Headed for a Hurricane - Bonine, Dramamine or both?

[Vacation Kathy]

We are sailing Saturday on the Fantasy. We have sailed in the fall before buttwe have never had bad weather at sea, so I am not sure what to expect with this Hurricane, and I want to be prepared. I have Bonine, which is all we have ever taken in the past. Is that the same as Dramamine? Should I bring both? I also have sea bands for my DD and MIL. I get motion sickness in cars and small boats, but have not had any real problems on cruise ships ... yet! Our cabin is usually midship, but we are far aft for this cruise. I'm concerned about that as well, but it is what it is. Anyway, are there any other medications or home remedies that you would suggest I grab before leaving home? TIA

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are sailing Saturday on the Fantasy. We have sailed in the fall before buttwe have never had bad weather at sea, so I am not sure what to expect with this Hurricane, and I want to be prepared. I have Bonine, which is all we have ever taken in the past. Is that the same as Dramamine? Should I bring both? I also have sea bands for my DD and MIL. I get motion sickness in cars and small boats, but have not had any real problems on cruise ships ... yet! Our cabin is usually midship, but we are far aft for this cruise. I'm concerned about that as well, but it is what it is. Anyway, are there any other medications or home remedies that you would suggest I grab before leaving home? TIA

Basically, AFAIK, Bonine and Dramamine do the same thing. Just different compounds. And Dramamine makes you sleepier. I took a homeopathic remedy along on our first cruise (didn't need it) MotionEze. My husband uses sea bands (and Bonine for rockier sea days). Green apples as well as ginger have also been mentioned as motion sickness aides.

 

[Amw1064]

We got stuck in a freak storm on a March cruise one year to the Eastern Caribbean. It was crazy. My daughter who had been on 16 Disney cruises got sick. We put the bands on her and gave her the kids chewable Dramamine and they were serving cut up slices of green apples for everyone. Pools were closed due to the waves in them but we were all out there eating green apples. I always feel bad on the ship so I take the 24 hour non drowsy Dramamine as a preventative every day. We also sail aft a lot. I always hear that was good for motion sickness. I think I had the bands on as well that day. Those are my back up.

 

[IAMASTITCHER]

We have used ginger pills to great success. The good part is that you can take these when you start to feel symptoms of motion sickness. I personally find that if I take Dramamine or Boninine, I am wiped out for several hours. With the ginger pills, within an hour I am good to go.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I would suggest calling your family GP and ask what he/she would suggest as they would know your history.

AKK

 

[sharona]

I find the original Dramamine more effective than the non drowsy. The trick for me is the first hour after taking it. You have to stay active that hour and power through the sort of "out of it" feeling that you get and drink a ton of water. If we're flying we don't mind being drowsy but if doing anything else we try to keep on our feet and walk around. Once that first hour is over, I've never had any drowsiness issues.

 

[Starwind]

We are sailing Saturday on the Fantasy. We have sailed in the fall before buttwe have never had bad weather at sea, so I am not sure what to expect with this Hurricane, and I want to be prepared. I have Bonine, which is all we have ever taken in the past. Is that the same as Dramamine? Should I bring both? I also have sea bands for my DD and MIL. I get motion sickness in cars and small boats, but have not had any real problems on cruise ships ... yet! Our cabin is usually midship, but we are far aft for this cruise. I'm concerned about that as well, but it is what it is. Anyway, are there any other medications or home remedies that you would suggest I grab before leaving home? TIA

Bonine's active ingredient is meclizine. The same active ingredient is in Dramamine All Day Less Drowsy. Note that as a chewable Bonine has aspartame in it and for some people that is an issue. Dramamine All Day Less Drowsy tablets do not have aspartame.

Dramamine Original Formula's active ingredient is Dimenhydrinate 50mg. They have a tablet version (no aspartame) and chewable versions (adults and kids; both versions have aspartame).

In my experience, Dramamine Original Formula is more effective at dealing with active motion sickness, BUT the trade-off for me is it makes me really sleepy (sometimes to the point of must-take-a-nap, though not always).

I find in most cases the Less Drowsy strikes a good balance between effectiveness and drowsiness, and at least for me is a LOT less drowsy-making.

I get motion sickness when I cruise. Guaranteed. For the entire duration of the cruise I use a combination of Dramamine Less Drowsy and continuously worn SeaBands (actual brand name ones, not a knock off). I bring an extra couple pairs of SeaBands in case something happens to the ones I am wearing. I drink lots of ginger ale and I have ginger snaps I bring from home (see below). EVEN THEN I will still have symptoms -- they just for me are usually reduced to an "annoying" level as opposed to a "interfering with doing things" level, most of the time. On both of our DCL cruises we had to sail around storms or through their edges -- it was rough enough that I had trouble walking in the halls and fell into a display in one of the stores (fortunately it was stuffed animals) and overnight many things fell off shelves in the stores) -- those nights I took a stronger anti-nausea med.

The company that makes Dramamine also makes an awesome product now: Dramamine® Non-Drowsy Naturals. They are ginger-containing gel caps, with a fixed dose of ginger. The company webpage about them is here: http://www.dramamine.com/motion-sickness-medicine/non-drowsy-naturals/ I find them VERY VERY effective in providing relief.

Other things I use: ginger ale (I like Canada Dry brand, and it actually contains ginger; not all ginger ale's actually contain ginger); ginger snap cookies (some are better than others -- my favourite is ShaSha ginger snaps: http://www.shashabread.com/products/original-ginger-snaps ). Usually if I cannot tolerate eating anything else because of nausea (due to whatever cause) I can manage ginger ale and ginger snaps .


There are also prescription options which your doctor can discuss with you what is appropriate or not for you.

SW

 

[Starwind]

I find the original Dramamine more effective than the non drowsy. The trick for me is the first hour after taking it. You have to stay active that hour and power through the sort of "out of it" feeling that you get and drink a ton of water. If we're flying we don't mind being drowsy but if doing anything else we try to keep on our feet and walk around. Once that first hour is over, I've never had any drowsiness issues.

I am going to try this the next time I have to take the original version, as the drowsiness it causes is a huge challenge for me. I normally use the less drowsy (it is also drowsy-making but not as bad) but sometimes the stronger one is needed.

SW

 

[sharona]

Bonine's active ingredient is meclizine. The same active ingredient is in Dramamine All Day Less Drowsy. Note that as a chewable Bonine has aspartame in it and for some people that is an issue. Dramamine All Day Less Drowsy tablets do not have aspartame.

Dramamine Original Formula's active ingredient is Dimenhydrinate 50mg. They have a tablet version (no aspartame) and chewable versions (adults and kids; both versions have aspartame).

In my experience, Dramamine Original Formula is more effective at dealing with active motion sickness, BUT the trade-off for me is it makes me really sleepy (sometimes to the point of must-take-a-nap, though not always).

I find in most cases the Less Drowsy strikes a good balance between effectiveness and drowsiness, and at least for me is a LOT less drowsy-making.

I get motion sickness when I cruise. Guaranteed. For the entire duration of the cruise I use a combination of Dramamine Less Drowsy and continuously worn SeaBands (actual brand name ones, not a knock off). I bring an extra couple pairs of SeaBands in case something happens to the ones I am wearing. I drink lots of ginger ale and I have ginger snaps I bring from home (see below). EVEN THEN I will still have symptoms -- they just for me are usually reduced to an "annoying" level as opposed to a "interfering with doing things" level, most of the time. On both of our DCL cruises we had to sail around storms or through their edges -- it was rough enough that I had trouble walking in the halls and fell into a display in one of the stores (fortunately it was stuffed animals) and overnight many things fell off shelves in the stores) -- those nights I took a stronger anti-nausea med.

The company that makes Dramamine also makes an awesome product now: Dramamine® Non-Drowsy Naturals. They are ginger-containing gel caps, with a fixed dose of ginger. The company webpage about them is here: http://www.dramamine.com/motion-sickness-medicine/non-drowsy-naturals/ I find them VERY VERY effective in providing relief.

Other things I use: ginger ale (I like Canada Dry brand, and it actually contains ginger; not all ginger ale's actually contain ginger); ginger snap cookies (some are better than others -- my favourite is ShaSha ginger snaps: http://www.shashabread.com/products/original-ginger-snaps ). Usually if I cannot tolerate eating anything else because of nausea (due to whatever cause) I can manage ginger ale and ginger snaps .


There are also prescription options which your doctor can discuss with you what is appropriate or not for you.

SW

I tried these this past weekend at Universal and they did not work for me unfortunately. Rides that I'd handled easily in the past with Dramamine made me queasy. I had to take a Dramamine half way through the day.

Another tip for if you're feeling a bit nauseous is to suck on a lemon drop. Those got me through morning sickness! Also there is an herbal inhaler called Quease Ease that my uncle keeps on his fishing boat for anyone who starts to feel sick. I keep that on hand for car trips since I am usually ok for those and don't want to take anything strong unless really necessary.

 

[Starwind]

I tried these this past weekend at Universal and they did not work for me unfortunately. Rides that I'd handled easily in the past with Dramamine made me queasy. I had to take a Dramamine half way through the day.

Another tip for if you're feeling a bit nauseous is to suck on a lemon drop. Those got me through morning sickness! Also there is an herbal inhaler called Quease Ease that my uncle keeps on his fishing boat for anyone who starts to feel sick. I keep that on hand for car trips since I am usually ok for those and don't want to take anything strong unless really necessary.

I find for myself the ginger does not PREVENT nausea, but will provide varying degrees of symptom relief once you have the nausea, and sometimes can keep it from getting worse (depends on the cause, severity, etc etc). I use it as an addition to dramamine and sea bands and sometimes stronger meds.

SW

 

[gunka]

Take Bonine the night before you leave and every night before going to bed. No worries about being drowsy.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

On our Eastern Caribbean cruise in 2011 on the Magic, the waves were terrible and the pools were closed the entire first full day at sea and until ~ noon the next day. We also had an engine issue that caused us to lose power on that first day. I took Ginger pills and had no problem at all. Almost no one was out and about on the ship as many, many people were sick. (I even witnessed one person run and vomit into a trash can.) I took ginger pills and did not get sick. I had brought them along because I saw on a Myth Busters episode that they tested them and they really worked. I felt a little bad, but every time I started feeling nauseous, I took another couple ginger pills. They may not work for everyone, but IMHO it's better than taking all of those chemicals.

 

[mmfox316]

My DD,20 yrs, uses seabands and says the work. Not too attractive to wear but being green isn't so nice either. It is acupressure so no drugs. I am not much for something that seems like a gimmick but she swears by them so I now pack a set for cruises just in case. They are less than $10 and worth a try in my opinion.

 

[Ofinn]

i would take both with you.. Dramimine is more effective, but I wouldnt take it unless the ship is really rocking. It may knock you out for a few hours. Meclizine works great for normal ship movement.

 

[JimmyV]

We are sailing Saturday on the Fantasy.

By Saturday afternoon, the storm is scheduled to be well north of Port Canaveral. And since your first full day of the cruise is a sea day, and you don't have to be in Cozumel until Monday, the captain can delay your departure by several hours if that would make a difference. I'd guess that you might have some residual seas, but nothing severe.

 

[southerngirl528]

My DD#2 has had terrible motion sickness since she was very small. Her neurologist recommended Bonine when she was still very young and it has served her very well. It does not make her drowsy like regular Dramamine. As others have said (LOTS of great advice in the previous posts, btw!), Meclizine is the active ingredient in Bonine. We just did the Pacific crossing last week on the Wonder from Hawaii and had some quite rough seas part of that time. My fashionista DD didn't want to wear the SeaBands but when she got pretty sick one very rough evening, she put those on with some help. I agree that the Bonine needs to be taken well BEFOREhand. For example, begin taking it the night before you cruise and take it every day of that cruise.

I had bought a homeopathic remedy at Whole Foods for DD before our cruise that seemed to help. The manager of F & B sent her a lovely tray of sliced green apples, crackers, cheeses and fruits on the night she was too ill to go to dinner. Or anywhere else for that matter. Next time I will definitely add ginger capsules to the prevention regimen for her.