Bonine knocked me out!! Is there anything better?

[fairytalelover]

So I decided to take a bonine the other day at home to see what I would feel like. I didnt want to take it on a test drive actually on my vacation. Well, I took it at about 11am and by about 3pm I was feeling completely drugged up. I was totally sleepy and felt disconnected and out of it. If I would have taken this on the cruise, I would have been miserable. Is there anything that doesnt make you feel so bad and also keeps you from getting nausea?

 

[MrsScooby]

Maybe try half a pill
Bonine is the only one I can take that doesn't make me drowsy.
The only time I ever remember feeling sleepy after taking it was when I was sleep deprived to begin with (too much last minute packing).

Other options would be the sea bands (they have never worked for me though) or ginger capsules. I have tried ginger capsules and they did work to settle my stomach after I came off a ride (Star Tours). But ginger can react with some meds and you need to check with your doctor before taking them.
Plus I don't know how well they would work as a preventative for sea sickness.

 

[Chelley00]

I take it in the evening, usually during or after dinner. It's supposed to last 24 hours.

I use SeaBands if the ship is really rocking along with the Bonine.

 

[Time4disney]

We take ours before going to bed. We start the night before so it is in our system when the ship leaves. I found that the very first time I took Bonine, I had the same sleepy effects you were describing, but I took it in the afternoon before the ship left. Now, I'd rather take it at night. Try doing that and see what happens.

 

[scootch]

My brother(an MD) told us to take it at bedtime anyhow as when you are laying horizontal, you get more fluid back up in your ear canal. I never had any drowsiness from it and it did work for us

 

[4HOLIDAYS]

I take it in the eve. You can start with a half a tablet for a night or two then go to a full. I can't take it during the day either

 

[Zandy595]

I agree with the other posters who suggested to take it before bed. That's what I do and it works great.

 

[CruzTerri]

Way back in 2000 I did lots of research for our first cruise. Since I get motion sickness at the drop of a pin, this was a concern for me. What I read was to take 1/2 bonine at bed time. Any sleepiness effects, you'll wear off those effects while sleeping and you'll be fine during the the day. I generally will take 1/2 the night before embarking and then 1/2 for a night or two or longer depending on how the sea is. Works like a charm for me. Doesn't interfere with any alcohol, nor does it give you dry mouth. The patch has warnings that you shouldn't drink while using it and it can give you dry mouth.

Do what works for you. 1/2 at bedtime works for me.

 

[MTmomma]

Yep. We tend to take any meds with drowsiness as a side effect in the evening if at all possible, that way, by the time the meds hit your system, the "worst" is over, and its fine through the day.

 

[raggedy couple]

Go to the Doctor and ask for the motion sickness patch, Transderm SC 1.5 mg. They are little round dots that go behind the ear and 1 works for 3 days. The Doctor will know what I'm talking about.If you where contacts use gloves to put them on, cause if you touch the medicine side of the patch and then your eyes they will dialate your pupils and you'll have to wait for the effect to go away. But trust me the patch works! The only side effect I've had is dry mouth.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

DW and I use the 24 hour Dramamine, take it just before turning in for the night. Works for us.

 

[sunshine girl]

For those who only take half a Bonine pill at night, is it because you had some problem with a full pill? Or is it that half is effective so you never tried a full pill? Or are you a smaller sized person and half a pill was recommended?

I ask because my mom and I did a 4-night on the Dream last year and loved it... except that my mom got severe motion sickness on the day at sea (last day). A lot of guests and cast members were violently ill that day, it was incredibly wavy. Disney put stacks of barf bags in all the bathrooms! Dinner that night was very poorly attended... Lots of people sick.

Long story short: she still had fun and wants to cruise on the Fantasy, but we need a motion sickness medication plan before I agree to book this cruise for us!

 

[FrostMommy]

You might also want to try ginger pills. They are fairly inexpensive from a health food store. I have yet to try them while on a cruise, but have started using them sometimes since I have problems with nausea in everyday life. They have no sleepy side effect, which I really like.

 

[llqool]

I used to take the Transderm patches, but they have some very scary possible side effects beyond dry mouth.

Dramamine made me sleepy, but bonine seems to work. I use it in combination with the sea bands. They do seem to help a little (it may be the placebo effect, but hey, if it works, i'm sticking with it). I have used the seabands to alleviate immediate symptoms and they have eased them a bit.

As others have said, if you are prone to seasickness, get it in your system ahead of time and keep taking it even if you are not feeling sea sick at the time. This was my mistake on our Alaska cruise last year -- I felt better and we were on land in port all day. I forgot to take my Bonine and boy, did I feel it later. I quickly popped one and put on my sea bands and was OK after a bit.

And while Bonine can be pricey, there is a generic version, meclizine. Some pharmacies keep it behind the counter, but it's an OTC med.

 

[quentina]

I take all pills at night, before bed. This way, if it makes me tired.......I am asleep.

 

[DisneyOHFan]

I agree with the other posters who suggested to take it before bed. That's what I do and it works great.

Yep. Bedtime works great for us too.

 

[JessRx]

disclaimer- please talk to your doctor or pharmacist about anything OTC or Rx before you try it out, especially if you have any health issues or take any other medications**
Meclizine- this is an antihistamine-type of drug that is used for Vertigo, especially dizziness. It works well for people who get a dizzy feeling for seasickness. It does cause drowsiness at first for most people this effect lessens tremendously when taken for several days in a row
Zofran- this is a prescription drug that works on the nausea center in the brain, it is best for people who get the vomit-prone type of seasickness. It is available in generics now in the US, so the cost has come way down.
Diphenhydramine- this is an antihistamine that is used for allergies, sleep, cough, and also motion sickness. Good for preventing the fluid in the ears type of motion sickness but it does cause significant drowsiness
Scopalamine- this is the patch behind the ear that you see people using. Definitely need to talk to the doctor about this Rx, but if you are a seasick all the time type with no other medical issues, it might be the best thing for you.

Hope this helps somewhat. And hope for smooth sailing!!!