We used the patch on our Norwegian Norway cruise and I was sicker with using it than I would have been had I just become sea sick! It dialated my pupils to the point in all the pictures of me my eyes are black with my pupils instead of blue with my iris! THe patch gave me a really bad headache, I was dizzy, nauseated and very tired! I didnt drink ANY alcohol on that cruise and by the 2nd day I thought I was going to die! I was very light sensitive and became a little disoriented! My husband (boyfriend at the time) was the same way! He got really sick on it as well! We thought maybe because we had touched the patch when we scratched an itch that we didnt get our hands washed and accidentally touched our eyes but after a trip to the Norway doctor he confirmed that we were both allergic to it. As we were heading out of his office with a fresh prescription of Meclizine there were 8 others sitting there with the same problems (none of which were related to either of us) so I would caution you with the patch! It uses scopalamine which reduces the action of the nerves behind the ear. A huge side effect we noticed was dry mouth! We were always dying for a drink of water! Another side effect is you should NOT drink alcohol with it at all! You also have to make sure that you wash your hands immediately with soap and water (hot water preferably) if your fingers or hands come in contact with the patch! If you really want to try the patch my suggestion would be to try it at home first before you go so that you KNOW how it will affect you! I wish I had tried it out before I went on that cruise so I would know that I was allergic to it and wouldnt have spent the first 4 days of my 7 day cruise sick as a dog in bed!
Just be careful and make sure you talk with your doctor about it as it can have some VERY NASTY side effects for some people!
Heidi