Seasickness patch - what would you do?

[hungrygreenhippo]

Add me too. I can't do anything that spins, no star tours or similar, I can't read while moving, but yet I can cruise without using anything. Like the op, I needed to know if I really needed anything. My first cruise I used ginger and Bonine, but wondered if I needed them, so stopped on the next cruise. I've cruised 5 times since and have not used anything and no problem. However, should the waters be rough I think I would have problems, so I do carry the ginger and Bonine. I used the patch many years ago and did not like the side effects of not being able to focus. Not sure if that's still a side effect now, plus dry mouth, but the drink of the day can fix that.

http://motioneaze.com/

$5.00 you can get it lots of places.

Small drop of oil under ear when you get on board or even waiting to board and then repeat a few times and it works wonders.

No effects from using it.

We have had some bumpy rides(Alaska, waves/splash were on deck 4/5 and Hawaii when the pools were emptied from water splashing out of them).

We never felt a thing!

The bottle last forever!

I hadn't heard of this before, I'll have to check into it.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. It's interesting to get the variety of responses. I know it's a YMMV situation, but I'm glad to hear there are others similar to me who don't need meds for cruising. I'm leaning toward not using the patch but bringing it or Bonine or Motioneaze as a just in case. I'm going to AK tomorrow so if I can get to a drug store before then maybe I'll pickup some Bonine and do a trial run by riding EE over and over!

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I have some mild problems with motion sickness. Examples:
-I get queasy on rides like Star Tours and Dinosaur. I'm a little better on roller coasters, but my tolerance for them has gone down as I've gotten older.
-I'm generally fine in the car unless I try to read in the car, or on extremely windy roads, or bad stop and go traffic.
-It's been awhile, but I think I've been okay on larger ferry boats (like the kind you can take cars on), but I do have problems with smaller boats.

Anyway, I'm taking my first cruise in a couple weeks and not sure what to expect. I went to my doctor and she prescribed the patch for me but I'm undecided on whether to actually use it. Since it's my first cruise, I feel as though I might want to try it without any meds and see what happens as I think there's a chance I might be fine. I plan to take a lot more cruises so I feel like if I start using the patch then I'll never know if I'm okay without it or not and then I'll be stuck using it on every subsequent cruise. But on the other hand if I don't feel well then that could ruin my first cruise experience. If I go the route of not using the patch then I'll definitely pick up so Bonine to have on hand but I've read that it doesn't work for some people.

So just looking for thoughts on what you would do. Thanks!

My husband used it on both of our cruises and it worked well. I thought I would get seasick but I did not and only took Dramamine the first night. My husband gets VERY motion sick, and I get just a little bit sometimes.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

this would be a super atypical side effect. i prescribe and apply these to people all day long and have used them. typically its dry mouth and blurry vision. now that i need reading glasses, the blurry vision is a way more noticeable issue for me. i’ve done well on cruises now that i do a sea band and maybe a bonnine the first day. YMMV but again, i don’t think slapping a scope patch on on land is going to give you a good idea of how it will work for you?

Not completely atypical, my wife used the patch on our first cruise. Her vision was very blurry, she felt as if she had been drinking, and had problems remembering words while she was talking. Now the caveat on this is she is a small woman, 5'4" 100#. It was way too strong for her, she now uses Bonine and is fine. She too has similar motion sickness problems to the OP.

 

[SarahKate]

We just got off the dream a few weeks ago. Our first ever cruise and I was extremely worried about DH because he has motion sickness in many of the same ways that you do.

A consistent theme with the patch, bonine, etc. is that you HAVE to start it before the cruise. DH opted to take bonine instead of the pill and took the first one the day before the cruise. It's just a chewable and lasts 24 hrs.

He had NO problems whatsoever, which was a huge relief. The seas were pretty calm for the most part. The last night was more rough, I think because they were trying to get us from Castaway Cay to the port in one night. But he still did fine with the rougher seas.

We booked a room with a verandah right in the middle, which I think helps. There is definitely more movement as you go to either end of the ship.

My DD on the other hand, thought she was fine without taking the pills on the last day and she got VERY nauseous that night when the seas were rougher. We gave her a pill but I really don't think it was the same as if she'd been keeping on top of it. The pill did work, but she was miserable for a good hour or so. And it didn't help that the last dinner was at Animator's Palate, which is at the one end of the ship!

I highly recommend taking the pills or using a patch. They really have no side effects that we noticed, so it's not going to hurt anything to just be proactive.

 

[chrisrunty]

I could have written your post! My experience is bonine works just fine and I'm about to take our 9th Disney cruise soon! As a previous person mentioned if you do bonine take it the night before your cruise, and then when you go to bed each night of the cruise. I don't notice any sleepiness or seasickness. However I often get "land sickness" when the cruise is over where you feel the swaying that you are still on the ship for a couple of days. (especially if the seas were rough)

 

[Savikins]

I get motion sickness on car rides, small boats, and cruise ships. I pop a ginger root pill (550 mg) 3 times a day with my meals, and will pop a piece of ginger gum in between if I get queasy. I usually only need to do this the first 2-3 days. Dramamine is the only other thing I've tried and it does nothing for me (well, actually, Dramamine seems to CAUSE both my bf and me to puke, so maybe it does do something). My boyfriend has tried Seabands and they didn't do anything for him.

Ginger root pills only cost $4 for 100 of them at Walmart. The ginger gum is a much lower dose of ginger root (25 mg as opposed to the 550 mg in the pill) and it's actually manufactured by Seabands brand - it's far more expensive than the pills, running about $7 for 24 pieces of gum, so if you only get one get the pills.

 

[Amanda132]

If you're doing a Bahamas cruise from Canaveral, know that the first night is the hardest in general, as you cross the Florida Straits. (I have picked this up from CMs on the ships; I don't really know what those are) So you might think the trip will be miserable that first night, as you wobble around, but the next morning it will all be better and you might very well be fine.

Because of this reason, I usually take a Bonine pill on my first day, before we set sail. The rest of the time I'm fine, unless we hit very rough waters. And I have similar reactions to the OP (bad on simulators, medium on coasters, good in cars unless I'm reading).

 

[Carrie in AZ]

The patch made me soooooo sick. Throwing up sick. Disoriented sick. Thirst like I had been inthe Sahara for a week without water. I am not exaggerating. Bonine made me feel totally out of it as well. Whatever you want to try, I recommend trying it at home first on a day you have nothing planned, just in case you have the same reaction.

In the end, I used ginger capsules and ginger gum. Good luck!

 

[ScubaMama]

You sound pretty normal to me. I wouldn't, and don't, medicate for those reasons.

If you're doing a Bahamas cruise from Canaveral, know that the first night is the hardest in general, as you cross the Florida Straits. (I have picked this up from CMs on the ships; I don't really know what those are) So you might think the trip will be miserable that first night, as you wobble around, but the next morning it will all be better and you might very well be fine.

I think you sound like a typical person too. My motion sickness is definitely worse than yours. On my first cruise I didn't want to take prescription meds like the patch or pills because the side effects even if it's just dry mouth feel terrible (so I reserve then for boat rides.) I thought I'd give it a go with Sea Bands to start (which only help me on windy roads and airplanes.) I had Bonine to try next if I needed to step it up (which I use for bus rides.) The first night leaving from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas, I was thiking during and after our early dinner that I migt have made a terrible mistake. Licky it was just a few moments of feeling over the course of those evening hours but it was never to the point that I actually thought I would throw up. The sea bands worked well enough that evening and I didn't feel anything for the rest of the cruise or take anything. Next time I'll take Bonine that first night.

 

[CPT Tripss]

patch can have strong side effects

ask your dr for a trial now, plan to stay home for 24 hours and put one on ....

My father acted like he was drunk out of his mind and does not remember the following night after his first try . . .

The active ingedient can be pretty nasty. Not surprising as scopolamine has been used as a "truth serum."

 

[tinkmom2]

I couldn't get the patch because my insurance doesn't cover it. I was fine with the free sea sickness pills from Guest Services and when I was prego with my first daughter I used "Sea Bands" which you can purchase at Walgreens. They work for sea sickness also.

 

[lawyergirl]

Just chiming in to say that your motion sickness profile sounds IDENTICAL to mine, and here's my experience with cruises:

First cruise - 11 night on the Magic in the Mediterranean in July 2011. The sea was ROCKIN' and even though I felt it and didn't love the feeling, I didn't need any seasickness meds. I did feel queasy on dry land in Barcelona for 48-72 hours after the cruise, though.

Second cruise - 7 nights Western Caribbean on Disney Fantasy in December 2013. Not loving the motion but not sick... Until Night 5 after Cozumel (and after a delicious meal at Palo). Spent the rest of the cruise wanting to die, even with seasickness meds - they give them out in a little box outside of the Health Centre. Was moderately better when on land at CC, but even then... Looking at the ship made me want to cry.

Third cruise - 5 nights on Disney Wonder last October (double dip at CC). Brought meds with me, but didn't get patch because I was too worried about the side effects. Got onboard and before we even left port, I was feeling queasy when I looked out a porthole at the ocean. Took meds right away and felt better the next morning (Was a semi-rough night for me).

Fourth cruise? BRING ON THE PATCH!!!!!! These cruises are way too expensive to tolerate any misery...

Hope this helps!!

 

[Balbar]

I was very fearful of getting sick and ruining my cruise, so I applied the patch the morning we were boarding. The second day, I felt a little weird, but nothing too bad until dinner time. I couldn't read the menu - it was too blurry - and I have never had trouble reading anything. I had to have it read to me. It was very aggravating and then I remembered blurred vision can be a side effect of the patch. I took it off and within a day, I was feeling back to normal and could read. I didn't get seasick at all, thankfully. It wasn't a huge deal, but was frustrating enough that I wouldn't personally apply the patch again. It seems that very few people have this particular side effect and it is easily corrected by removing the patch and being patient, but I wanted to mention for people who may not be aware.

 

[Wendy Darling CA]

I am exactly like you....can't read in the car, hate riding in back seat, simulator rides a no no etc... (and it has gotten worse with age). I have cruised many times and the trick for me is Bonine (not Dramamine). Bonine is chewable and you can take it as needed. I take one the night before the cruise and again in the morning. I continue to take one at night and one each morning throughout the cruise and it works great for me. My last cruise was actually pretty bumpy the last night....hangers in closet banging back and forth...worst I personally had ever experienced, but to my surprise - I still never event felt a little queasy.

 

[tnkrbell]

I have been on Three cruises and never needed ,meds or felt sick.... Until this last trip!!
I just got off the Wonder and felt queasy 3 of the 4 nights due to rough seas at night. We couldn't dock in Key West due to the seas. I wish I had put the patch on but I was so afraid of being tired or feeling weird but instead ended up in bed early 3 of 4 nights.

 

[Belle612]

I went on my first cruise over the summer for my honeymoon, and I do suffer from motion sickness just like OP. I decided to try the patch, but I made the mistake of not testing it before we left home for a "trial run."

As some others have said, I felt the side effects of the patch big time. By day 2 of the cruise I could not read anything - signs, my book (which I love to do on vacation) or menus. I was walking around completely unbalance and felt like I was drunk or as if I would fall sideways at any moment. As soon as this started happened I took it off. I experienced some mild motion sickness only 1 day on the cruise, but other than that I had a MUCH better experience without the patch.

If you do start to feel off, green apple slices and ginger ale helped to settle my stomach on the one day I felt off. And if you do decide to use the patch, I cannot stress enough trying it out for 24 hours at home on a weekend or something. I felt really really off for 1 1/2 days of my honeymoon cruise because I did not think to try it out before we left home. My doctor told me the side effects were very rare and mild, but that is NOT what I experienced.