Motion sickness on bus rides to/from cave tubing?

[hfitzger]

My family is booked for a cave tubing excursion in Belize, but I am worried about the 1 hour-ish drive to/from the cave tubing site. How is the drive to the site-- winding, bumpy, etc? I'm hesitant to find out the hard way, and when I take Dramamine (even the non-drowsy kind), it tends to knock me out for the entire day!

 

Thanks for your help! It sounds like a great experience, but I would hate to be nauseous if I could hopefully be better prepared to know what to expect!

[CMM]

We didn't get motion sick. My daugter and I can get motion sick very easily. The bus ride was long, but not alot of stop and goes and twists. We always take dramamine for long trips and were fine. That was about the only thing that went smoothly that day for us.

 

Carnival Legend Review- Belize starts on page 2.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1098358&page=2

[hfitzger]

Thank you CMM for answering my question, and thank you even more for the link to your review. We will also be on the Legend with one of those interior obstructed view cabins between the life boats (4194).

 

I appreciated reading your review, especially the cave tubing portion in Belize. That is the outfitter we are currently booked with, and although we should be there during the dry season, I don't really want to go (DH wants to do the excursion) and am looking for other alternatives that don't involve a long drive in a bus/van and bumping down a low water level riverbed.

[TrustNoOneKMC]

If you get motion sickness very easily, I would consider taking the non-drowsy dramamine. I don't remember the roads being very bumpy or overly twisty, but I remember being glad I had taken it before I went. However, the company I used may have taken different roads than another company, I don't know.

[GinDon]

The ride went by quickly. Looking out the window was very interesting, as you will see lots of changing countryside, and your driver should be providing commentary along the way. I seriously doubt there would be any motion sickness issues. The last, say, 10 minutes of the drive, was on a rough road where we got jostled. The driver joked that it was our free "butt massage" part of the trip. It was fine, though, he went slow.

Cave Tubing is really fun. I'm sure you will be glad you tried this adventure.

[DAP2]

I take Dramamine (even the non-drowsy kind), it tends to knock me out for the entire day!

quote]

 

It is a common misconception (due to marketing) that there is actually a "non-drowsy" Dramamine formulation. If you check the box, both the active and inactive ingredients are the same. The "non-drowsy" is simple 1/2 the amount of the active ingredient. My pharmacist pointed this out because he can't understand why people buy non-drowsy when you can buy the regular and just cut the tablets in 1/2. ;) Way more cost effective. Since you are obviously sensitive to the active ingredient's sedative effects, it's no surprise the "non-drowsy" still knocks you out. To everyone else, you are overpaying. Fun tidbit to share.

 

Also, you all did read the "avoid alcoholic beverages" warning on Dramamine, Bonine, and the Scop patch right! :p

[ccbmom]

I thought some of the non-drowsy dramamine was actually meclizine, which is what Bonine is. I just buy the bonine! I don't have any side effects from bonine, but I took dramamine once and felt so sick and sedated. Never again!

[CMM]

I take Dramamine (even the non-drowsy kind), it tends to knock me out for the entire day!

quote]

 

It is a common misconception (due to marketing) that there is actually a "non-drowsy" Dramamine formulation. If you check the box, both the active and inactive ingredients are the same. The "non-drowsy" is simple 1/2 the amount of the active ingredient. My pharmacist pointed this out because he can't understand why people buy non-drowsy when you can buy the regular and just cut the tablets in 1/2. ;) Way more cost effective. Since you are obviously sensitive to the active ingredient's sedative effects, it's no surprise the "non-drowsy" still knocks you out. To everyone else, you are overpaying. Fun tidbit to share.

 

Also, you all did read the "avoid alcoholic beverages" warning on Dramamine, Bonine, and the Scop patch right! :p

 

Maybe there are different products out on the market, but the less drowsy version I looked at was NOT approved for children. When I asked the pharmasist about this he explained that the ingredients in the non drowsy were not approved for younger kids, so they couldn't have simply been 1/2 the ingredients as the drowsy version was approved for younger children.

[DAP2]

Well my goodness, I do stand corrected. Checked the website and indeed the non-drowsy version of Dramamine is a different active ingredient, not just 1/2 of the original. Guess I need a new pharmacists!

 

So anyway the non-drowsy Dramamine is indeed the same ingredient as Bonine: Meclizine. Bonine and therefore the non-drowsy Dramamine should not be used for children under 12.

 

Bonine makes a a Bonine for Kids version which is again a different ingredient: Cyclizine. This is approved for kids age 6 and up.

[hfitzger]

Thanks for all of the info on nausea medications! Maybe if I can get a front seat on the bus, I will be able to look out the windshield facing forward and that might help...

 

Nothing like being miserable on vacation, and if I can avoid it at all costs, I would prefer that! (Especially if I'm shelling out $200+ for the whole family to have this experience! i.e. "If mama ain't happy...") ;)