motion sickness patch

[gardenflower_99]

I have a fear that my husband might experience motion sickness on his first ever cruise. We got him the patch ... someone was telling me yesterday they cut the patches in half and only use a half at a time? anyone else ever do this ? she said you wouldnt experience the side effects? has anyone suffered from side effects of the patch ? thanks for your help..

[pedirn]

Please do not cut the scopolamine patches in half. This affects the amount of medication delivered and how it is delivered. The biggest side effect will be dry mouth. Some people also report blurry vision. While this can happen it is often caused by people touching the patch (checking placement?) and then not washing their hands then touching their eyes. Sucessful use should have you put the patch on the day before cruising and changing every three days. I am very familiar with the patch and it's side effects as we're use it on all the kids getting chemo (if they are at least twelve years of age) at the hospital I worked at. It has caused a huge reduction in chemo induced nausea and vomiting. Do not mean to scare you....it is a great drug which I myself used.

Chris

[WeBeGone]

Instead of the patch, an over the counter medication called Bonine is also effective.

[Budget Queen]

This isn't information you should be getting from a message board. Consult the health care professional. ALL these drugs have side effects that can be counter indicated depending on other meds and health conditions.

[missouri01]

This isn't information you should be getting from a message board. Consult the health care professional. ALL these drugs have side effects that can be counter indicated depending on other meds and health conditions.

 

I whole-heartedly agree with Budget Queen. Talk with your healthcare professional about your concerns about side effects and all possible reactions.

[Once Upon A Time]

Please speak with your doctor about the patch.. It does work very well… been using it for years. Have used it for motion sickness, have used it after surgery and in other instances.. Some do not have to use it as long as others..but, your doctor is the best person to give you advice.

[BeagleOne]

someone was telling me yesterday they cut the patches in half and only use a half at a time? anyone else ever do this ? she said you wouldnt experience the side effects?

 

Pedirn is correct. Do NOT cut the patch in half! Patch users may or may not experience side effects but cutting it in half is NOT going to eliminate them.

 

It sounds like your husband has already seen his doctor for advice, which is great! If he uses the patch as directed and has side effects, he can always remove it and try something else. I apply mine the night before or morning of departure and wash my hands immediately after applying it, and have NEVER had a problem, and on me the patch actually works for about a week.

 

You or your husband should check to be sure that the patch remains in place. I had one come off on a particularly hot and humid beach. Hope he has an extra patch or two just in case.

[Cruisers from WA]

I always use the patch on a cruise.....it makes me very tired when I first put it on but a 30 min quick nap and I am ready for fun!.....never had dry mouth but always seem to have something to drink ........water, juice, tea, soda and a little bubbly:rolleyes:

 

Odd thing is for me, I was fine in my dad's fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean (catching salmon), but on a cruiseship, the floating hotel rockn' & rollin' bothers me.

[gardenflower_99]

thanks everyone for the replies. I did talk to the Dr. and he also said it wasnt a good idea to cut in half. I will bring the Bonine just in case the patch isnt agreeing with him. Thanks again!

[luvlake]

We take ginger pills with us. (Can be found at Wal-Mat) Have used them in the Carribean and Alaska.

[Astro Flyer]

This isn't information you should be getting from a message board. Consult the health care professional. ALL these drugs have side effects that can be counter indicated depending on other meds and health conditions.

 

I whole-heartedly agree with Budget Queen. Talk with your healthcare professional about your concerns about side effects and all possible reactions.

Definitely check with a doctor before making a decision about the type of motion sickness medication you're considering using to find out any possible interactions with other medications.

 

My wife is very prone to motion sickness of all types and she has tried the patch and Dramamine and found both of them to have more side effects than the generic version of Bonine which is called meclizine. This has allowed her to enjoy dozens of cruises in all kinds of conditions including winds that were nearly hurricane strength and rough seas. Meclizine is to prevent motion sickness and thus needs to be taken before the effects are felt.

 

Her experience has been that the patch has many more side effects and if she has any side effects from meclizine it may occasionally be some drowsiness if she has to take higher dosages. Meclizine is a fraction of the cost of Bonine and with both being available over-the-counter & I believe that the patch is still a prescription that should be an indication of which can be more dangerous to our health but do check about any possible interactions with other medications you're taking.

[GoochDSA]

My fiancee started using the patch on our last cruise and it worked great for her. She put it on the night before we left and her only side effect was that the following day she was a bit of a zombie (not really responsive, not remembering where she was or how she got there, she just seemed really dazed/stoned). Besides that it was great for her and she'll be using it in the future.

 

The first couple of cruises she tried many of the other things that have been mentioned (the wrist bands, Bonine, ginger pills, etc.) but nothing really worked for her. If she didn't love cruising so much she would have given up. It was really only after everything else failed that her doctor would agree to give her the patches. In my unprofessional opinion, I would wait and see how your husband reacts. Motion sickness is not the same as sea sickness. One can get one but not the other. If he starts feeling sick I would start with the ginger pills/ ginger ale, then move up to Bonine and then finally use the patches as a last resort.

[Keith1010]

I have a fear that my husband might experience motion sickness on his first ever cruise. We got him the patch ... someone was telling me yesterday they cut the patches in half and only use a half at a time? anyone else ever do this ? she said you wouldnt experience the side effects? has anyone suffered from side effects of the patch ? thanks for your help..

 

Some people do this.

 

Side effects vary by person One of the most common ones is dry mouth.

 

When he put it on be sure he washes his hands afterwards and not touch eyes, etc.

 

Keith

[Astro Flyer]

If he starts feeling sick I would start with the ginger pills/ ginger ale, then move up to Bonine and then finally use the patches as a last resort.

Based on my wife's experiences I think this conservative approach would be the best way to do it and to only escalate the treatment if necessary. Treatments are to prevent motion sickness and are not as effective to treat & should be taken in advance.

 

I would suggest bringing meclizine on board just in case it's necessary instead of paying about a dollar per pill for Bonine in the gift shop instead of pennies per pill when purchasing the generic meclizine at home.

 

That's great that your fiancé was able to find something that has allowed her to fully enjoy her cruises. My wife has been luckier and the meclizine provides her with the relief she occasionally needs when it gets rough at sea.

[jaybird from SC]

Check with the doctor BUT I would never again use the patch.....I get "car sick" very easily but I've never had any trouble on a ship. I take Bonine for the first day to make sure and I wear the seabands. No problems but the patch was terrible for me....

[Travelcat2]

I have also had side effects from the patch that were not comfortable. It made one eye dialate (the eye on the side of my body that the patch was on). Switched to Bonine but take 1/4 of it at a time. It causes less drowsiness and seems to work just fine.

[pedirn]

When I responded to original poster, I assumed she had spoken with her doctor as scopolamine requires a script. I just didn't wan't her listerning to others about cutting the patches in half. Dilated pupils is almost always an indication that patch was touched and then eyes without washing hands. Noticed I said "almost always". Everyone responds differently to medications and may have interactions with other medications....prescription and OTC mess. My middle daughter uses Bonine as she does not like the feeling she has when using the patch. With Bonine she has no problems.

Chris

[Cruisin' Chick]

What works for one person might not work for the next. Definitely this is a subject for a person and their doctor to discuss different remedies that could work (and some doctors nowadays will suggest non-medicinal methods such as herbs) and ones to avoid as there could be interaction with a current prescription (just today, my eye doctor said he's putting me on some strong eye drops, and I reminded him of my current scripts -- which he could have easily brought up since he's in the same medical group as the other doctors -- and my hay fever medication may cause problems so I'll have to drop it for now).

 

Probably a good idea to try whatever you can ahead of time to see what side effects you get on land. And then take at least a few different ones with you on the cruise, just in case one doesn't work in actual practice.

 

My mother, who gets motion sickness at the turn of a bus key, wore the patch successfully on her one cruise and wasn't bothered at all. I tend to get motion sickness easily (can't read in a moving vehicle) so I bring a ton of ginger on a cruise. Some of the pill type remedies (Bonine, etc.) put me to sleep.

[Erik101]

I have a fear that my husband might experience motion sickness on his first ever cruise. We got him the patch ... someone was telling me yesterday they cut the patches in half and only use a half at a time? anyone else ever do this ? she said you wouldnt experience the side effects? has anyone suffered from side effects of the patch ? thanks for your help..

 

Keep in mind that any medication that you put in your body, whether prescription or over the counter, has the potential to cause some side effects. Just because she didn't experience any side effects does NOT mean you will experience the same.

[nightside]

thanks everyone for the replies. I did talk to the Dr. and he also said it wasnt a good idea to cut in half. I will bring the Bonine just in case the patch isnt agreeing with him. Thanks again!

 

I found out there is a generic version of Bonine that we used on our last cruise - we just asked the pharmacist for the Bonine generic. It was like 4-5 dollars for 100 pills (vs 11-12 for 20 or so with the name brand). It worked great for us. :)