First time cruising---sea sickness??

[sjreed]

We have never cruised before....we will be on the Wonder Oct. 17-21, 2004. I am prone to motion sickness (can't read in cars, etc.) Do you advise taking something just in case. If so what do you recommend. I have heard Bonine (?sp) is good. I do have some trouble taking cold medicines, so I am wary about taking a motion sickness med. My son is 11 years old and seems to take after me in this respect. Should I give him something also, or just wait and see once he is on board. Or is it too late by then??

 

[TheWog]

Bonine is an excellent choice. It is recommended to start taking it prior to setting sail (or flying). Buy some now and take it and see how you react. If you do fine then you will know you can.

A non-medication version is Sea-Bands. They are about $8.00 at the local drugstore. They go on your wrists and use pressure points to alleviate the symptoms. My DW swears by them and says they work great. They tend to hurt a little after a while, so just take them off and take a break. She did great with them and the Bonine.

They make a childrens Dramamine, but I would ask your pediatrician what he recommends. Good luck.

 

[seaulater]

I get motion sickness soooo easy. I have been on about 10 cruises. The patch (round little bandaid) behind the ear works really good for me. However, I do get a little thirsty, so I drink lots of water and take sugarfree gum.

We took our SIL on a cruise two years ago, he got really sick the first night, went in the gift shop bought the wristband and never got sick again. He has it in his truck and uses it when he goes four wheeling since he gets sick so easily. You can also get the wristbands at your local dive shop. They are a little cheaper than on the ship.

Good luck and happy cruising!

 

[florida sun]

Just got back from the 22nd Wonder and both my daughter 14 and I took ginger capsuals, never got sick at all, and no drowziness either.

 

[jenlovesdisney]

Can you do both Bonine and the Sea Bands at the same time? Also, where do you get ginger pills?

 

[rjones69]

I work in a hospital pharmacy and the pharmacist advise the Transderm Scop patch that is prescription.

 

[TheWog]

Originally posted by jenlovesdisney
Can you do both Bonine and the Sea Bands at the same time? Also, where do you get ginger pills?

Yes, you can. Sea-Bands just go on your wrist. Not sure about the ginger pills, but I bet a vitamin store or something like that.

Try the patch first before you go, sometimes the side effects can be worse than being seasick.

 

[florida sun]

TheWog

Yes bought them here in the UK in our local health shop, we started off by taking Sea Legs(meclizine) but they made us feel so tired and dizzy we werE not enjoing ourselves at all. So somebody had advised me before we left to try either Ginger Pills or ginger biscuits. We took 2 a day and they worked a treat. I suffer from motion sickness even riding the thrill rides at the parks , so I took them for that too-brilliant, no motion sickness at all.

 

[CurtS]

TheWog is correct--make sure you take it now to check side effects. I tried it over the Labor Day holiday and could barely keep my eyes open. I'm sure most people don't react this way but I was happy to find out now rather than nodding off into my Chocolate Mousse.

 

[WVMD]

Here's some information on the different meds that I put together....

Anti-Nausea Meds

Antihistamines (Over the counter)

Meclizine = Bonine, Dramamine 2 - Less likely to cause drowsiness

Dimenhydrate = Dramamine - Most people find this makes them drowsy.

Benadryl = Diphenhydramine - Not as effective for most people - can make some drowsy.

Claritin = Loratadine - Not as effective for most people - makes very few people drowsy.

Any antihistamine has the potential to help with seasickness. Remember if you are already taking an antihistamine - start at the lower doses of meclizine - as there can be an additive effect.

Scopalamine - Patch (timed release) medication. Can have irritating side effects - but most people complain of dry mouth. Wear the patch for a day or two prior to going on the cruise to see if you can tolerate it. It is a prescription only medication. Drug clears rapidly from the system - hence the need to wear the patch - so side effects should be resolved in 4-6 hours after removing the patch.

Antivert - Prescription version of Meclizine - no difference in strength/ingredients - just price!

Alcohol can intensify the side effects of all of these medications!

Virgil

 

[jenlovesdisney]

Thanks for all the good advice! I am hoping that this will help save the trip from being ruined (I am a terrible motion sickness person~ BAD!)