more senstitive to the medicaiton as well as the safety in children has not been determined.

 

Patients with glaucoma, enlarged prostate, kidney or liver problems should not use scopolamine either.

 

So there you go. I am not giving medical advise, just giving my knowledge of scopolamine. Again, I would and do use ginger for nausea (even though I don't have it) I take it just in case.

[shadow6274]

I always take bonine and ginger pills. Worked like a charm on the previous two cruises and will follow the same schedule on the upcoming one on 5 May.

 

I take a bonine tablet first thing out of bed in the morning and a ginger caplet. I also take another ginger caplet at night.

 

Both ships (Conquest and Miracle) you could feel it rocking a little, but never felt like I was getting sick. Was also having a few drinks as well. Hope this helps.

 

The Gunney

[LovetheSea]

They are scopolamine patches for a variety of things. They require a prescription. You have to change them every 72 hrs. They dry you up like a desert. I am a nurse and I use them on my patient when they are dying (I am a hospice nurse). We use them for pulm. congestion. They can cause hallucinations too. Why use something that that has all those side effects when you can buy Ginger caps?

 

The patch is treated with the belladonna alkaloid scopolamine, an anticholinergic drug that is a central nervous system depressant and an antiemetic. That's why it reduces your nausea. Scopolamine also has a mild analgesic and sedative effect. Ginger doesn't. Elderly patients should use caution with scopolamine as they are more senstitive to the medicaiton as well as the safety in children has not been determined.

 

Patients with glaucoma, enlarged prostate, kidney or liver problems should not use scopolamine either.

 

So there you go. I am not giving medical advise, just giving my knowledge of scopolamine. Again, I would and do use ginger for nausea (even though I don't have it) I take it just in case.

 

Thanks! More than I think I ever wanted to know :) I see people wearing them all the time. I used them on my first cruise and my Dad's wife said she never cruises without them. Live and Learn!

I see that you are a new memebr. WELCOME to the board!!!!!

It looks like you will be a helpful and friendly addition to the group :)

[LovetheSea]

There was a doctor on a show a few years back, saying the cure for seasickness is to jump in the water, head under. I remembered this when I was seasick but couldn't drag myself up to the pool deck to try it out.

[bratsuzy]

A Nurse too;

Onces your seassick only sleep or a shot will make you feel better.

I use the patch behind the ear. but onces you land take it off & use seasick pills for 3 4 days

Otherwise I get so sick!

it does dry you out bad but works wonderful & doesnt make you sleepy

[redlef]

I use Scopalomine patches when I go out on a small dive boat probably 20 times a year. They give me cotton mouth and also make me tired. No hallucinations or psychotic reactions, but that's me. My wife gets blurry vision if she uses the patch, so she doesn't. I carry them in my bag, but I've never used them on a cruise.

 

We had one cruise day about three years ago on the Victory where the ship passed through the back end of a hurricane and the screens said 20 foot waves (although it didn't look anywhere near that to me).

 

The motion was noticeable (I didn't say rough) in the Aft dining room, and I took a Bonamine "just in case."

 

Am I the only one, or do other people think the motion is most noticeable in your cabin bathroom?

[we2cruze]

A couple of thoughts... one, it is easier to prevent motion sickness than to get rid of it. That is why you should start off with treatment, then drop it if you don't need it. Bonine and Less Drowsy Dramamine are just that, LESS drowsy. You will still get sleepy, so take it at night and sleep the worst of it off.

Second thought, the over the counter remedies are more expensive on the ship, so unless money is no object, you may want to take them with you from your favorite drug store.

I get motion sickness easily, but have never had a problem. If the seas are calm, I get my sea legs after a couple of days and can drop the meds. A couple of times, I started getting a headache and recognized it as the beginning of seasickness and took something quick, plus ate and got to a mid ship location. It worked, but you have to be able to recognize your own early signs of seasickness. I have heavy side effects from the patch, but take them with me and have used them during a storm. The side effects build up over time, so using them for one night seems to be okay for me. If I leave them on for a while, I can't even see clearly enough to read a menu.

And, yes, I have noticed the ships motion more in the bathroom, though I'm not sure why. Also, you can really feel it when lying in bed. Which may be a good reason to not go to bed if your feeling queasy. Have had my worst experience yet in one ships laundry room which was either forward or aft. It felt like an amusement park in there and was hot and humid too. :eek:

[teanbean16]

I tried the patch before I left home for my cruise last March. Within a couple of hours I had blurred vision. I thought I would try the patch before I was on the ship--Miracle. Instead, the night before our cruise I started taking meclazine. Worked wonderfully. I do get seasick but not this year. My father swears by the 'seabands'.

[gmatthews]

I always get the free pills from the doctors office on the ship. They worked best for me. Take them as soon as you get on the ship. Have a great time.

[mosel]

My son swears by the ginger pills. He uses them in the car and on the ship. Some Walmarts carry them and they have no side effects. The one time we tried the nondrowsy dramamine he was like a zombie. Now he doesn't have a problem unless it gets pretty rocky but he takes them every day anyway. Mythbusters also concluded that ginger pills work the best.Cindy