Natural motion sickness remedies?

[SarahKate]

We are getting ready to leave on April 30th and DH has motion sickness. He's usually ok in the car but this is our first time driving and he's never driven this far - and for rides, of course.

There's the usual Dramamine option but it makes him dopey.

What other methods have you used that have worked well? We were at Wal-Mart today and saw the Sea Bands which I actually used when I was pregnant with my DD and they worked pretty well. There's also some sort of thing that you dab behind your ears....not sure if that works or not.

We just want to find something for him that's not going to knock him out or make him feel weird, especially if he needs something on the drive there or back!

Thanks!

 

[momof1princess]

i use meclizine (generic bonine) and i have no drowsiness issues. i have very severe motion sickness, and it works GREAT! you can get 100 pills for $5.00, no prescription needed, but it is behind the pharmacy counter, so you have to ask for it. i recommend beginning to take it 3-4 days before leaving for your trip, to give it a little time to build up. have a great trip!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Has he ever tried the Non Drowsy version of Dramimine (also brand name Bonine)? It is Meclizine HCL and for many it doesn't make them sleepy or dopey. It can make me a little sleepy but I take it before I go to bed the night before I need it and I am fine the next day (and I sleep well!)

Otherwise the main natural help is Ginger. You can get Ginger Mints (Altoids has some) or some Ginger Pills, look with the natural vitamins stuff for them. Take some Gingerale to drink. The sea bands are a help to some-- DD10 loves them, they don't do a thing for me.

Peppermint can also help settle an upset stomach.

 

[mombare]

Another vote for Bonine! I get severe motion sickness, and this has been great. I also give to DD, as she gets "headaches" when riding in the car for extended periods of time.

My MIL went on a cruise and used the patches you put behind your ears. They worked wonderful, until day 3...apparently she wasn't told you had to change them on the 3rd day! She really wondered why they suddenly weren't working. All was good once she put a new one on. Just to note...these are prescription, but her doctor was happy to give them to her. No side effects for her (not sure what they would be).

Good luck - I would love to try a cruise some day, but I am just too scared!

 

[bonoriffic]

Mythbusters did an episode on motion sickness cures. Other than commercial remedies which did work but with possible side effects, ginger was an equivalent remedy. Sea bands, bracelets, and any other cures have been scientifically proven to not work. Of course your brain is a crazy place and you can actually cure yourself through the power of suggestion, which is why even the cures that don't work may appear to work for some.

 

[Evi]

I'd go with hard ginger candy I use them when I have tummy ache

 

[Tonydana]

i have meneares which causes severe motion sickness and me getting nauseas over doing little things. i bought the motion eaze online a few months ago. this is the stuff that goes behind your ear. i swear by it. i also use the meclizine. good luck

 

[Darcy03231]

I get motion sick and use Bonine. It works for 24 hours so I take it before I go to bed at night and am fine all the next day, with no side effects.

 

[Tiger926]

Mythbusters did an episode on motion sickness cures. Other than commercial remedies which did work but with possible side effects, ginger was an equivalent remedy. Sea bands, bracelets, and any other cures have been scientifically proven to not work. Of course your brain is a crazy place and you can actually cure yourself through the power of suggestion, which is why even the cures that don't work may appear to work for some.

I will absolutely disagree. I have motion sickness, and spent 11 months of pregnancy nauseated. Moment of conception until 2 months after birth, and nothing worked as well as my Relief Band. We have prescription meds here in Canada for pregnancy, and they did nothing, as did ginger (yuck!).

The Relief Band (check online), use acupressure on inside of wrist which works on the motion sickness. I've even done it with my fingers - motion sickness is all in the brain, so that is how it's treated best. The Relief Band is exceptional - it's used for cancer patients, as well as pregnancy and motion sickness. It releases small impulses (you can set it) on the pressure point inside your wrist - have used in for pregnancy, cruise, car rides, etc.

Here is a link: http://www.aeromedix.com/aeromedix_articles/reliefband/index.html

Ginger and peppermint do absolutely nothing for me, but make my tummy more upset, so it definitely doesn't work for everyone. It's just a short-term solution, as motion sickness comes from the brain, and that is why the only thing that has worked for me has been The Relief Band - don't care for Sea Bands as much, but DD used them for a bit on our long drive to Florida.

Good luck, Tiger

 

[lovehoney]

Ginger cookies helped me and DH on a cruise. The thin crispy kind work best. I don't remember the name.

I also used them for my last pregnancy.

 

[SunnieRN]

Scopalamine patches are the bomb!! I wore them on deep sea fishing cruise and never got sea sick. There were about 30 people on the boat. The waters were REALLY choppy, with HUGE waves (North of San Francisco CA). Everyone who was wearing Scopalamine patches had a fantastic time. The four or 5 people who didn't . Pretty soon we knew exactly who had them on.

You need to put it on the night before you leave and have enough to change it every three days. They are a prescription medication, but if you or your hubby have a regular MD, call the office and ask for the office to call them in to the pharmacy. They are not that expensive and they will make your $$$$ trip much more enjoyable!! Have a great time!!

 

[Serling126]

Somebody once told me that people who get motion sickeness on cruises swear by putting an aspirin in their belly button! I have never tried it personally, but i suppose it would be worth a try

Also there are homeopathic remedies for motion sickess that should be available at natural health stores, if you are open to that sort of stuff.

 

[pigletto]

My husband gets terrible motion sickness and it is getting worse as he gets older. Last trip to Disney, we went on Expedition Everest first thing in the morning and we had to go straight to the medical center where he laid down and took dramamine until he felt well enough to go back to the resort Rollercoasters didn't bother him when he was younger so we had no idea.
The dramamine and patches behind his ear helped for cruises but make his vision blurry and make him tired. Not fun for vacation.
On our first cruise the staff recommended accupuncture. They said alot of the crew use it as well. We figured we'd try anything at that point.
It worked beautifully. We get it on the first day of all our cruises now and no problems for the rest of the 2 weeks.

It really has been a life saver for us. I know some people call it myth, but anything that goes against the Western Medical Model doesn't seem to garner much respect.

The other issues with the dopamine and patches are that they can and do make the persons wearing them weepy and moody. They are a depressant afterall. So if you are sensitive to that type of thing, wearing them for an extended period of time is also not fun.

 

[brandydandy]

I get horribly car sick and I take Ginger Root. It works everytime.

Good luck!

 

[musicdude]

Use the Sea bands for a natural non-medicated treatment. Even the meclizine can cause drowsiness. Never give meclizine to children under twelve.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Scopalamine patches are the bomb!! I wore them on deep sea fishing cruise and never got sea sick. There were about 30 people on the boat. The waters were REALLY choppy, with HUGE waves (North of San Francisco CA). Everyone who was wearing Scopalamine patches had a fantastic time. The four or 5 people who didn't . Pretty soon we knew exactly who had them on.

You need to put it on the night before you leave and have enough to change it every three days. They are a prescription medication, but if you or your hubby have a regular MD, call the office and ask for the office to call them in to the pharmacy. They are not that expensive and they will make your $$$$ trip much more enjoyable!! Have a great time!!

My Dr wouldn't give them to for a land based trip, only for a cruise. He said they can do funky things to you if you aren't in motion most of the time?? But I also had one put on me by the anestheologist before my last surgery to help with my usual post surgery nausea and vomiting. And I was shocked but I had no nausea! I went ahead and left it on for 3 days since the pain meds can make me sick and I was fine. I had no idea it could be used that way!

But they are probably not what you need if you are just going on a car ride and only need something for a day or two.

But I LOVED them for our cruise. I was very concerned about the side effects I had heard about like a PP mentioned but fortunately I didn't have any problems. Everyone is so different and sometimes you just have to keep trying things to find out what works for you. Ginger is rather useless for me as are the SeaBands, but DD10 loves the Sea Bands. We keep them in the car because any car ride over about 15 minutes makes her sick.

 

[vsimeone]

Check a health food store. I have a "travel formula" that I LOVE! It is a capsule that combines ginger, peppermint and rasberry. These all naturally calm your stomach and this mixture has worked wonders for me!

My son and I also use the generic Bonine (Mezcaline) in a pinch. I ALWAYS keep it in my purse - just in case - but I much prefer my homeopathic travel formula.

Best of luck to you! Motion sickness is miserable!

 

[ajh88]

I'm another vote for Bonine (meclizine) - NOT Dramamine (dimenhydrinate).

I despise ginger in most forms, but can handle ginger snaps - don't know if they'd be very helpful, but it might be worth it to have some on-hand.

And if he has motion sickness, he probably knows this already, but prevention is the best cure. Take whatever remedy he chooses BEFORE he starts to feel sick (or when he's likely to be in a situation that could make him feel sick). It is a lot harder to start feeling better once it starts than it is to keep it from starting in the first place.

 

[SarahKate]

Hi all,

Thanks for the great responses! There are soooo many things that people swear by, aren't there?

After going through all the replies and the research I've done online, it seems like ginger supplements is what we're going to try for this trip. I actually went to Walgreen's tonite and they had a special buy one get one free! The packaging said ginger root is also good for digestive health, which he was kind of excited about so we're going to give it a go.

I personally used the Sea Bands when I was pg w/ my DD and they did work for me. That may be another thing we might have on hand just in case.

 

[SGMCO]

The Relief Band (check online), use acupressure on inside of wrist which works on the motion sickness. I've even done it with my fingers - motion sickness is all in the brain, so that is how it's treated best. The Relief Band is exceptional - it's used for cancer patients, as well as pregnancy and motion sickness. It releases small impulses (you can set it) on the pressure point inside your wrist - have used in for pregnancy, cruise, car rides, etc.

Here is a link: http://www.aeromedix.com/aeromedix_articles/reliefband/index.html

I also highly recommend Relief Bands (totally different than seabands/not in same class). It is the only thing that has worked without any side effects. I used to have a hard time flying because of motion sickness, anxiety about flying and now I don't mind sitting in the back of the plane. I was able to ride all of the rides last trip with no problems.
I have recommended Relief band to several people who could not take anything else and they have come back and thanked me very much for telling them about this product. It is well worth the money. I have purchased 3 of them because everyone else in my family wanted the only one I had.
We have found that Relief band has worked for stress/anxiety, migrain headaches and whenever you've overeatten.