drinking while using the seasick patch?

[landerson1004]

We are going on our first cruise in October and I just got my seasick patches from my doctor yesterday. They were recommended to us by my MIL after she used them with great success on her cruise last year. I was shocked that they were $160...although, there is enough of a supply for a 2+ week cruise...so I didn't have that much of an issue with it. Not to mention, the way we think of it, we've already spent a large sum of money for the cruise, I'd rather pay that money and be safe, rather than waste the large sum of money and be seasick and not be able to enjoy anything while on the ship.

 

Now my question...we were planning on getting the Cheers Beverage program. Can we still drink while wearing the patch? Has anyone done this? The drug packet says to avoid alcohol...but hello, this is vacation--our first cruise--AND our honeymoon. I asked the pharmacist--all he said was to just be aware of drowsiness. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

TIA!

[wallie5446]

My wife used them many years and cruises ago when the ships were a lot smaller than today. She did not notice anything that I can recall. If you have no motion issues on land, IMHO, wait till you have been on ship a day before you use one. You may find they are not needed. Now they will not help overcome any 'unsteadiness' you may have from enjoying your drink pkg!:D

[Hlitner]

There is a good reason why you will never find a cruise ship physician recommending (or dispensing) those Transderm Scop patches. Although many folks do fine with the patches, there are also many who experience one or more of the many possible side-effects. For example, DW has tried the patches only to discover that after a couple of days she cannot focus her eyes to read a book. And then we know a cruise ship physician who tells us of one night when security stopped an elderly lady from walking around the ship. The problem was she was totally nude! And she later did not remember a thing. The patches can cause hallucinations and sleep walking and she had a bit of both. But the good news about the patches is they do help some folks avoid sea sickness. By the way, DW now uses Bonine for the first day or 2 of each cruise (we cruise over 75 days a year) and then uses nothing unless the sea gets really rough. I seldom use anything but if it does get very rough will sometimes take a Bonine (Meclizine Hcl). Bonine or the same drug with a different name is what is usually sold on most ships (in the shops) and is generally recommended by cruise ship doctors.

 

Hank

[dorisis]

Check back with the doctor who prescribed the patches. No one on the boards can predict your reaction to medication.

[Underwatr]

Sleepwalking sounds more like an Ambien side effect than a Tansderm SCOP side effect, if anyone's concerned about that.

 

http://medsfacts.com/study-TRANSDERM%20SCOP-causing-SLEEP%20WALKING.php

 

But there can be some interesting psychoactive side effects of Transderm SCOP (see link above) and probably alcohol exacerbates some of these. http://www.drugs.com/food-interactions/scopolamine,transderm-scop.html

[joie1016]

We are going on our first cruise in October and I just got my seasick patches from my doctor yesterday. They were recommended to us by my MIL after she used them with great success on her cruise last year. I was shocked that they were $160...although, there is enough of a supply for a 2+ week cruise...so I didn't have that much of an issue with it. Not to mention, the way we think of it, we've already spent a large sum of money for the cruise, I'd rather pay that money and be safe, rather than waste the large sum of money and be seasick and not be able to enjoy anything while on the ship.

 

Now my question...we were planning on getting the Cheers Beverage program. Can we still drink while wearing the patch? Has anyone done this? The drug packet says to avoid alcohol...but hello, this is vacation--our first cruise--AND our honeymoon. I asked the pharmacist--all he said was to just be aware of drowsiness. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

TIA!

Wear the patch before you cruise. These can actually make you seasick !!! Seen so many trying to use them thinking they would get see sick when the patches actually made them seasick. :)

[dsrdsrdsr]

Point one, there's no reason to be seasick unless the sea is rough. Very few people are seasick on calm seas, though you can talk yourself into it, as you seem to be doing. If you tell yourself often enough that you're feeling sick, you will be. As a general rule, don't take drugs unless you need them.

 

Point two, there's no point paying a doctor $160 and then ignoring his advice. If he and his drug packet say "don't drink", then don't drink.

[landerson1004]

dsrdsrdsr, if only we were ALL so lucky to not get seasick like you! I, on the other hand, do get motion sickness, even in a car. I wasn't ignoring my doctor's advice. She--and my pharmacist (like I posted)--both said it was fine to drink. I was simply asking for others' opinions on the subject and how they've been affected, if at all, by using the patch. But thank you so much for your wealth of cruise knowledge. :rolleyes:

 

After researching it some more, I think I am going to go with the Bonine, like so many on here and other cruise forums have suggested. Seems to be a lot less...dramatic. I don't want to be unknowingly wandering around the ship naked! :p Luckily, my pharmacist also told me that I can return my expensive patches to the pharmacy within 14 days...I think I will be making that trip tonight. Wahoo! I'll be using that returned money to invest in some Bonine. Thanks for all of the help everyone!

[dsrdsrdsr]

dsrdsrdsr, if only we were ALL so lucky to not get seasick like you! I, on the other hand, do get motion sickness, even in a car. I wasn't ignoring my doctor's advice. She--and my pharmacist (like I posted)--both said it was fine to drink. I was simply asking for others' opinions on the subject and how they've been affected, if at all, by using the patch. But thank you so much for your wealth of cruise knowledge. :rolleyes:

If your doctor says it's all right to drink, then why are you asking random strangers on az message board? Don't you trust your doctor?

 

At risk of stating the obvious, you're not going in a car. It's a lot easier to get travel sickness in a car, because of the relatively fast motion of the car compared with the surroundings, and because of the way the car rocks and bumps along the road and round bends. If you're capable of walking down the street without being sick, then the chances are you'll be capable of riding in a very big ship that isn't rocking without being sick.

[Hlitner]

I will dispense a little advice (but no scripts) based on more then 3 years as a cruise ship passenger. Since you have some concern about getting seasick you need to take some precautions until you build some confidence (this will happen on your cruise). Bonine is over the counter and there are a couple of other products with the same active ingredient (Meclizine Hcl - 25 mgs). Take one of these at bedtime the night before you get on your cruise ship. Then take another the first night on your cruise. We prefer taking them around bedtime because one possible side-effect is to make you a bit sleepy...and that works well at bedtime. After a couple of days on your cruise if you start to feel confident about not getting seasick, then stop the pills (only one per day). If you ever start to feel at all queasy, or if the seas get a bit rough, then just pop one of those nice little pills (they are chewable).

 

If you have any doubts about using Bonine you can simply ask your physician. This is actually the same drug, given by prescription, used by many physicians to treat various inner ear disturbances.

 

Hank

[landerson1004]

Hlitner, thanks for the great advice. That's exactly what I've been looking for--advice. I definitely think I will be going that route. I've been talking to friends and family that have cruise many times, and they have all pretty much suggested the same thing...that I need to take a precaution pill so to speak until I get accustomed to the cruise, being that it is my first cruise. I was able to return my patches to the pharmacy last night so no money loss there! And I picked up some Bonine. Now I just have to wait for the cruise--THAT is the hardest part!! Thanks everyone! :)

[AlaskaAtLast]

I just used the patch on my recent cruise to Alaska. I had them with me because I get motion sickness pretty easily so I got them ahead of time 'just in case'. I was fine the first 5 days of the cruise when we were in the inside passage. I could feel a little movement of the ship but I was fine. When we left Glacier Bay and headed for open water, the ship started to really sway and I felt terrible. I laid down for a bit to see if it would get better. It didn't. Finally my husband reminded me about the patches, which in my sick state I didn't even think about. I put one on and within 20 minutes, I was back on my feet and feeling fine. I still felt the motion of the ship (we were in 4 to 7.5 foot seas at that point) but I didn't feel sick at all anymore. That patch made the difference between enjoying the last 2 days of our cruise and being miserable. I did have a couple of drinks with the patch on and had no issues, but I wasn't brave enough to try more than just 2 drinks.

 

Hope that helps.

[Nadersmom]

Hlitner, thanks for the great advice. That's exactly what I've been looking for--advice. I definitely think I will be going that route. I've been talking to friends and family that have cruise many times, and they have all pretty much suggested the same thing...that I need to take a precaution pill so to speak until I get accustomed to the cruise, being that it is my first cruise. I was able to return my patches to the pharmacy last night so no money loss there! And I picked up some Bonine. Now I just have to wait for the cruise--THAT is the hardest part!! Thanks everyone! :)

 

Landerson1004

 

Don't worry ;) I get sick in a car if I try to read. Can't do roller coasters, ect. All that jazz. I too was worried about being seasick for our first cruise last year

 

I didn't want the patch due to the side effects I read about including fuzzy vision, dry mouth ect. I suffer from Migraines and get auras beforehand. Didn't want to have to figure out if my fuzzy vision was due a pending migraine or the patch. Plus, lets face it, they're expensive.

 

So I used Bonine. I know people say "why would you take medication if you don't now if you need it", ect.

 

But you know what.....I just paid a fairly large amount of money for a cruise, Despite the whole, "don't talk yourself into being sick" thing, I KNOW I am highly susceptible to motion sickness.

 

There are no ill side effects of Bonine as far as I could find and you can take it before bed so as I saw it, I wasn't going to chance ruining any of my time on the ship due to something I knew I could avoid easily enough. Nothing wrong with taking precautions. You know your body better than anyone else.

 

And I drank with it and was perfectly fine. I never drank in excess, but I drank more than one drink in the evening and it was never an issue.

 

Good luck!!!! Enjoy your cruise

[Underwatr]

DW gets carsick in the backseat so we ordered the patch for her before our first cruise. Turns out that she rarely gets queasy on a ship so now we just take Bonine for those days when the ship is pitching quite a bit.

[dsrdsrdsr]

I get sick in a car if I try to read.

Virtually everybody gets sick in a car if they try to read. Possibly less so in the USA, because you have much straighter roads than we do, but the effect of being in a very small vehicle moving fast and not looking where you're going will make you sick, especially if you're looking closely at a moving object (the book) that is not moving in the same way as the vehicle.

 

Ships move less, and more slowly, and in calm waters like the inside passage they move barely or not at all. To most people, not you of course, but the majority, there will be no seasickness problem except in high winds.

[hladygirl]

Just take Bonine every day. No side effects and no seasickness. We have been in the roughest seas but never had an issue. Others we have cruised with took nothing and then when seas got rough got very sick and then nothing would help. Why take the risk of even one day on your vacation feeling ill?