Non-drowsy motion sickness faves

[JulieBeeRN]

We went on our first cruise a couple weeks ago. Loved it so much that we are cruising again next January. My husband has fairly significant motion sickness and had a scopolamine patch. It helped but made him feel kinda wonky and very tired. What are your recommended brands for natural supplements/gum and sea bands? Thanks!

 

[22Tink]

I always use Bonine and it works great for me. Some people say it makes them feel drowsy but it doesn’t do that to me. Dramamine has a non drowsy formula but again, the regular Dramamine doesn’t make me drowsy either.

 

[lklgoodman]

I can't use the patch because of a health condition. I take Bonine beginning the day before our cruise, it doesn't make sleepy. I also started using ginger candy whenever I started to feel queasy and it helped a lot. I've also used seabands. They didn't really work for me.

 

[MsSimone]

The first night, I had motion sickness and had to leave dinner early to go lay down. Every other night, I popped a Gin Gin ginger candy or two before dinner and I was fine.

 

[marjorieeeee]

I have some opinions as a pharmacist!

Bonine and the less-drowsy have the same ingredient (meclizine) and are really good choices.

I’ve heard really good things about SeaBands, but I’m not sure they’ll be enough for more severe cases, so I’d bring along some meclizine too.

Ginger seems pretty weak. It will take the edge off and perk up those who don’t usually suffer from motion sickness, but are feeling a bit queasy after some unusually rough sailing.

 

[DisMommyTX]

Bonine is by far the best we have found. Not Dramamine II- Less Drowsy, which I know is supposed to be the same med but many people (including me) experience more side effects. I use Bonine every night before bed. I'll take another any time during the day if I start feeling off (dosage is 1-2 tabs/24 hr). DH only takes it on rough days.

Both kids use Sea-Bands then supplement with half a bonine tab as needed. DD 15 never takes anything but does get sick if she forgets to put her bands on. DS 11 will take meds about half the time.

DS and I both get car sick and motion sickness in all kinds of situations, but we are avid cruisers and Bonine has never let me down.

 

[allaboutthemouse]

I used Dramamine Natural, worked great for me and NO drowsiness. But I did have to go buy the regular Dramamine for my husband in the shop onboard because I don’t think he thought the natural worked for him. This was only on the last day of our repo cruise to New Orleans as it was really rough that day, had to cancel Palo brunch

 

[loves to dive]

Another Bonine user when diving. I take it the night before we get on the boat the first time and every morning after that. It doesn't make me drowsy and I've had 0 motion sickness. My first time on a small dive boat in 6 ft. seas and I learned you can throw up in a regulator at 100 feet below. After that, it was Bonine on every single trip, whether it was a small 6 person boat or a dive "cruise" on a yacht. Dramamine makes me drowsy, which doesn't work well if you are diving.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

Looks like it’s Bonine for the win. Thanks everyone!

 

[lorimay]

I take the bonine at night before bedtime, works great for me, I start the night before the cruise.

 

[lilsonicfan]

I take the bonine at night before bedtime, works great for me, I start the night before the cruise.

Same here exactly. I usually don't find I need it after the first few days, but everyone is different!

 

[blabadie]

I find both bonine and the Dramamine natural (basically ginger pills) work. I only use dramamine natural these days so I can pack one medication that will work for both me and my daughter that inherited my motion sickness.

That said, my family rarely has any hints of nausea on a cruise ship (even when rough seas) and two of us are quite prone to motion sickness on car rides.

 

[Starwind]

I have some opinions as a pharmacist!

Bonine and the less-drowsy have the same ingredient (meclizine) and are really good choices.

I’ve heard really good things about SeaBands, but I’m not sure they’ll be enough for more severe cases, so I’d bring along some meclizine too.

Ginger seems pretty weak. It will take the edge off and perk up those who don’t usually suffer from motion sickness, but are feeling a bit queasy after some unusually rough sailing.

I use a combination of things, for both motion sickness and for migraine and medication-induced nausea:

- Dramamine Less Drowsy. This does make me slightly drowsy, but thanks to a suggestion IIRC here on the Dis, I take it at night before going to bed -- the worst of the drowsy is then when I am sleeping and by morning the residual is very minor. Bonine previously had aspartame in it so I couldn;t use it, which is why I chose Dramamine Less Drowsy. Meclizine is not available in Canada so I have to get it in the US.

- SeaBands. I use the brand name version, as they have actual clinical studies behind them. I find they work very well but usually are insufficient on their own to completely solve the issue. I find if they aren't doing anything that it is because they are not in the right position and adjusting resolves that. However, while SeaBands work for most people, they do not work effectively for everyone.

- Ginger capsules. I use the Dramamine Naturals ginger capsules as they are a pharmaceutical grade standardized dose -- you know exactly what you are getting. There are some good clinical studies that look at ginger, and so I think it is important to know what kind of dose you are getting and to be able to control it.

- Tummydrops. These are a hard candylike ginger supplement containing a relatively standardized dose of ginger. I like the Organic Sweet Blackberry Ginger flavour, which is one of their mildest, and I find it pretty strong (you learn pretty quickly that you need to let the drop dissolve slowly itself and NOT chew it....). I find these can give some pretty quick relieve and do a much better job than something like ginger ale or ginger tea. FWIW, the Tummydrops can be used to make tea if one prefers to have them that way.

- Ginger ale pop/soda. Because it is comforting and soothing to the stomach. It may or may not have actual ginger in it and who knows at what dose. I prefer Canada Dry brand if given the choice.

- Ginger snap cookies. Because they are comforting and soothing to the stomach. They have actual ginger in them but who knows the actual dose. I like Shasha brand ginger snaps.


As for ginger. Ginger, in the right dose, IME, can be pretty effective, though for me it rarely is enough all on its own. The challenge is standardization and consistency of dosing. Most of the ginger products out there you have no idea how much you are getting, and often no way to control how much from time to time. That is why I use the Dramamine ginger and the Tummydrops products: controlled known dose per unit that I can then do with what I need to.

Dramamine Non-Drowsy naturals made with ginger ingredients:


Tummydrops Organic Sweet Blackberry Ginger flavour drops ingredients:

 

[MomOTwins]

Bonine worked like magic for me!

 

[lorimay]

[/QUOTE]

I use a combination of things, for both motion sickness and for migraine and medication-induced nausea:

- Dramamine Less Drowsy. This does make me slightly drowsy, but thanks to a suggestion IIRC here on the Dis, I take it at night before going to bed -- the worst of the drowsy is then when I am sleeping and by morning the residual is very minor. Bonine previously had aspartame in it so I couldn;t use it, which is why I chose Dramamine Less Drowsy. Meclizine is not available in Canada so I have to get it in the US.

- SeaBands. I use the brand name version, as they have actual clinical studies behind them. I find they work very well but usually are insufficient on their own to completely solve the issue. I find if they aren't doing anything that it is because they are not in the right position and adjusting resolves that. However, while SeaBands work for most people, they do not work effectively for everyone.

- Ginger capsules. I use the Dramamine Naturals ginger capsules as they are a pharmaceutical grade standardized dose -- you know exactly what you are getting. There are some good clinical studies that look at ginger, and so I think it is important to know what kind of dose you are getting and to be able to control it.

- Tummydrops. These are a hard candylike ginger supplement containing a relatively standardized dose of ginger. I like the Organic Sweet Blackberry Ginger flavour, which is one of their mildest, and I find it pretty strong (you learn pretty quickly that you need to let the drop dissolve slowly itself and NOT chew it....). I find these can give some pretty quick relieve and do a much better job than something like ginger ale or ginger tea. FWIW, the Tummydrops can be used to make tea if one prefers to have them that way.

- Ginger ale pop/soda. Because it is comforting and soothing to the stomach. It may or may not have actual ginger in it and who knows at what dose. I prefer Canada Dry brand if given the choice.

- Ginger snap cookies. Because they are comforting and soothing to the stomach. They have actual ginger in them but who knows the actual dose. I like Shasha brand ginger snaps.


As for ginger. Ginger, in the right dose, IME, can be pretty effective, though for me it rarely is enough all on its own. The challenge is standardization and consistency of dosing. Most of the ginger products out there you have no idea how much you are getting, and often no way to control how much from time to time. That is why I use the Dramamine ginger and the Tummydrops products: controlled known dose per unit that I can then do with what I need to.

Dramamine Non-Drowsy naturals made with ginger ingredients:

View attachment 475574
Tummydrops Organic Sweet Blackberry Ginger flavour drops ingredients:

View attachment 475573

This is good information, thank you.
My nephew is getting married on a yacht this summer and I'm worried for my Mom, she has motion sickness, but doesn't want to risk taking something to make her sleepy (she says they all do whether non-drowsy or not). Hopefully, the seaband and the ginger will work. The boat stays in the intracoastal, so it should be mild.

 

[MAmama78]

I just took my first cruise and experienced motion sickness one morning after a hot shower. After that, I'd wake up and pop two "all natural" Dramamine (i.e., potent ginger pills) and I made sure to get something small in my stomach upon waking. I'd order something small from room service.

 

[Ladybugx87]

I was super skeptical but the sea bands worked amazingly for me and also for my 9 year old daughter last year on the Magic to Iceland and Norway.

 

[babyruth]

I wish the sea bands had worked for me! Or maybe they did and just weren’t enough alone. Thankfully I did have Bonine with us and that worked. I have to admit I was a little sad I didn’t get to drink the wine I brought onboard because I had to take the Bonine twice on this past cruise. Next time I’m going to remember the ginger drops too.

 

[DVC Doc]

Physician here. For motion sickness, I recommend to all of my patients that they try ginger candy first, and if that doesn't work, Bonine/meclizine. The next steps would be a scopolamine patch, which work great but can cause dry mouth, then dramamine.

I can't comment on Sea Bands because they are not based on medical science....