Tell me about sea sickness...

[Mikeb1892]

Thank you to all for your responses and input.

@Mikeb1892 - Have you used "the patch" before?

I have never used "the patch", but I just got an rx for then and have 6 in my possession. Only issue I see is that I'm allergic to Sulfa drugs, and Sulfa is one of the inactive ingredients in the patch. I haven't taken Sulfa since I was very young, and "only" developed a rash as the allergic reaction, but I'm a little leary trying it out since it's been so long since I've taken it. I probably will try it, but well before the cruise to know what, if any, side defects I'll have.

I do have Bonine also and plan to try that prior as well.

 

[cnavarrete]

I have never used "the patch", but I just got an rx for then and have 6 in my possession. Only issue I see is that I'm allergic to Sulfa drugs, and Sulfa is one of the inactive ingredients in the patch. I haven't taken Sulfa since I was very young, and "only" developed a rash as the allergic reaction, but I'm a little weary trying it out since it's been so long since I've taken it. I probably will try it, but well before the cruise to know what, if any, side defects I'll have.

I do have Bonine also and plan to try that prior as well.

I also have a sulfa drug allergy but did not have an allergic reaction to the patch. I did have two other reactions though, so I strongly agree with the PP who recommended trying it out ahead of time. 1. On our honeymoon I touched it before touching my eyes unknowingly and my pupils were completely dilated for the entire day. I had to just sleep that day away since I couldn't see straight. 2. Tried it again a couple years ago before a Disney cruise and I had extreme dry mouth. It was intolerable, so the patch was a no-go for me.

I took Bonine twice a day starting two days prior to my cruise and continuing for two days after. I was not sleepy (Dramamine knocks me out!) and it kept the motion sickness at bay for the most part. I did feel a little green during dinner the first night, but I was able to keep it on a low level of nausea by going out on the deck and getting some air/watching the ship travel through the water. For me, feeling the movement of the ship while looking around at a seemingly stationary ship makes it worse. Seeing the motion of the boat through the water helps my brain make sense of the sensations and calms my sickness. A veranda room was a life-saver. I felt it most in the dining rooms and the theatre.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Lots of people wear the patches, yes!!! The acupuncturist on the ship will also give out acupressure patches for behind your ear. Those are my favorite of all of the sea sickness options out there!

Telle me more about the acupuncturist on board, please, how do you make an appointment? I can't take any of the aforementioned drugs bc of side effects

, before her last cruise, she started taking ginger pills about 2 weeks beforehand and actually

Do you have any idea what sort of ginger pills (brand or dose) she takes?

 

[pangyal]

Where can you get Bonine, and do they make a kids' version? Both me and DS get carsick quickly, and I'd rather try the Bonine for both of us if possible for our first cruise next year as Gravol (Dramamine) totally knocks him out on plane rides.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

Where can you get Bonine, and do they make a kids' version? Both me and DS get carsick quickly, and I'd rather try the Bonine for both of us if possible for our first cruise next year as Gravol (Dramamine) totally knocks him out on plane rides.

They have free samples on board at health center but i bought some at Walmart.

 

[cnavarrete]

Where can you get Bonine, and do they make a kids' version? Both me and DS get carsick quickly, and I'd rather try the Bonine for both of us if possible for our first cruise next year as Gravol (Dramamine) totally knocks him out on plane rides.

Yes, you should be able to get Bonine or generic meclyzine at any drug store or large grocery store/Walmart. They don't make a kids' version. I had my kids take children's chewable Dramamine every 8 hrs. It does make you drowsy, but you build up a bit of a tolerance to that. They started 2 days prior and kept taking it for two days after, just like I did for the Bonine.

 

[The Hunchback]

I get sick on the patch. More than just seasick-really dizzy sick. Dramamine or Bonnie work better. Old fashioned cure for me a breeze. I take a small fan or I find an open deck where I can see the horizon. I eat the green apples and steamed white rice for a day. Hope this helps.

 

[cmph]

Where can you get Bonine, and do they make a kids' version? Both me and DS get carsick quickly, and I'd rather try the Bonine for both of us if possible for our first cruise next year as Gravol (Dramamine) totally knocks him out on plane rides.

FYI - you may come across some old threads referencing a kids' version, but it was pulled off the market. I don't know why. Our ped is fine with DD taking the adult version if necessary, but she's newly 12 and 5'8". DS who is 8 did not get approval for that, obviously, and he also gets knocked out with regular dramamine. I got him sea bands on amazon (they have kid sizes) and a couple kinds of ginger - a gummy kind as well as tablets that look sort of like Tums, from a natural foods store in their alternative medicine section. The gummies, by the way, I then found in World Market in the section with all the imported Asian candy haha. The tablets taste like molasses and are far better for him than the gummy things, which are now out anyway b/c he got braces since the last cruise. The gummy ones were soooo hard to chew and way more in-your-face gingery, which he wasn't a fan of. This is the tablet, for those of you with kids who also can't have gummies/gum or want something less harshly gingery: Solaray Ginger Trips Chewable.

FWIW, DS gets car sick but didn't get sea sick and refused to wear the sea bands by day 2 or take the ginger, but I'm glad we were prepared anyway!

 

[Laundress]

motion sickness is a problem for me. On my cruise I make sure to have enough Patches (scopolamine) for the whole trip.
For me, not being prepaired would make my entire trip miserable. I could not recover unless on land. It is also not like having the flu. I have found that once I vomit I do not feel better. I think it is because the problem is not really in your stomach it is in your head.(inner ear).
With the Patch I have a wonderful time and don't feel a thing.

 

[MSPeeler]

I got a prescription from my OB/GYN, the same script I got when I was pregnant. It's the generic Zofran- Ondansetron 4 mg Orally Dispersable Tablets (ODT). It HAD TO BE the Dissolvable.
The regular pill did not works for me (when I was pregnant). This worked instantly when I started feeling nauseated.

Of a 4-night cruise, I used it twice, my 9 yr old daughter used it once.

 

[JBeaty0507]

Telle me more about the acupuncturist on board, please, how do you make an appointment? I can't take any of the aforementioned drugs bc of side effects




Do you have any idea what sort of ginger pills (brand or dose) she takes?

I asked her. She said she usually just gets whatever they have at walmart. She starts out with just one pill a day for the first week. By the 2nd week she starts taking 2-3 pills a day and continues that through the cruise.

 

[RedSox68]

And Bonine doesn't make you drowsy.

 

[undertheradar]

I find that I am most impacted when in the MDRs. AP is the worst, just too busy for me. If using the patch, be sure to have extras, as they can/do fall off.

Also, if you are prone to sea sickness/motion sickness, do not drink alcohol.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

Telle me more about the acupuncturist on board, please, how do you make an appointment? I can't take any of the aforementioned drugs bc of side effects

She was in the spa area on the Wonder. I apologize, as I do forget her name!! I'm not sure if she changes ships or if other ships have acupuncturists on them because although I have been on three DCL ships, I've never looked to see if there was an acupuncturist. Anyway, I went to the spa and made an appointment during their open house session with the acupuncturist and immediately following the muster my husband and I both went up there and had acupuncture and she put these TINY little square sticky patches with pressure point dots on them behind our ears and on our hands and feet. She said that when the seas get rough some of the crew gets really sea sick so she regularly treats them with acupuncture and these tiny acupressure patches!! (I also had regular acupuncture done while I was in there for relaxation - actually three sessions of it and I felt great the entire trip.)

Ever since I met her, I've gone to a local acupuncturist regularly for a number of things -- including allergies! I wonder if you were to find an acupuncturist locally before your cruise if they could administer the sticky acupuncture patches for you before your cruise if they have them available?

 

[Msmit002]

Isn't this the "drug of choice" for the "kids" doing "Zombie Walks" - Scopolamine in higher (over) doses can / will turn you into a zombie for a while.

Indeed it is. But just like any other drug, you can expect adverse effects if you administer more than the therapeutic dose or you introduce other drugs that have an synergistic drug interaction. Also, TransdermScop (the brand name for the scopolamine patch) is not administered for pediatric use and has no pediatric dose (other formulations of the drug do) so 'kids' taking this drug will most likely feel a bit, well... zombie-like. With that said, one isn't supposed to drink alcohol when on the patch, but many do (I'll admit that I do enjoy a drink each day while on board) with little to no effect. Now, increase that to a full-on kegger event and You will likely feel like a zombie too.

But, as a healthy adult with moderate to severe motion-sickness, it is highly effective with minimal adverse side-effects; dry mouth and mucous membranes being the most common.

 

[Cackyschmackers]

"I wonder if you were to find an acupuncturist locally before your cruise if they could administer the sticky acupuncture patches for you before your cruise if they have them available?"
@MsOnceUponATime Great idea!

 

[Msmit002]

I have never used "the patch", but I just got an rx for then and have 6 in my possession. Only issue I see is that I'm allergic to Sulfa drugs, and Sulfa is one of the inactive ingredients in the patch. I haven't taken Sulfa since I was very young, and "only" developed a rash as the allergic reaction, but I'm a little leary trying it out since it's been so long since I've taken it. I probably will try it, but well before the cruise to know what, if any, side defects I'll have.

I too have a sulfa allergy (anaphylaxis) and I have never had an issue with the patch. For those that are expecting to be cruising in say... the next 6 months (don't worry if you are a year+ out. drugs have an expiration date) you might not want to wait until the last minute to ask your doctor for your script. This drug showed up on the national drug shortage list last year and sometimes it takes longer for us to get it in stock when we order (a week or two versus a day or two). Reason being, a recent study found that the patch helps with post-surgical nausea, for those like me who suffer from that, and Sandoz is having a hard time keeping their supply up with the increased demand. Just FYI...

 

[Rabb it]

Hm, all of your questions are pretty subjective. It could be a different answer for every person

I wasn't sure how the cruise would affect me when we went in February, but I never ended up getting sick. We had one day where the water was pretty choppy and you could really feel the sway and that morning my girlfriend and I took a preemptive Bonine. Felt fine throughout the day. We'll definitely be taking Bonine with us on future cruises!

 

[pangyal]

Is Bonine available anywhere at WDW? I've been looking online today and it seems it's not available anywhere in Canada. We do go to WDW a few times a year and if it's available on property, I could try it out before our cruise...though I see above that doctors don't seem to like kids taking it, so I'm not sure.

My doctor said we could try cutting the patch in half and using that for DS, but I'm not sure if that is a safe idea either...I certainly wouldn't want him zombified !

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Is Bonine available anywhere at WDW? I've been looking online today and it seems it's not available anywhere in Canada.

Look for meclizine. That's the generic formula.

But, I would expect it to be available at any drugstore/pharmacy-type location. Are you flying in? Look at the airport shops that have things like aspirin and band aids.