Seasick prevention - the patch....

[JenPinks]

I spent hours researching how to avoid getting seasick and wanted to share my experience. Hope this helps!

When I was a child, I would go fishing with my Dad off the Gloucester coastline. And I would get seasick often. It was awful! I was also prone to getting car sick and air sick. I also had "morning sickness" throughout my entire pregnancy.

I have always wanted to try cruising but worried that I would spend my entire vacation sick in my cabin. I just decided it was not going to stop me, booked our 4 day cruise and the research began

For me seabands are simply bracelets - not at all effective. I have not taken any meds in over 10 years...but felt I needed something so I would not get sick. I had a long conversation with my doctor and decided to use the patch. I applied it the night before our cruise. When I woke up in the morning, I felt off balance. I had to hold onto the wall to walk at first. After about 30 mins I got used to the feeling and was able to easily walk, but did feel a tad dizzy.

On board the ship, I never felt sick. That was such a relief! Thrilled to be cruising!!!

Okay, now for the downside and these are risks I knew about but still made the decision to use the patch. I could not read any of the menus, see clearly through the view finder to take a pic, read the navigators, etc. My up close vision (and only up close) was terrible - completely blurry (which is a side effect noted on the medication warning). Also, my mouth was very dry - like I had a sore throat.

If I had to do it again I would not have used the patch. The ship was very stable - never felt much motion at all. I really think I would have been okay with the patch.

My daughter, 10 years old, is also very prone to getting motion sickness - any car ride over an hour, she is usually sick. She also gets motion sickness in the movie theater. Well I had every remedy for her in my bag. She had one Children's Dramamine before we boarded and she was completely fine the entire trip, never felt queasy at all!!!

The stabilizers are amazing. I think the fact that we were in port every day helped (although we pretty much stayed on board in Nassau). The weather was calm, so that also helped.

Obviously talk to your doctor and your pharmacist. If you are on the fence on whether to use the patch, maybe this will help make that decision easier. Happy Cruising!!!

Thank you for researching that. I think it's mind thing with me that I am so afraid of it happening, it will! I may use dramamine, because the side effects of that patch would ruin the trip for me. Although I do have a co worker that uses them, with no side effects. I dont want to take the chance.

 

[JenPinks]

I prefer Bonine but in my haste at Walgreen's I picked up the generic of Dramamine. Dramamine makes me very tired. Even though this was non-drowsy, I slept very well. That was actually a good side effect, since I had not slept much in the week or so before the cruise (nerves) and really needed a good rest. We slept until 9:45-10:00 a.m. most days if no alarm was set, even though we had a balcony room. At home I am usually up before 8 on non work days (mostly its 6:30-7:00 a.m.)
I am prone to queasiness as well. I can't even look at my phone in the car without getting queasy. But plane rides do not bother me. I can even read on the plane and it does not make me sick. I have tried a few cruises without sea sick meds (or missed a few) and while I was not miserable, I was feeling off. Last cruise (a couple of weeks ago), the ship was moving a lot. There were rough seas due to a tropical storm or something. All of our cruises have been in February, April, May or October and there tends to be rough seas from something or other. I am not sure if there is a "calm" sea time of the year to cruise honestly.

I agree the stablizers are good. I mostly noticed the Motion when I was in my room, usually when I was sitting down or in the bed. Sometimes that was at night, but sometimes in the day. We were between mid and aft and 5th floor. I can only imagine how the higher floors were, especially in the front of the ship.

I just booked a room 6th floor front of the ship.....oh Lord Jesus fix it!!!

 

[JenPinks]

Cant this medication be taken at night and work until you take it again the next night? I am panicked about getting on the ship and being sick. I am scared of this patch!

 

[lisamarie12]

I just booked a room 6th floor front of the ship.....oh Lord Jesus fix it!!!

Hopefully you will be okay. I know that I had once booked at the very front of the ship. On Carnival those rooms have windows but not really an ocean view (its a view of a walkway). That was the bumpiest ride I have had and would not book there again. I mean it was to the point that if we were in our room, we had to sit down or possibly trip. It was February though, and could have been rougher seas. I don't know that I got any more sea sick that cruise than any other time, just that it was so bumpy in our room, I felt off balance when I was in there. But your experience may differ.

 

[phinz]

Glad to hear the seabands helped. I bought some but do they sell them on the ship (just in case I need more)?

Yes, they do sell them on the ship.

 

[AKP's Disney Dad]

Bonine worked great for me on flights, cruises and even on roller coasters at WDW.....
Wish I had found this years ago and enjoyed more with my children when we were at theme parks.