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Best Sea Sickness Medicine?


OneNewTexan

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Any recommendations on the best sea sickness medicine to take along on a cruise? What's worked best for you or your cruise companions? Maybe there are different recommendations for the medicine that helps prevent sea sickness versus medicine that treats sea sickness after you already have it. I'd rather purchase based on your recommendations instead of just purchasing any over the counter product. Thanks.

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Just like other medicines some work better for one person than the other so if in doubt bring a couple of different medicines with you.

 

Here are options.

 

Bonine (over the counter)

Dramamine (over the counter)

The Patch (prescription from doctor)

Ginger Pills (over the counter)

Sea Bands (you were these on your wrist)

 

For us we primarily have used Bonine, Ginger Pills and the Sea Bands. The key for Bonine is to take it before you feel sick because if you take it afterwards it will not work very well and will make you very drowsy.

 

The sea bands work for some people but not others. They are available on internet sites such as amazon.com or sometime in places such as walmart.

 

Keith

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If you decide to go the Dramamine or Bonine, you might want to check to see if Mecclazine is also available in your area - it's the active ingredient in both of the above. Because you are getting the generic, it's cheaper - we spent about $10 for 100 count pills. If you do a lot of cruising (or are prone to motion sickness), it's the more economical way to go.

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Absolute best sea sickness medicine is.........don't go:D. Seriously, I have spoken to a number of people on cruises who have had the doctors injection and they all swear by it. It knocks you out for a couple of hours, but no ill effects after. The only thing is, I am unsure how long it is effective for.

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I als have a problem with motion sicknes, but love to cruise, we have taken 12 and are due to leave for South America 14 day around the horn. I have been told this is the roughest waters we have been to.

 

I have a perscription for Transderm Scoplomen Patch, it's good for 72 hours. You alternate sides at each patch change. I have to say, If you do have a drink, one is all I need. (it does have some draw backs, dry mouth, slight sleepy hang over in am, and slight vision distortion.

 

Dr. say's it's to strong for me I weight 103 lbs. So he started me on Scopace pill, I take 2 to 3 a day, It works fast. and its continuis in your system. I dont seem to have any side effects, except for dry mouth. I don't take it if we have flat waters.

 

Cabin location is very inportant, we usually are center/mid ship and not to high up, Balcony helps, fresh air, etc.

 

Good luck

Happy Cruising

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Any recommendations on the best sea sickness medicine to take along on a cruise? What's worked best for you or your cruise companions? Maybe there are different recommendations for the medicine that helps prevent sea sickness versus medicine that treats sea sickness after you already have it. I'd rather purchase based on your recommendations instead of just purchasing any over the counter product. Thanks.

 

OK, you want to know what's actually best? No drugs whatsoever IMO! That's right - try eating a green apple, drinking Ginger Ale (or anything with ginger in it) or some very dry crackers or piece of bread - works for me! I don't get seasick very often but I can tell you from experience, those patches behind the ear never worked for me - they made me itch and many over-the-counter drugs do have a drousy effect (I think Bonine doesn't) but haven't had the need to buy any of this stuff - like to try the natural way for a cure-all.

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I am very prone to motion sickness.... I couldn't even push my son on a swing when he was a baby:

 

I've had very good results with the motion bands.

 

On our last cruise..The Prinsendam (smaller ship) out of FLL to the Amazon we had very bad seas on the first few days. The bands didn't work, bonine didn't work but then a friend told DH that the front desk had pills that helped. They are called Sea Calm and the package says Melclazine. They made me slightly dopey (no worse than my usual dumb blonde:)) and worked well.

 

I still will take my bands and swear by them.

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Ive had the prescription patch you place behind your ear... while it did work, i had extreme blurred vision (couldnt read a menu)... I now only use bonine and it works like a charm... i take it before i even step foot on the ship bc it needs to be in your system... and then i take like 1 a day... I couldnt cruise without it since I have a water imbalance in my ears that makes me dizzy to begin with...

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I swear by my electronic relief band. It looks a bit like a watch worn with the face down instead of up, and has five options (weak to very strong) It operates on two special batteries and, if placed correctly, keeps sending something like a slight shock from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger. It is pricey, about $135 or something, but if you like to cruise often, it is well worth the price.

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I have experienced motion sickness from time to time. Here's my experience. When I took my first cruise, I wore the patch behind my ear. I was slightly nauseous the whole cruise, but convinced that I would have been really sick if I hadn't had the patch. Next two cruises, same thing. Last cruise, I put the patch on the day before (flying in a day early), and was already slightly nauseous. Took off the patch that evening and the next morning I was fine. I didn't put patch back on, only took a meclazine every morning, and I felt great the whole cruise. Apparently it was the patch, and not motion sickness, that was making me nauseous. So, just be aware that different meds work differently on everyone. Apparently the patch was waaaay too strong for me.

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I am extremely prone to motion sickness - I even get sick if I go to see a movie that has too much action on the screen! I think I have tried everything, and here is what works for me. First of all, I make sure I am centrally located on both airplanes and ships so there is the least amount of motion. Then I take Less Drowsy Dramamine or Bonine (both have the same ingredient, Meclizine Hydrochloride) for the entire time I am cruising. I have tried the patch, but it gives me vertigo. I also have the electronic Relief Band mentioned earlier. It is too annoying to wear all the time, but if I begin to feel nauseous I put it on and it will get rid of the nausea right away. The only time this hasn't worked was on the Catalina Express to Catalina Island in moderately rough seas. I had to resort to a helicopter ride back to the mainland.

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If you decide to go the Dramamine or Bonine, you might want to check to see if Mecclazine is also available in your area - it's the active ingredient in both of the above. Because you are getting the generic, it's cheaper - we spent about $10 for 100 count pills. If you do a lot of cruising (or are prone to motion sickness), it's the more economical way to go.

 

Just got back from Wal-Mart and bought Mecclazine for our next cruise. It was under $7.00 for 100.

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Will admit, that I do tend to get sea sick quite easily.

 

That said, was on Independence of Seas last year and I wasn't ill. I did cheat a little bit and took one of the seasick pills from the medical suite, just to help me get my sealegs, but after that one day, was fine.

 

Even a rough departure from Livorno didn't faze me.

 

Probably the best thing to do to deal with sea sickness is to keep yourself in fresh air (away from possible other sea sickers), nibble on some apples, and keep eyes on the horizon. Oh, and try to keep busy, that'll help take your mind off it.

 

Scrozuk

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Have you tried something called "MotionEaze?" It's a liquid that you rub behind each ear lobe and can be used after you're feeling ill. Even though my own family doesn't have problems with sea sickness we went on a cruise with 18 other people and brought some along to try. Both my brother and friend used it on the cruise after feeling queasy and felt better after only five minutes. It's all natural and we got it on-line. Some people can't use the patch, Bonine etc. so it's something else you can try. I think it costs around $20 a bottle.

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We just got back from some rough sea days on our Panama Canal cruise. I don't get seasick but do have motion sickness. I take Ginger, Bonine and wear the Sea Bands. We've cruised over 30+ times and this was our last stay in an aft balcony. From now on, we'll book a low deck, midship, as the ship is like a see-saw. I'm fine as long as the water is calm and smooth - ha! If things get bumpy, find the promenade deck and sit outside midship letting the wind blow in your face. My husband is retired Navy who never gets queasy in the least. He says "keep your eyes on the horizon."

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I get motion sickness pretty easily, too. I used the sea bands and took ginger pills 3x a day, starting the day before, and never got nauseous, but got incredibly dizzy when the seas hit 8 feet! Bonine, etc., knocks me out cold. Anybody have a remedy for the dizziness?

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It's the dizziness that really bothers me too. I feel a little nauseous on board but when I get off the ship I am usually housebound for a week :( I would love to know how to stop the dizzy spells - we leave in 3 weeks for our next cruise.

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Has anyone else ever gotten heartburn from ginger pills, or is it just me?

 

I've tried the patch a few times, and, although it worked, my eyes became severely dilated. I'm considering Bonine for my cruise this Monday. Has anyone ever tried testing it first? I'm thinking about taking some, and then getting on a swing or something. Normally I would start feeling queasy on a swing. I figure if I don't after taking Bonine, that I might give it a try. If not, I'll stick to the patch. I'd rather have the dilated eyes than motion sickness.

 

Oh, and about the wrist bands (not the battery operated kind), I got some on the ship once...they did help, but not completely. Also, they aren't fashionable at all. They look like sweat bands! I felt really silly wearing them with my formal gown...but, better than feeling sick! I'm surprised there aren't more fashionable options, especially sold on the ship!

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Whatever you try, try it at home first to see if you can take it! We took Meclazine for our Alaskan cruise, and I was fine. But DH got progressively more tired feeling until he was finally walking around practically in a trance. It took us a few days to realize that it was the pill making him feel that way since he had been so stressed and exhausted trying to get work done before we left. Once we did realize that it was the pill, he stopped taking anything and was fine within a day.

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We did a transatlantic crossing a few years ago, there were a couple of rough days. I bought 89 cents worth of ginger root at the grocery store, brought that and a razor blade. Kept slicing of extremely thin pieces and ate one every few hours and was fine for the entire trip. Threw away half of it as I was leaving the ship, so 45 cents worth was enough for 19 days.

 

I would have paid $45 and felt I got my money's worth.

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Hi there. I've taken 7 cruises and the day before I left for each one I stated taking Bonine. It has worked great for me every time in some very rough seas I might add. It does not make you drowsy as some other medications do. The one thing about seasickness is if you get sick it's too late to take any of the over-the-counter medications. If you have to go to the ship's doctor for a shot, it will cost you a fortune. Bonine is really cheap and it really works.

 

Have a great cruise!

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On NCL and Crystal I was able to get meclazine from the registration desk upon request. It worked well for me. The first time it was rough, I was fine all night lying down, but when I sat up :eek:! By the time I got dressed and down to the medical center and took the meclazine, it took about an hour to work. From then on I wore the elastic wrist bands and took meclazine at the least hint of nausea. I was fine and the meclazine didn't make me sleepy. That's my experience.

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