Sea Sickness

[forensic]

This may very well have been a repeat, but I saw an episode of "Mythbusters" today and they did a segment on sea sickness. First they went through what causes it, etc. etc. They had two guys that both get motion sickness and they had a chair that they sat in that made them get sick. What they were trying to come up with was a "cure" other than Rx medication.

• The first thing they tried was something that you spray on your tongue - that did not work for either one of the guys. At all!
  
• The second thing they tried were the bracelets - they did not work - at all!
  
• The third thing they tried were ginger tablets - they worked great - for both of them!
  
• The fourth thing they tried was some type of wrist band that gave some type of slight electric jolt - that did not work for either of them - at all, in fact it seemed to make the one guy sicker!
  
• Then to be sure that it was not psychosomatic they told them they were giving them a drug, but it was really a vitamin. The first guy still got motion sickness, the second guy did not. There are a LOT of people who it IS all in their head!
  
• They DID give both of them a Rx for motion sickness. Neither of them got sick, but both were sleepy and drowsy.

The conclusion of the show was that the only satisfactory remedy was the Ginger Tablets, because although the Rx worked the side effects were unwanted.

 

I do not get sea sick, only 3% of the population does, but I still found the show very interesting. I am a TA and I ALWAYS hear people saying they are afraid they will get sea sick. Therefore I read everything I can find on the subject.

[satxdiver]

Interesting comment about the use of ginger. I had pretty much assigned it to the myth heap, but maybe I should reconsider. As of today, I have never been seasick and have been on some very rough seas in both cruise ships and small boats not to mention airplanes. I have seen people use the metal bracelet and swear by them. I have always felt it is a mental aid and not physical. You can make yourself seasick. Anyway thanks for the post.

[*Jessica*]

very interesting....i have heard about the ginger working.

My husband and i got married on our first cruise last September and I ended up getting sea sick :( I had used the RX patch that goes behind your ear and i took dramamine.......boy was i in bad shape after that!!!!

I started having halucinations, my vision was very blurry, and I felt terrible. Every side effect you could get from them, I got!

On the last day I asked one of the crew members what to do for sea sickness. He told me that from time to time they do get sea sick and they eat apples. So i tried it and it worked!!!!

I will never use the medications again, they did more harm than good. From now on its gonna be apples and ginger!

[ovccruiser]

Thats interesting, on my last cruise, after dinner when they bring out the petty fours, there is always ginger on the list, and I was told that it was a good cure for sea sickness. Fortunately, unless it is really rough, force 9 or 10, I do not suffer from sea sickness, but I also thought that the ginger was a myth. Can you take them at the onset of sea sickness, the muzzy feeling etc, or do they need time to work?

[femme-sage]

I suffer from severe sea-sickness but duing my last cruise I took ginger capsules one twice a day. The result-no sickness at all nor any nausea what-so-ever ,even though on one day the sea was quite rough

[JanineM]

I had used the RX patch that goes behind your ear and i took dramamine.......boy was i in bad shape after that!!!!

 

It's too bad your doctor didn't explain to you that you don't need to combine those medications. You're really doubling up, and the two don't go well together - as you discovered!

 

I wear the patch because I'm so easily sick (I get sick on a dock, on a kayak, etc.). However, my mom brought me some Gravol Ginger from Canada a few months ago and I tried it during a car ride and it seemed to work. I have tried the ginger for rides at Universal and it did absolutely nothing for me there, so would be hesitant to use it for a cruise. But it could be a good choice for those who may not become as violently ill.

[sandy beach girl]

I have tried the ginger for rides at Universal and it did absolutely nothing for me there, so would be hesitant to use it for a cruise. But it could be a good choice for those who may not become as violently ill.

 

I wonder though if it might still work on a cruise for you. There are a lot more g-forces pushing against you on a rollercoaster than on a cruise. Of course, if they were rides other than a rollercoaster then maybe the ginger wouldn't work for you. I'm hoping they work for DH and I. I don't normally get motion sickness but since I've never been on a cruise I didn't want to take a chace of getting sick.

[78232]

I find bonine helpful and it doesn't have as much drowsiness associated with it as draminine. Our steward also mentioned green apples, He also said that people had more problems

lwith seasickness when their stomachs were empty. That sure surprised me in a good way. I had been eating salads and just little bits of things trying not to gain weight on the cruise. After that conversation, I ate more and enjoyed the cruise a lot more.

[cindymouse42]

Where can I purchase ginger tablests? Thanks!

[symo]

Thats interesting, on my last cruise, after dinner when they bring out the petty fours, there is always ginger on the list, and I was told that it was a good cure for sea sickness. Fortunately, unless it is really rough, force 9 or 10, I do not suffer from sea sickness, but I also thought that the ginger was a myth. Can you take them at the onset of sea sickness, the muzzy feeling etc, or do they need time to work?

We start taking them about 4-days to a week prior to the cruise and then while on the cruise every day. Never any upset stomach.

 

symo

[symo]

Where can I purchase ginger tablests? Thanks!

Ginger capsules are available just about anywhere that has a good selection of herbal supplements. We get ours at Fred Myer (Kroger owned), but you should also be able to find them at GNC, or other stores of that ilk.

 

symo

[PennyAgain]

If you can't get ginger tablets, ginger snaps work as well.

 

Green apples and oranges are said to work well also. Not orange juice, but oranges.

[jp2001]

Green apples and oranges are said to work well also. Not orange juice, but oranges.

 

I found that having lots of liquid in my stomach would make me seasick easily (I think my body feels liquid moving inside me before anything else). I tend to drink less (all types, not only alcohol) when the seas get just a bit rough. And I guess this tip can be added to any other type of medication/ginger/apples you take.

[forensic]

I find bonine helpful and it doesn't have as much drowsiness associated with it as draminine. Our steward also mentioned green apples, He also said that people had more problems

lwith seasickness when their stomachs were empty. That sure surprised me in a good way. I had been eating salads and just little bits of things trying not to gain weight on the cruise. After that conversation, I ate more and enjoyed the cruise a lot more.

 

My husband is an RN (Psych and Forensic)and when I was telling him about the show he was telling me that they also study people that suffer and 'think' they suffer from sea sickness and that they too find ginger is a great treatment, also if you start to feel ill suck on a lemon or orange - something to do with your brain and the sour thing. Apples can be quite tart so maybe it is the same thing. Many people that 'think' they get sea sick 'talk' themselves into it. State of mind is an amazing thing! The one man on the show did suffer from extreme sea sickness and the ginger worked for him. I found this info on the internet. I also remember that anytime that I have the flu or feel sick I always want and drink ginger ale. It always settles my stomach. Same thing I guess - ginger.

 

 

Ginger

 

About 1 gram of powdered ginger has been shown effective against motion sickness in double-blind studies. In Germany, up to 4 grams per day is recommended.

Start dosing about 12 hours before boarding your ship The beauty of the ginger is it's easy to obtain and has no side effects. You might try gingersnap cookies instead. Ginger root works just as well as the tablets or powder. Ginger ale can also be used. Japanese food marts sell pickled ginger slices that can be used for the same purpose. Ginger root is often available in your local supermarket (at least in Southern California).

Ginger: Non-toxic Anti-Emetic

Botanical Name: Zingiber officinale

Plant Part Used: The rhizome

Active Constituents: The dried rhizome contains approximately 1 to 4% volatile oils.

Actions on the Digestive System: Classifiedas an aromatic bitter, ginger stimulates digestion. It is also noted for improving gastrointestinal motility.

1. Ginger also improves the production and secretion of bile from the liver and gallbladder

2. Ginger also qualifies as a carminativeherb. Animal studies in Saudi Arabia show that ginger protects the stomach from the damaging effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen is an example) and alcohol

3. Ginger is a noted anti-emetic. While most research has suggested that this action is centered in the GI tract in humans, recent animal studies suggest that there may be some action on the central nervous system also. 4. Health Care Applications Motion Sickness: Ginger has been widely studied as a treatment for motion sickness. A 1982 study found that ginger was superior to dimenhydrinate for reducing motion sickness (caused by rotating a chair). The dose of ginger was 940 mg and it was consumed 20 to 25 minutes before the test.

[buzzor]

" I also remember that anytime that I have the flu or feel sick I always want and drink ginger ale. It always settles my stomach. Same thing I guess - ginger."

Too bad most ginger ale has no ginger in it, it's all artificially flavored. Some ginger beer is made with ginger though, check the label.

[BMMA]

I have a 6 year old who seems to be prone to motion sickness. I get a lot of "Mommy, my tummy hurts" when we are in the car awhile. What do you recommend for her? She can not swallow tablets yet and does not like cookies! (she is an incredibly picky eater....giner ale would be out too!) I am hoping that she won't suffer from motion sickness on the boat at all...but want to be prepared!

[Lionesss]

Our experience from our cruise two years ago.

We did Disney, and from reading other peoples threads we had heard that sometimes the seas get a little interesting.

The normal movement of the ship can be very relaxing, but, the high stormy seas can be challenging.

We went to our family doctor and got the scop patches. We put them on early in the morning and started drinking at least a glass of water every hour. When we set sail, yes, my mouth felt very dry and I am sure my eyes were very dilated. But I did not get sick, and yes we had choppy waves from the remnants of a Hurricaine that had other people very incapacitated.

We stopped the patches on our fifth day and felt fine. I should mention that I did not have an alcoholic drink till about day 5 and did just fine with it.

Later

[celticd1]

Just wanted to chime and say the green apples worked great for me.

 

I don't like to take medications if I can avoid it so when I got seasick for the first time I remembered reading about the green apples here on CC. I ordered them from room service along with some saltine crackers and within 15 minutes of eating half the apple and a few crackers I felt great! Never got seasick again...knock on wood! :p

[pigeon_forge_princess]

This may very well have been a repeat, but I saw an episode of "Mythbusters" today and they did a segment on sea sickness. First they went through what causes it, etc. etc. They had two guys that both get motion sickness and they had a chair that they sat in that made them get sick. What they were trying to come up with was a "cure" other than Rx medication.

• The first thing they tried was something that you spray on your tongue - that did not work for either one of the guys. At all!
  
• The second thing they tried were the bracelets - they did not work - at all!
  
• The third thing they tried were ginger tablets - they worked great - for both of them!
  
• The fourth thing they tried was some type of wrist band that gave some type of slight electric jolt - that did not work for either of them - at all, in fact it seemed to make the one guy sicker!
  
• Then to be sure that it was not psychosomatic they told them they were giving them a drug, but it was really a vitamin. The first guy still got motion sickness, the second guy did not. There are a LOT of people who it IS all in their head!
  
• They DID give both of them a Rx for motion sickness. Neither of them got sick, but both were sleepy and drowsy.

The conclusion of the show was that the only satisfactory remedy was the Ginger Tablets, because although the Rx worked the side effects were unwanted.

 

I do not get sea sick, only 3% of the population does, but I still found the show very interesting. I am a TA and I ALWAYS hear people saying they are afraid they will get sea sick. Therefore I read everything I can find on the subject.

I just thought that I would share this: On my first cruise last year on a ship thorugh RCCL on Mariner of the Seas were on a 7 day sailing and from the time that we left to the time we got off I never actually got sea sickness perphaps but rather what I did feel was just an uneasiness. I could feel if the ship slowed down or sped up or it we were turning left or turning right and I never really got over it. It was really just a rather odd feeling. I am not one to get sick easy either but my DM who was with me usually does get sick and she didnt get sick at all I bought some of those wristbands that you can buy on board that they say will help with sea sickness but those did not help either they only thing that really helped me was if I was out by the pool with the wind blowing on me but still even with that i still had that uneasy feeling. It was not a great feeling!!!! but even with all that I made the best of it and had the time of my life and I cant wait to go again in 50 some days on a CCL ship Glory. I am just hoping that I dont have to go through that again but I have 2 DD's that are going with me this year and the 13 yr old even gets car sick so I think the giner tabs are going with us this year so that dhe doesnt have to experience what I had to last year I am just hoping that all goes well but we will see.

[LHT28]

This year I was not feeling well during the cruise I caught a upper respiratory cold bug.

I had brought some candied ginger with me ....that worked, helped with the nausea.

 

We had rough seas last year & the crew were giving sliced up green apples for those that were having sea sickness problems most reported it worked for them

[Travelight]

When the seas are really rough, it is best to go to a lower level mid ship.

 

Fresh air and watching the horizon (not the waves!) is beneficial, too.

 

Bread or crackers and NO liquids also help keep the queasy down.

 

I always take Bonine a few days before boarding and each day while on ship, and have never experienced any side effects from it.

[Persephone]

One of my friends is a pharmacist, and she also mentioned ginger as a remedy for motion and sea sickness. I will make sure to bring a good supply of ginger tablets when we go on our Caribbean cruise in autumn. I will always remember a mediterranean crossing as a child that had me desperately staring at a ceiling lamp for six miserable long hours trying not regurgitate the big portion of pasta I had eaten in Italy.