Any Suggetions for Motion Sickness

[DougnRoz]

We are four Saturday’s away from shoving off from Miami on Voyager (4/30)!!!! :D

 

 

But, we have some motion sickness issues. :eek: Voyager should ease a lot of that in calm waters and make rough seas more tolerable. But in case we have a storm to deal with or turbulence in the air, does anyone have any ideas as to what to take? I have heard that Bonine (sp.) is good. But, how long does it last and can you take it with alcohol? Will we need to take it every twelve hours, all cruise long, or is it something that can calm the stomach and head immediately and take only as needed.

 

 

We have the Relief Band that we are going to take and that may help, but we will see. We would rather take a pill once or twice a day and not have to worry about wrist watch-type things.

 

 

Any ideas and experiences would be greatly appreciated. :confused: Thanks!!

 

 

Doug and Roz

[Richro]

Transderm patch (rx from your physician), bonine, dramamine, ginger....good luck.

[Oh2Travel]

Bonine has served me well. You take one each day--seems to last the 24hrs.

I haven't had problems taking it and having alcohol. I take Sea Bands as a back up.

[ckrobyn]

I used Bonine on the Radiance in February, as well as sea bands.....my advice to you is to begin taking the bonine the night before you get on the ship. I found it made me VERY drowsy ( not sure if it affects everyone this way?) you can only take one per day, so my suggestion is to take it at bedtime so if there IS any adverse effects ( like drowsiness) it will happen while you're sleeping......:rolleyes: Don't worry too much about the possibility of seasickness......there are so many remedies....one of them is bound to work!

Good luck and have a GREAT cruise :D

[Jacquelyn11]

This is an info sheet I came up with a couple of year ago. Hope it helps!

 

Dramamine: (Dimenhydrinate di-men-hi-drin-ate) An older motion sickness remedy. Dramamine

however has substantial side effects, the most common being drowsiness. Sleeping through your cruise

is almost as bad as being sick through your cruise. Need to take 3 to 4 times a day.

 

Bonine: Meclizine HCl (25mg.), Dramamine II, Non-Drowsy Dramamine, Antivert. Causes

drowsiness in a very small percentage of patients, is very effective, has only to be taken once per 24 hours in tablets and chew tabs. It’s nothing like the original Dramamine --a totally different chemical! Check with pediatrician prior to your cruise regarding your children and any sea sickness medications. The package directions do state that this medication is for children over 12. With my kids, I gave them ½ tablet when they were 5 & 7 at about 50 lbs with no ill effects.

 

Both of these drugs are classed as antihistamines. Their most common side effect is drowsiness,

Dramamine has a greater incidence than Bonine. These effects are exaggerated considerably with

concomitant use of alcoholic beverages. READ THE PACKAGE to learn the side effects.

 

Bonine also has the advantage of a longer duration of action, allowing for once a day dosing. Dramamine has been used safely in children 2 and older. Both agents are usually taken about 1-2 hours before anticipated travel or activity. If you have never taken these types of medication before it’s a good idea to "try them on dry land" to avoid unforeseen reactions. These agents can also be taken for vertigo (dizziness). Normal meclizine dosage is 12.5-25mg three times a day for dizziness, so you could take two or three Bonine if needed. ALWAYS check with your pharmacist against your other medication to make sure there are no drug interactions.

 

Scopolamine Patch: This medicine is prescription only in the US. It is available in oral and transdermal patch formulations. This patch is placed in a hairless area behind the ear. It takes up to 6 hours to be effective and lasts for 3 days. It produces less drowsiness than Bonine, but a greater number of other side-effects including dry mouth, dizziness, ocular disturbances, disorientation, irritability (in children), slowed heart rate, psychosis, and amnesia. These effects were usually reversed when the product was removed. It has been shown to provide greater protection against motion sickness than Dramamine. If you haven't had success with the above agents, this might be choice to explore with your doctor. Wash your hands well after handling the patch. The Scopolamine will cause your pupils to dilate if you get some on your hands and then touch your eyes. This makes you sensitive to light for a few hours. Also, there have been reports some older folks not doing well with the patch. Typically these were small older women. This is because older people have thinner skin and too much of the drug got absorbed at once, and the dose is somewhat weight related for an "average adult". It is sold in a package of 4. The catch is you MUST put the patch on 4-5 hours BEFORE you travel. If you wait until you have motion sickness it will not work for several hours.

 

Ginger: Found in Ginger snaps and commonly used in Chinese cooking. An herbal preventative with few side effects. Ginger root has also been studied as an agent to help with nausea after surgery. It was superior to placebo in reducing the frequency post-operative nausea. There have been no formal studies with motion sickness. The effect seems to be short acting and would need to be taken at least 3 to 4 times a day.

 

Sea Bands: This is a wrist band that uses acupressure to stimulate a spot on your wrist that is to prevent motion sickness. We know of no scientific studies proving their effectiveness, but we have heard a lot of anecdotal evidence attesting to their effectiveness. They’re inexpensive and don’t have any side effects except that they don’t coordinate well with shimmery evening dresses. If they work for you, great.

 

Other prescription medications for nausea: Phenergan (promethazine), Reglan (metoclopramide), and Zofran (odansetron), are good for nausea that can happen with motion sickness, but generally won't prevent motion sickness like those listed above.

 

Whichever method you decide, have a great time on your cruise!

 

Happy Crusing!

 

Jacquelyn RPh

[Boo's Mom]

We always take "less drowsy Dramamine"...with us. 1 pill per day.....

It works great.

I give it to my children...when they need it.

[JudyOh]

Ginger capsules work great, start taking them a couple of days before you sail.

[cruislovin]

We use the electronic Relief Bands. They are fabulous! They work even after you start to feel sick! We don't like taking medication, especially medication we may not even need to take... Good luck!:)

[MattInFLL]

The electronic relief bands work very well. Ginger tablets have always worked for me too... my partner gets motion sick on the calmest of seas.. on Queen Mary 2, they gave him a shot. I forget what it was called, but it put him to sleep for a few hours and when he woke up, no more motion sickness. And it lasts for 6-7 days. I don't know if RCI offers the shot, but it really does the trick.

[AmySP]

I've done the dramamine and the sea bands and both worked well. Another thing I do to avoid the nausea is I don't sit by windows. It took me a couple of days at sea to figure this out. I always would try to grab a seat by the window in the Windjammer whenever we were eating or a treadmill by a window when I was working out. I don't know if it's the curved shape to the window that does it but everytime I look out, I get queasy. Sitting outside in the fresh air isn't a problem. My dd sometimes doesn't sit with us when we eat at the Windjammer because she likes to sit by the window. There are always plenty of tables in the middle of the room, so we never have a problem finding somewhere to sit.

 

Amy

[CruiseMark]

We use the electronic Relief Bands. They are fabulous! They work even after you start to feel sick! We don't like taking medication, especially medication we may not even need to take... Good luck!:)

 

Add a third vote for the electronic Relief Bands (http://www.reliefband.com/main.html) the only FDA approved device for Motion Sickness and nausea.

 

These things are amazing. The best thing is that a) you don't use them until you need them, b) they work well AFTER symptoms develop, c) there are no side effects and d) you don't need to have drugs in your system that you MIGHT need to use.

 

Highly recommended!

[jbone1232]

I took Bonine last March on a cruise. Just took it every morning (starting the day before) and it worked great for me. I didn't find that it made me tired. I plan on taking it again in 3 weeks when we go again. The thing I will do different, is to take it the day AFTER I get off the ship too. Have a great time.

[Nliedel]

I get seasick. VERY seasick. I was on a fishing charter in Lake Michigan when I was about 16 and there was a new Coast Guard boat coming to our town. They passed us on their way to the harbor, all hands on deck... I greeted them (did I tell you I was 16 at the time? Talk about humiliation) tossing my cookies over the side.

 

Fast forward a few years and my first cruise. Spent it in my cabin.. seasick.. FINALLY when I was 38 I found Bonine. I have no idea why it took me so darn long. I feel like a dork, but I can't live without it now. I agree about taking it in the am and it may make you a llittle tired but for a cookie toss free cruise I will risk a nap.

[MermaidMomma]

We sailed on NCL Dawn last April. During the first sea day, between NY and Port Canaveral, we had stormy weather and moderately high seas. The four of us (DH,two sons 5 and 10, and I) preventively took Hyland's motion sickness remedy. You can drink while taking Hyland's, and it will not make you sleepy at all. Ginger is great also.

[EJNutz]

Coca Cola or diet cola is also very good for motion sickness. It settles the stomach believe it or not.