Seasickness Anxiety

[Kayyheww]

Hello! Boarding in my second cruise in a week and I'm a nervous wreck. When I first went on a cruise in 2011 I took Dramamine to avoid any seasickness, as well as wearing a sea band. It worked great! Never once had a problem. Now, in the past year, I have developed generalized anxiety disorder. Out of no where. I am now scared to death of taking any medications. I'm always scared how they will affect me. My anxiety makes me slightly light headed and hard to breath sometimes. This makes me nervous to take Dramamine again, due to its drowsiness effects. I'm thinking about taking Bonine instead to avoid the heaviness of drowsiness. I don't want it to slow my breathing or make me more light headed! I know I sound crazy but I wonder does anybody else suffer with these thoughts? And any ease of mind from Bonine users? This is getting in the way of all the fun I should be excited about!

[klfrodo]

Have you considered talking to a professional about these concerns?

[Kayyheww]

I have thought about. But it seems every time I go they want to just put me on antidepressants whic I've tried and simply prefer to battle it naturally. I just know this is my anxiety and figured I would look crazy telling the doctor these concerns.

[bakersdozen12]

Just out of curiosity, if you took Dramamine and wore a patch right from the beginning, how do you know that they helped you? I mean, how do know that you even get seasick at all if you never stepped foot on the ship without the medication? You may not be someone who gets seasick, and you might not need any medication.

 

But if you do, try to ease your mind by thinking about the fact that lots of people take Dramamine and Bonine, and it doesn't kill them. If it was dangerous, it wouldn't be on the shelves.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Kayyheww]

That's very true! There is a possibility I do not have seasickness at all. But I don't want to ruin my trip by finding out if I do. I thought if you get sea sick it would be too late to take the medication. I am prone to getting a yuck feeling from going down the curvy roads too much but never have gotten sick from it. So not sure.

[tntbailey]

I have anxiety issues and actually find that when I take meclizine (Bonine) it actually helps me.

 

Anxiety can be fought more naturally. There are usually triggers and things that are our of sink that trigger them. If you can, find a good Naturopath physician. Mine has helped me immensely. They treat the whole body, not just the symptom.

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Langley Cruisers]

I thought if you get sea sick it would be too late to take the medication...

 

Medications as the ones described are for nausea and vomiting - and preventing same if taken prior to travel. Yes, they work if you start to feel sick. It seems pointless to me to take them pre-emptively; as you said, you don't even know if you do get seasick.

 

I like the Sea Bands wrist bands. I have used them during pregnancy as well as on cruises, IF necessary. I put them on if I feel a bit green. I took Gravol or Dramamine one cruise and it made me worse... very dopey and I lost an entire day in a fog.

 

If it turns out you do get seasick, or start to feel queasy, your trip will not be ruined - it will be at that point that you start your regime of either medication or wrist bands. People here also mention eating green apples but I'm not sure they work.

[klfrodo]

I have thought about. But it seems every time I go they want to just put me on antidepressants whic I've tried and simply prefer to battle it naturally. I just know this is my anxiety and figured I would look crazy telling the doctor these concerns.

 

So, you've been diagnosed with anxiety disorders and/or depression, but you simply prefer to not treat these disorders.

 

Coming from someone whose loved ones battle daily with mental health issues, I highly urge you to reconsider. If not for yourself, do it for your loved ones. Your issues affect more than just you.

[Kayyheww]

Believe it or not I really feel like I have a hold on my anxiety. I use to suffer from panic attacks and have anxious feelings for no reason. It has been a long process but I am doing much better. I did not like medications as it made my anxiety worse and also felt like a zombie. I choose to go natural and my family is supportive. This cruise is just a bump in the road that I will conquer. But you are correct, it did affect everyone around me.

[Keith1010]

None of us are qualified to give you advice on what to do.

 

I really would discuss this with a professional.

 

Keith

[Floridiana]

I understand you don't want to take medication for heck of it, neither do I. I know I get seasick and I DON'T take medication pre-emptively. I eat candied ginger, calms the stomach, harmless and tastes good. If the captain announces rough weather, I take medication but not before. If there is no announcement and the ship starts rocking anyway, I take medication and lie down until it starts working. What is a bit of queasiness or worse in the grand scheme of travelling to great places? Captain Cook got seasick and still sailed around the world.

 

If you live in Canada, Australia or France, your pharmacies have great stuff for seasickness.

[KirkNC]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

[Magnum60]

I'm certainly no doctor but I would venture a guess that a considerable percentage of the people who complain about or actually develop motion sickness have inadvertently talked themselves into being a candidate for the condition. A preemptive medication might not have been needed. In your case I hope that's true. If one actually develops motion sickness it can be dealt with while at sea. Try to cut back on hard to digest foods when cruising this time and keep your focus on having a wonderful cruise. Chances are that your post cruise posts on Cruise Critic won't mention not feeling well. Hope so and good luck.

[ger_77]

If you are concerned about the effects of Dramamine or Bonine, particularly being sleepy throughout the day, do what I do; take the medication at night. Begin taking it the night before you board the ship, that way the medicine is in your system, and if there is any drowsiness, you won't have to worry about it because you'll be sleeping through it.

 

I've also found having candied ginger (Chimes is a brand I like) also helps with any queasiness. Good luck to you; I know what it is like to suffer seasickness. I've been prone to motion sickness since I was a child, and it isn't fun to experience.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

Edited March 27, 2016 by ger_77

[wwcruisers]

Well, I can't address your anxiety issues, and agree with others who suggest that might best be handled by a professional. But, if you are looking for a "natural" or drug-free approach to seasickness -- you might consider ginger. You can find it in many forms -- from capsules to candy. Trader Joe's carries ginger-chews, ginger-mints, and ginger tea -- and ginger capsules can be found in most health-food stores. Hope you find something that works for you, so you can enjoy your cruise. :cool:

[julesrose777]

Sorry you are dealing with anxiety. I have used Bonine and it has worked great. It is the same thing as Dramamine just non-drowsy. They also sell non drowsy Dramamine. If you look at Bonine and non drowsy Dramamine they are the same ingredients. One thing I was taught when dealing with anxiety is that if you can recognize and say to yourself it is just anxiety or I am just catastrophising, your brain recognizing that it is not in harm and you are able to relax more. Catastrophising is when you think the worst is going to happen. So you then say to yourself, I am just Catastrophising...nothing is going to happen. I hope this helps you. Enjoy your vacation. Everything is going to go great!

[SPacificbound]

We use Bonine and ginger capsules prophylactically, but really going to a qualified physician that treats anxiety disorders would be best.

[SuiteTraveler]

Believe it or not I really feel like I have a hold on my anxiety. I use to suffer from panic attacks and have anxious feelings for no reason. It has been a long process but I am doing much better. I did not like medications as it made my anxiety worse and also felt like a zombie. I choose to go natural and my family is supportive. This cruise is just a bump in the road that I will conquer. But you are correct, it did affect everyone around me.

 

Anxiety attacks are caused by any replication of genes on the 3rd Chromosome which is the fight or flight response chromosome. This just indicates you have a more powerful fight or flight response than other people. I'm of Native American ancestry and I have anxiety attacks as do others in my family lineage. In fact Anxiety attacks are no longer considered a medical problem - just a physiological difference. That said, the medication I found works for me is Xanax and only a very light dose is needed of .25mg. I usually try other methods to stop the attack first, such as counting to 4 slowly as I breathe in and out for 15 minutes. Usually that helps. But if the attack does not get better I take a Xanax, relax for 15 minutes and the attack almost always goes away. If it doesn't I can always take another .25mg. But I rarely have to do that. If your doctor was prescribing something that you take all the time (Zoloft, Effexor, Celexa, etc), that really doesn't make sense because as you well know, anxiety attacks come and then go - you don't have them constantly so you don't need to be on medication constantly. It's not like something like depression where you need a long course of medication. You will never "get well" or stop having anxiety attacks, but you can take control of them by using breathing techniques and medication that you take only when needed. So you might talk to your doctor if he has not tried .25mg - .5mg Xanax taken only as needed on you. Nowadays I need the Xanax maybe once a month or so at most. I think just knowing I have it if I need it and that it will work in 15 minutes has helped me tremendously.

 

As to medication for seasickness, if you are going to the Caribbean and get a cabin midship, you really should not have a problem at all. The only times I have really needed medication was on the way up to Alaska (used Trans Derm Scop because we were rocking and rolling!), in the Pacific and in the Bay of Biscaye going to the Med from Southampton - the worst day at sea we've ever experienced - so bad all outside decks were closed and most entertainment was cancelled and eating was like a juggling act. We used the Scop there as well and stayed midship all day. UGH! It was awful, but once we were in the Med, things were as calm as can be. Other areas that can be bad for seasickness are in the oceans - such as the Atlantic going down the coast of the US to the Caribbean or Bahamas, the Pacific Ocean, going to New Zealand from Australia and Cape Horn.

 

So if your cruise is in the Med from Barcelona, probably you will have no problem at all. If your cruise is in the Caribbean from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale or San Juan, probably you will have no problem at all. But take along some Bonine - which really doesn't affect me at all. The Trans Derm Scops are from my doctor and these make my mouth dry and make me feel somewhat drunk so I confine the usage to high seas days only. Other than those situations, you really should not need anything. But it is good to have it with you just in case.

[JanineM]

I always used the patch but then had an experience where I became paranoid and anxious so switched to acupuncture, and Bonine if the seas are really rough.

 

I have no medical knowledge other than my personal experience but if you're hesitant to take medication you may wish to investigate acupuncture.

[Dayenu]

Hello! Boarding in my second cruise in a week and I'm a nervous wreck. When I first went on a cruise in 2011 I took Dramamine to avoid any seasickness, as well as wearing a sea band. It worked great! Never once had a problem. Now, in the past year, I have developed generalized anxiety disorder. Out of no where. I am now scared to death of taking any medications. I'm always scared how they will affect me. My anxiety makes me slightly light headed and hard to breath sometimes. This makes me nervous to take Dramamine again, due to its drowsiness effects. I'm thinking about taking Bonine instead to avoid the heaviness of drowsiness. I don't want it to slow my breathing or make me more light headed! I know I sound crazy but I wonder does anybody else suffer with these thoughts? And any ease of mind from Bonine users? This is getting in the way of all the fun I should be excited about!

 

I don't have anxiety about taking pills, just don't like them for side effects. I find Bonine much easier on the body. I get motion sick everywhere, and as I always prefer herbs, I take Ginger capsules daily, and keep Bonine for emergencies (for rough seas).

[NW SOUTHERNBELLE]

I use Ginger Root 550mg -1 capsule twice a day for motion sickness. I start taking it 1-2 days prior to departure. Works great and no side affects.

[Jenlegs]

Bonine is definitely easier on the body than Dramamine. I'm very prone to seasickness, and there's nothing like a fear of vomiting to make you...well, vomit. We had higher than expected swells on our Eastern Caribbean cruise in February, but between the sea bands and Bonine, never experienced any ill effects.

 

One of the problems with either is that you really need to use it before you feel the effects of the motion -- they work better at preventing than mitigating. I probably ended up taking Bonine longer than necessary, but it prevented me from being unable to enjoy my vacation, so I'm okay with that.

 

Incidentally, we also decided that our next cruise will be a bit later in the season. Previously I had cruised in May and June, with no issues, but found the weather in February to be a little less cooperative.

 

I hope you are so caught up in the excitement of your vacation that you don't have time to give it a second thought!