Sea sickness

[fllady61]

My pills are perscription. Mainly because over the counter, you only get a few pills for about 6$... Mine are free, and I get 45 pills a month. Have a bunch stored up. Don't always need them. But here lately, I have needed them. If you have vertigo, your MD alrady has you on a perscription.

 

the bands, I have never used. The patch is perscription. i believe. at least my drug store don't carry it otc.

 

You really just need to find what works for you. What works for me don't work for some.

 

I had a friend who had the patch, and took pills, and still got so sick that she slept the whole cruise.

 

Fresh air does help. But sometimes it does not. Depends on the seas.

 

I have been on cruises where I did not need them at all, then I have been on cruises where I needed them every 3 hours, and extra for tenders in. then I have been on cruises where i just needed my standard morning and night pills.

 

OH yes, that is a different story. IF you have a tendency to get sea sick, take a pill at breakfast, right before you get on the Tender, a pill before getting back on the tender, and one about an hour after returning to the ship.

 

Even with this, I go sick on the Tender at Belieze.

 

I mean a small boat going 60 mph from the ship to shore. Who would not get sick. bouncing up and down, and the boat nearly standing on end. Make me sick just thinking about it. And closing eyes did not help. Made it worse.

[dprg644]

It seems like everyone is different. It is best to be prepared. On the last cruise I tried ginger capsules from Wal-Mart without success. I couldn't even tell I had taken them. I ended up switching to meclizine. It worked great and didn't make me sleepy.

 

On my next cruise I am going to try scopolamine patches. My doctor recommended them and gave me a prescription for them.

 

They also make them in pill form. That is what I took instead of the patches so I could regulate it better. I have got sea sick many years ago so I don't take any chances. It worked great for me.

[cjar855]

3 different spellings for mezcline, meclizine, or mecalizene in this post--is it OTC or prescription? I took 24 hour OTC something each night starting day before cruise and was never sick or drowsy so that's what I was planning again for this time. But as many said-better to take things with me I don't need -than not have what I do!

 

Meclizine:)

[dan40]

BONINE is a known brand name for meclizine. There may be some other brand names too. Not sure of others but BONINE is OTC meclizine.

 

Dan

[tspinn]

Be careful about mixing patches and meclizine. My mom became very ill, agitated, confused, and disoriented because she was wearing the patch and my sister gave her some meclizine "just to be safe".

 

Be sure you read the directions on any medication for drug interactions.

 

Happy Cruising!

[stx-sailor]

does anyone know if these are availible in children dosages? our family is taking our 1st cruise and our kids have never been offshore, plenty of time daysailing in the bay. i don't think anyone will get sick but just in case.

[BND]

Meclizine:)

 

Yep, I just didnt' bother to check the spelling. Less Drowsy Dramamine is the exact same med.

 

As I said before I have a tendancy to get seasick, but I stick with my normal dosage even if I'm going on a tender ride, which is very short. The recommended dosage is still only 1-2 pills in a 24 hour period.

[2PinaColadas]

What is the name of the patches? My Wife and I are going on our first cruise next month. Thanks!

 

 

I think it is called Transdermal--it is prescription. Just ask your doctor for the sea sick patch, they'll know. They work great!

[dan40]

Get the patches. They work great. Put one on, replace it on the 4th day. You do not have to worry about taking pills, or days of preparation. They also help on plane rides.

 

A while back, someone posted a list of silly cruise questions that always get asked. Like, "Does the crew sleep on board?" or, "Where does the ship get its electricity?" and "What time is the midnight buffet?"

 

One of the questions was "What religion are the people with the pink dots behind their ears?"

 

I'm glad I don't have to take any seasick meds. I was seasick once, years ago, on a fishing boat in the Pacific. That taught me to sympathize with any measures one has to take to avoid that horrible malady.

 

Dan

[BND]

I think it is called Transdermal--it is prescription. Just ask your doctor for the sea sick patch, they'll know. They work great!

 

You do need to be careful with the patches. They're prescription for a reason. More people have adverse side effects using them than using other meds. They can make you sleepy, cause eye problems and a few other things. Those you should try before you cruise to make sure you can use them. I'll stick with my Less Drowsy Dramamine/Bonine and ginger once or twice a day. Works great and I have no side effects of any kind. Regular dramamine on the other hand makes me sleepy.

[2PinaColadas]

I've used the patch on my last 3 cruises. They made me tired about the first hour I had them on, other than that I did not have any side effects. My stomach has a hard time with Dramamine and alcohol and I don't drink much. But that's me, and as someone else said, they are prescription for a reason. Discuss it with your doctor.

[Firsttimescaredcruiser!]

On my first cruise I used the sea bands. On one of the days I thought they were silly so I took them off before the shore talk...it was in the lounge in front of the ship....thought I was going to lose it before I could get to the room. Put the bands back on and called room service!! (AAahhhhh room service!!!)

 

Nibble on whatever you can find through out the day. Either take the ginger, otc pills or use the patch...but still nibble on small stuff so your stomach won't ever be really empty.

[3boysandadog]

I'm a doc so let me just clear up the medicine name game here. Meclizine and Bonine are the same thing. Dramamine is a slightly different compound but both work essentially the same way. Whichever one you find in the drug store (OTC) is fine. Just follow the directions on the package. The patch is called transdermal scopolamine and you can get a prescription for it from your MD. Happy sailing!

[angelsfort]

I tried dramamine and then the "less drowsy" dramamine... both made me so sleepy that I couldn't enjoy anything on the cruise. I just wanted to go to the cabin and take a nap... on my second cruise, I went down to the infirmary and got their pills, hoping they'd be something less drowsy for me, but they were just as bad. On my last two cruises, I've taken the ginger pills and I'm in love with them! No drowsiness, no sickness nothing! It's terrific!

 

And on my last cruise, we encountered some choppy waters on the 3rd night... my cabin mate (who isn't prone to sea sickness, EVER) ended up being sick... and myself (who is ALWAYS getting motion sick) well... I was perfectly fine. I won't go on another cruise without the ginger pills!

[BND]

I tried dramamine and then the "less drowsy" dramamine... both made me so sleepy that I couldn't enjoy anything on the cruise. I just wanted to go to the cabin and take a nap... on my second cruise, I went down to the infirmary and got their pills, hoping they'd be something less drowsy for me, but they were just as bad. On my last two cruises, I've taken the ginger pills and I'm in love with them! No drowsiness, no sickness nothing! It's terrific!

 

And on my last cruise, we encountered some choppy waters on the 3rd night... my cabin mate (who isn't prone to sea sickness, EVER) ended up being sick... and myself (who is ALWAYS getting motion sick) well... I was perfectly fine. I won't go on another cruise without the ginger pills!

 

As my DH who was active duty Navy (currently reserves) says, everyone has their motion. What motion makes you sick may not affect someone else and what makes them sick may not bother you. Depending on whether the ship is taking waves/wind head on or to the port/starboard or to the aft, means different people will feel different things. As I've read many times: "the good news is sea sickness won't kill you and the bad news is sea sickness won't kill you". I prefer the slight tiredness I might feel to the nausea I know I might feel depending on the seas. The meds work best if you take them before you start feeling ill which is why I start the day before the cruise and continue until the day we debark, even knowing I'm fine once the ship is in still water or at pierside. I still take them even on port days to keep it in my system.

[773 Miles Away]

My first four cruises you could always count on me being curled up in the fetal position in my cabin and missing dinner for at least one night per vacation. After doing some research on this forum, however, I tried the Ginger pills and I now swear by them!

 

Go to a vitamin store and just buy ginger tablets or caplets or whatever they have available. Mine were pretty big tablets (same size as an 800 mg prescription ibuprofen, if you know what those look like). I took two in the morning and two around dinner every day .. and I never had a problem.

 

I think ginger was used in mythbusters for motion sickness and I am pretty sure they saw the best results :)

[angelsfort]

As my DH who was active duty Navy (currently reserves) says, everyone has their motion. What motion makes you sick may not affect someone else and what makes them sick may not bother you. .

 

 

I'll have to agree with that comment! But in my case, it's usually ANY motion that makes my stomach go crazy. After trying the ginger pills on my last two cruises, I am amazed at how "normal" I feel while on board! Believe me, I am extremely prone to motion sickness... I can't even sit at a traffic light without feeling it! (if I'm in the front of the line of cars, and I can see the cars going across in front of me, that is, I have to avert my eyes!) That's why I'm so amazed at how well the ginger pills work for me...

 

I start taking them the morning of the cruise - and then take them two times a day, every day (even days spent in port!) and I'm fine!

[allesonwonderland]

does anyone know if these are availible in children dosages? our family is taking our 1st cruise and our kids have never been offshore, plenty of time daysailing in the bay. i don't think anyone will get sick but just in case.

 

The regular Dramamine has a kids dosage on it. Ages 6 and up, I believe. There is also a Bonine for kids. I had one pharmacist tell me I could give 1/2 tablet of regular Bonine to my 7 and 10 year olds...but another said no, so I'm not sure about that. I'll have 2 sets of seabands along for the kiddies just in case. I'd take ginger for them, if I could find something small--all I've seen is the ginormous capsules at Walmart.

[litlvxn]

I swear by Bonine.....I take it about 2 hours before I sail and then pretty regularly throughout the cruise, even when no bad movement is felt. I don't notice any distinct sleepiness. If you wait until you feel sick, it is often too late and you may have to go see the ship doctor for a shot or suppository. A woman at my table began to feel very queasy one night and started looking miserable. I ran for my Bonine. She took it, found me later on the ship, and said she was 100%. Try and buy it ahead of time, cheaper than onboard, but some ships give some form of it free if the passengers are getting ill.

[litlvxn]

Forgot to mention....if anyone takes the water taxi from Cozumel to the mainland in Mexico be prepared and take something like Bonine well before both legs of the trip. That trip can be MISERABLE for some.

[bellybutton]

I also have taken Meclizine. I buy the boxes at Walgreens. Well I went in a couple of days ago to pick them up it would have been $20 for 4 boxes for the family. I went to pay at the pharmacy and asked by chance if I could order 50 or 100 pills and how much would it cost? The lady said no problem and ordered me 100 for $7.05. I am glad I asked!

[cjar855]

I also have taken Meclizine. I buy the boxes at Walgreens. Well I went in a couple of days ago to pick them up it would have been $20 for 4 boxes for the family. I went to pay at the pharmacy and asked by chance if I could order 50 or 100 pills and how much would it cost? The lady said no problem and ordered me 100 for $7.05. I am glad I asked!

 

Thats Great. I will ask my Pharmacist at Walgreens. Never thought of that.

[Sweetest Sin]

What do people take for vertigo?

 

My FIL is hesitant to cruise because he is very motion sensitive. He's tried everything OTC and nothing has worked, but, to me, his symptoms sound more like vertigo. He says it's in his head...very dizzy and unable to function. What kind of prescription would he ask his doctor about?

[cjar855]

What do people take for vertigo?

 

My FIL is hesitant to cruise because he is very motion sensitive. He's tried everything OTC and nothing has worked, but, to me, his symptoms sound more like vertigo. He says it's in his head...very dizzy and unable to function. What kind of prescription would he ask his doctor about?

 

Meclizine, Is the what he should as for. I had a severe case of vertigo on a flight ,and was taken to the hospital. There they gave me Meclizine and told me to start it a few days before and take it twice a day. Now I can just take it oncw a day when I am Crusing and all is fine. It is also also called Antivert by prescription. Good luck.

[colk12]

Well I had my first cruise and didn't need to take anything even though I was at the very front of the ship and could feel it bouncing along as we hit waves