Sea sickness???

[cruisnfamily]

Ok, now that the seasick thing is all over the board we're all getting a little worried!

I have been on 2 cruises before (1 disney, 1 Royal Carib) and on both of them I felt the motion only on the first night (gulf stream??)

Anyway, here are my questions:

1) I have heard that dramamine makes you sleepy but dramamine II and Bonine don't. But....now I see people are saying that the Bonine made them sleepy too. Is there a non drowsy, sea sickness remedy?

2)I tried the wrist bands for naseau during pregnancy and they did absolutely nothing for me will they work better for motion naseau than they did for pregnancy naseau?

3)I wouldn't do the patch because for me at least it is usually only the first night so I wouldn't want to bother with the whole patch thing.

4)If you take a sea sick remedy can you drink alcohol? We are not big drinkers by any means but would like a cocktail with dinner or maybe one by the pool.

5)Do kids ever get sea sick? I've never, ever heard anybody say their kids were sea sick. Does it only affect us older folks?

Thanks all of you veterans for responding!

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by Sonya Francisco
1) I have heard that dramamine makes you sleepy but dramamine II and Bonine don't. But....now I see people are saying that the Bonine made them sleepy too. Is there a non drowsy, sea sickness remedy?

Dramamine and Dramamine II have been renamed. They're now called Dramamine Original Formaula and Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula. You'll notice it's called "less drowsy," not "non drowsy."

The active ingredient in Dramamine Original Formula is Dimenhydrinate. The active ingredient in Bonine and Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula is Meclizine Hydrochloride in both cases. Motion sickness remedies are antihistamines, which all seem to cause drowsiness to one degree or another.

Originally posted by Sonya Francisco
2)I tried the wrist bands for naseau during pregnancy and they did absolutely nothing for me will they work better for motion naseau than they did for pregnancy naseau?

I've never tried wrist bands. Some people love them. Others say they don't work.

Originally posted by Sonya Francisco
3)I wouldn't do the patch because for me at least it is usually only the first night so I wouldn't want to bother with the whole patch thing.

On our 3/23/02 Disney Magic cruise, the first night was the worst.

Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that only the first night will have significant motion. We were on a Western Caribbean cruise (on a Celebrity ship) where the fifth night was just awful. We had left Cozumel that day. Dishes were flying off tables in the dining room, and the bottles crashed to floor in the bars. Many people didn't last through dinner (or didn't even show up). I had the Transderm Scop patch, and I felt fine. Storms happen, and ships are affected.

Originally posted by Sonya Francisco
4)If you take a sea sick remedy can you drink alcohol? We are not big drinkers by any means but would like a cocktail with dinner or maybe one by the pool.

The warning from the Bonine says, "May cause drowsiness; alcohol, sedatives, and tranquilizers may increase the drowsiness effect. Avoid alcoholic beverages while taking this product."

You'll notice that they're not warning of a dangerous interaction -- just that you may get more drowsy. There was a similar warning with the patch. I didn't have to drive a car while on the Disney Magic, so I had moderate amounts of wine over the course of the week. I'm not telling you that you should or shouldn't drink alcohol when taking Bonine, but many people do so without problem.

Originally posted by Sonya Francisco
5)Do kids ever get sea sick? I've never, ever heard anybody say their kids were sea sick. Does it only affect us older folks?

Our daughters both suffer from motion sickness -- not just on boats ships, but in cars and airplanes too. Before the cruise, I knew I would need to do something. On past boat rides (and even some car and air trips), we've given them original Dramamine (Dimenhydrinate). The problem is that even a single tiny Dramamine pill makes them very drowsy. They slept through a good chunk of a long ferry ride from Victoria to Seattle. I didn't want them to sleep through our Disney Cruise!

There have been many posts on this board saying the Bonine is better than original Dramamine. But you have to be 12 or older to take Bonine or any other brands of Meclizine Hydrochloride. According to the warnings at http://www.acidrelief.com/conaffairs/acid_relief6.shtml "Do not give to children under 12 years of age unless directed by a doctor." So I took that warning seriously, and got approval froma doctor to give Bonine to our 10-year-old.

My 10-year old was very tired by 9:00 p.m., especially as the week progressed. Next time, I'll cut the tablets in half after the first day.

 

[GeorgeG]

Aside from the medications, there are several other things you can do to help yourself:

Try no to focus on the motion. If you dwell on it and convince yourself you're going to be sick, you will be. There's usually a lot of activity aboard and you should focus more on that. I know that is sometimes easier said than done, but...

Fresh air is a good thing. If you're feeling closed in, a walk out on deck, even if the weather isn't all that great, can help.

Be selective about what you eat and drink. Greasy foods and alchohol can be a problem without the ship's movement, so they certainly aren't the best on a tossing ship. If the motion is starting to bother you, go light on the food and drink, but do eat. If you're going to be sick, dry heaves are the worst.

Hope you have a great cruise

 

[Grumpy0831]

I am going on my 2nd Disney cruise in a week and a half, and I too have been concerned with all this recent talk of seasickness! BUT, like you, I only felt significant movement that first night out. I had read somewhere to munch on ginger snaps. So, as much as I wanted to save tons of room in my belly for cruise food, I munched on ginger cookies most of the cruise. I felt great! Now that could be where I gained that extra 2 pounds, but it also could have been that great souffle at Palos!!
Have a wonderful cruise!

Tracy

 

[CRB#33]

I have always taken Bonnine. I get motion sickness in I-Max Movies

The trick for me is to begin taking them a few days before my trip. By the time the trip rolls around, I am used to the effects of the medication and I'm not drowsy for my trip!

I cut the dose in half for me and cut the pill in half for my children (11 & 13). I get motion sickness very easily and never need the full dose. I am able to ride those coasters I love and hopefully will be able to sail off into the sunset from anywhere on the ship!

Remember though, that the Bonnine will not do anything about the diziness you may feel (mostly from roller coasters and such). It just takes away (completely for me) the queaziness that goes along with it. (Which can be kind of silly fun actually)

Again, seek the advice of your pediatrician for children under 12.