Fighting Seasickness?

[elgerber]

Scopalamine patches are the answer!!!
I had never been seasick until a ten day cruise to the Carribean last spring.
On the first sea day I felt soooo sick.
I was planning to disembark in St Thomas and fly home.
Some friends had extra Scopalamine patches and gave me one.
The patch took two hours to take effect and then I was absolutely fine.
The only down side was that my pupils dilated, and I had to wear sun glasses 24/7.
This cruise hit rough seas going from Baltimore to the Carribean.
Hoping that starting down South makes a difference.
But I will definitely have Scop patches on hand.

Another big fat Ditto here!!!! My dd and I both get motion sick very easily. We were very worried about cruising, and as it turns out we had pretty choppy waters for many of the days on our 10/11 cruise. We both wore the patch and did not feel sick once! It worked wonderfully for both of us, and neither of us had any side effects. No dilated pupils or dry mouth.

Funny, someone mentioned walking past the port holes walking to Parrot Cay. While it didn't make me sick, I did get wobbly walking by this same place and looking out the portholes there. Parrot Cay was also the dining room we felt the most motion in.

 

[TanyaLovesPooh]

We just got back from being on the Wonder and I was very worried about being seasick. We all took Bonine before the trip and the second morning, after that we decided we didn't need it.

You can feel the ship moving for sure, especially the first night. It was actually relaxing for us to feel it sway and had no problems with feeling the slightest bit sick. Hope you have a great time!

 

[OCD for WD]

This is a great thread. Thanks for all the info. I'm considering the cruise but have a history of motion sickness.

My question is about drowsiness. In the past Dramamine has helped me but knocked me OUT! What can I take/use that won't put me to sleep?

Okay, warning - pharmacist in me coming out... Dramamine usually knocks people out because it is chemically similar to Benadryl. Dramamine 2 (which is a different drug - meclizine - same as Bonine or prescription Antivert) usually doesn't cause drowsiness. Now I say usually on both of those because you will always find people who don't react as you would expect to any drug. (Benadryl used to keep me up at night instead of putting me to sleep.)

So I would try meclizine as your next step. HTH!!

 

[jamal]

Oh, thank you! Love me some Rx talk.

If I look at Benadryl I am asleep. I may try Bonine for a dry (ha ha) run. Considering I haven't booked the cruise yet, I think I have time.

This is great info.

 

[kharris]

Our first 2 cruises it took me about 24 hours to get used to the motion. That
meant I missed dinner because I would be lying in the bed, and couldn't stand
the smell of food.
This time I started Dramamine, 1tablet twice a day on Friday before we
left on Sunday. And used it every day, twice a day. I also use chewable Bonine about
an hour before lunch and dinner.
I had zero problems, we were on the Magic 10/12 to 10/16, and had some
pretty rough water.
I think getting the drugs into you system and keeping the level steady
is one of the keys to a much more comfortable trip.

 

[cheeringmom]

Okay, warning - pharmacist in me coming out... Dramamine usually knocks people out because it is chemically similar to Benadryl. Dramamine 2 (which is a different drug - meclizine - same as Bonine or prescription Antivert) usually doesn't cause drowsiness. Now I say usually on both of those because you will always find people who don't react as you would expect to any drug. (Benadryl used to keep me up at night instead of putting me to sleep.)

So I would try meclizine as your next step. HTH!!

OCD for WD

Question for you. I have the patch, Bonine and the wrist bands. I plan on taking Bonine first because the patch made me drowsy, but if the bonine doesn't work, could I take the two at the same time plus the pressure wrist bands? i am so afraid I will get sick. I just did a short 4 night Carnival and I was sick then put on the patch and slept the whole time. Don't want to over drug myself but don't want to sleep and be sick the whole cruise either. Plus...the bonine I had last cruise was 25 mg and it said take once a day. The Bonine for this cruise is also 25 mg and says take every 6 hours. I didn't take it last cruise so I don't know if it would have worked once a day.Your thoughts?? Thanks

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

As one of my previous posts and the advice at the earliest part of this thread the best thing to do is to select a room in the middle/middle of the ship.

Most people who feel seasick get better by looking at the horizon as much as possible and getting fresh air, this cannot be done in the lower enclosed decks,

Also the motion of the sea can be felt a bit more in the lower decks, think if the vibration of something you hit, say for an example a piece of wood, the vibration is worst at the place of impact, the ship has more vibration where the sea is close to the ship.

 

[Disney Doc]

Background point #1: I am a physician. I prescribe medicine for a living. The right pill MUST be the answer to a problem...
Background point #2: I get horribly motion sick. Cannot ride Star Tours, Body Wars or teacups.
Reality for me: Too tired with dimenhydrinate; too crabby with meclizine; blew a pupil and got blurred vision with scopalamine patch. Surprisingly, I got amazingly effective results with the accupressure wrist bands. I am now a believer in the power of non-pharmacologic interventions - despite my initial skepticism.

Good luck - while all of the above offer help to some people, it cannot be predicted. It may just take trial and error for each individual.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Background point #1: I am a physician. I prescribe medicine for a living. The right pill MUST be the answer to a problem...
Background point #2: I get horribly motion sick. Cannot ride Star Tours, Body Wars or teacups.
Reality for me: Too tired with dimenhydrinate; too crabby with meclizine; blew a pupil and got blurred vision with scopalamine patch. Surprisingly, I got amazingly effective results with the accupressure wrist bands. I am now a believer in the power of non-pharmacologic interventions - despite my initial skepticism.

Good luck - while all of the above offer help to some people, it cannot be predicted. It may just take trial and error for each individual.

Very interesting, I always suggest the natural remedies, of looking at the horizon, as much as possible getting fresh air, etc rather than pills and tablets.

 

[cheeringmom]

As one of my previous posts and the advice at the earliest part of this thread the best thing to do is to select a room in the middle/middle of the ship.

Most people who feel seasick get better by looking at the horizon as much as possible and getting fresh air, this cannot be done in the lower enclosed decks,

Also the motion of the sea can be felt a bit more in the lower decks, think if the vibration of something you hit, say for an example a piece of wood, the vibration is worst at the place of impact, the ship has more vibration where the sea is close to the ship.

Derek, we are on dek 6 towards the back. That was what was reccomended to me. Plus I don't have a window. Last time I did I felt really sick. I hope the ginger tablets work. I'd rather take those than something that will make me sleepy the whole time. Wish me luck. We leave next week!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Derek, we are on dek 6 towards the back. That was what was recommended to me. Plus I don't have a window. Last time I did I felt really sick. I hope the ginger tablets work. I'd rather take those than something that will make me sleepy the whole time. Wish me luck. We leave next week!

I hope you have, really nice seas, glassy like and a great time on your cruise, Deck 6 is very nice, I tend to like rooms Midship to Aft, and often they are close to the Aft elevators which isn't a bad place to be.

Anything more natural like ginger, imho is far better than actual meds,

Have a good one! Come back and tell us all.

 

[OCD for WD]

OCD for WD

Question for you. I have the patch, Bonine and the wrist bands. I plan on taking Bonine first because the patch made me drowsy, but if the bonine doesn't work, could I take the two at the same time plus the pressure wrist bands? i am so afraid I will get sick. I just did a short 4 night Carnival and I was sick then put on the patch and slept the whole time. Don't want to over drug myself but don't want to sleep and be sick the whole cruise either. Plus...the bonine I had last cruise was 25 mg and it said take once a day. The Bonine for this cruise is also 25 mg and says take every 6 hours. I didn't take it last cruise so I don't know if it would have worked once a day.Your thoughts?? Thanks

Sorry it took a couple of days to respond. Haven't been paying as close of attention. Anyways, there is no contraindication to taking the patch and Bonine at the same time, but be aware that you would be increasing your risk of side effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth. I would really try to stick to one or the other. (Obviously you can add the bands to either one. )

And I'm a little skeptical about the every 6 hour dosing of Bonine. The over-the-counter dose of meclizine is 25mg once a day which can be increased to 50mg once a day if needed. This is the only dosing which is allowed by the FDA to be printed on any over-the-counter product. The prescription dose of meclizine can be higher, but that shouldn't be on anything you can buy in the store. Not saying you're wrong about the label, just saying that shouldn't be the case. So unless a doctor tells you to take more than 2 tablets once a day, I wouldn't. HTH!

 

[pw1925]

I just returned from the 25 Oct to 1 Nov Western Caribbean cruise. I was feeling a little green around the gills at the beginning of the cruise. DH went down to the Health Center on Deck 1 and found free 25 mg packages of Sea Calm (meclizine HCl) outside the closed office (it was after hours) along with instructions for combating motion sickness. I was so happy the meds were available after hours (and free!) because they worked like a charm.

Pam

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I just returned from the 25 Oct to 1 Nov Western Caribbean cruise. I was feeling a little green around the gills at the beginning of the cruise. DH went down to the Health Center on Deck 1 and found free 25 mg packages of Sea Calm (meclizine HCl) outside the closed office (it was after hours) along with instructions for combating motion sickness. I was so happy the meds were available after hours (and free!) because they worked like a charm.

Pam

Thats good, I hope the rest of the cruise was great.

 

[cheeringmom]

Sorry it took a couple of days to respond. Haven't been paying as close of attention. Anyways, there is no contraindication to taking the patch and Bonine at the same time, but be aware that you would be increasing your risk of side effects such as drowsiness and dry mouth. I would really try to stick to one or the other. (Obviously you can add the bands to either one. )

And I'm a little skeptical about the every 6 hour dosing of Bonine. The over-the-counter dose of meclizine is 25mg once a day which can be increased to 50mg once a day if needed. This is the only dosing which is allowed by the FDA to be printed on any over-the-counter product. The prescription dose of meclizine can be higher, but that shouldn't be on anything you can buy in the store. Not saying you're wrong about the label, just saying that shouldn't be the case. So unless a doctor tells you to take more than 2 tablets once a day, I wouldn't. HTH!

Thanks so much. I did read about the Bonine and it did say once a day. Don't know what my doc was thinking!!! I hope I can get away with just the ginger tablets but not counting on it. I'd rather be drowsy than sick.

And thanks Derek for the well wishes. I will let you know when I return!!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thanks so much. I did read about the Bonine and it did say once a day. Don't know what my doc was thinking!!! I hope I can get away with just the ginger tablets but not counting on it. I'd rather be drowsy than sick.

And thanks Andrew Derek for the well wishes. I will let you know when I return!!

 

[hgon76]

[QUOTE I hope I can get away with just the ginger tablets

[/QUOTE]Where do you purchase "ginger tablets"?

 

[disneyfortwo]

I had been told to chew sugared ginger (you can buy it at an organic food store) when feeling seasick. Has anyone tried this?

 

[cheeringmom]

Where do you purchase "ginger tablets"?[/QUOTE]
I got mine at GNC. They are 550mg of ginger root. You are supposed to take one table daily but I read on another cruise board-not disney-that they take one with every meal. I plan on doing that plus drinking ginger ale and they have this stuff called hard ginger candy you can get at fresh market. I am going to look for some this week and will post my finding.s good luck

hope i don't get in trouble for posting this but this is the message board I found on ginger root.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=352903

 

[cheeringmom]

I had been told to chew sugared ginger (you can buy it at an organic food store) when feeling seasick. Has anyone tried this?

too funny I was just posting about that. It is called sugared ginger?? hmmm I hope to find it as Fresh Market.