Question on motion sickness...

[far733]

My fiance and I are cruising for our honeymoon on the Radiance in January with a Western Caribbean itinerary. Neither one of us have been on a cruise before and we have a balcony room on the back of the ship. I don't get motion sickness, but she does. How bad will the motion sickness be there and what is the best medication for her to take? I have heard about dramamine and bonine. Which one is better and are there any other types of medication out there for her? What are the side effects of these meds? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks so much!

[cb at sea]

Since she KNOWS that motion is bad for her, a more central cabin may have been a better bet. But, if she starts taking Bonine a day prior to the trip, it should prevent any problems. (Bonine causes less drowsiness than Dramamine) They key is to start BEFORE she gets sick! (It will help afterwards, too, but why risk it?)

[far733]

Yeah, I am the one to blame for booking the cabin in the back of the ship. I didn't even think about her motion sickness at the time. I just heard wonderful things about aft cabins! Thanks for the advice on the bonine!

[HookLine&Sinker]

I had never cruised before in April when we were aboard the AOS and was concerned about how I would feel. I took a bonine the morning we left and one in the evening before bed. After a few days of feeling fine I cut it back to one before bed and the last day or two I didn't take anything.

 

I take bonine frequently on dry land as I suffer from Menieres Disease which is a virus of the vestibular system and can suffer from vertigo. Though it can make you slightly tired I would agree that it is better than dramamine and really did not make me tired enough to even notice. I was so excited to be on the ship for the first time that nothing would have made me tired :p .

 

Congratulations on your marriage and enjoy your trip.

[AFT_LOVER]

I swear by it. I get Vertigo & it cures that also. Great fruit flavored tablet that dissolves in your mouth. I take on as driving to the airport to board the plane to the ship, then I am set for 24 hours. So next morning I pop one as my waking up treat. It also works, as many others don't, for someone who states they never get sea sick & during a sotrm with 30 ft waves & rocking they are doubled over. Bonine works in under 30 minutes for 24 hours.

 

So take no chances. Get 2 boxes, so both of you are set. Why wreck a cruise for being ignorant. Yummy kid treat. So do it! You will thank me. They are available at drug stores, grocery stores next to the Dramamine which knocks me out. You can drink a few with it too.

 

My fiance and I are cruising for our honeymoon on the Radiance in January with a Western Caribbean itinerary. Neither one of us have been on a cruise before and we have a balcony room on the back of the ship. I don't get motion sickness, but she does. How bad will the motion sickness be there and what is the best medication for her to take? I have heard about dramamine and bonine. Which one is better and are there any other types of medication out there for her? What are the side effects of these meds? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks so much!

[geojobes]

Everyone has given you good advice on what to take. About the cabin... aft is a whole lot better than the bow but low & center of the ship is the best.

I've never gotten seasick, but seen many who have. I spent too many years in the Navy on small ships & target boats in rough water to worry about it. That said, I always carry Bonine with me. It will cure seasickness if you don't throw it up. It definitely cures it if you take it before you leave.

[betslil]

Hi, my hubby gets sea sick. but that hasn't stopped him from taking over 10 cruises.... we use SeaBands. they are these bands that look like basketball player writsbands. They have a little plastic button on the inside on them that puts preassure on a certain area of your wrists and it make the sickness go away. They cost about $6-10.00 at various places. Like Sav-ons, Rite-Aide. they even carry them on the ship for around $14.00.

We swear by them. On our Hawaiian cruise, we hit a storm and it was pretty rocky. we wore our bands and we were fine. The ship sold out of the bands that trip.

My daughter even used them during her pregnancy. I always carry them when we cruise.

 

Just my 2 cents worth....

 

Betslil

[jlperry]

I tend to get frequent motion sickness and was very ill to the point of vomitting on my first day this past cruise. From reading suggestions on CC, I had brought ginger root capsules with me and began taking one in the morning and one in the evening. They worked like magic and I never noticed motion sickness again, even on the last sea day when there were 30-foot waves and the ship was noticeably rocking. The wristbands did nothing for me and I can't take dramamine because of a blood pressure problem, but I know those have worked for others. My suggestion...bring it all and see what works!

[samtig]

I'm prone to vertigo & have taken dramamine, patches which didn't work too well for me, and then went back to dramamine. On our last cruise I got seasick for the lst time in 28 ft. seas. The purser's desk gave my husband a bonine for me & it worked great. I was able to eat dinner that night. Dramamine makes me drowsy so am trying bonine this trip. I also start taking medication the day before the cruise. At the advice of our TA, we've always had a mid-ship cabin. Sure want to try an aft balcony though.

[Dinosmum]

One of the headwaiters on our last cruise realized that my vacation was in danger because I became so seasick. She recommended eating a lot of bread, which actually helped immensely. This time I will be taking medicine with me, because the stuff on the cruise knocked me out cold for 14 hours!!

[HookLine&Sinker]

I also use the seabands to help with my vertigo issues but was afraid they might not be strong enough for the cruise so I stuck with bonine. My DH took ginger pills for the first few days and felt great. I have also heard that eating green apples is helpful.

[Cuizer2]

While I do get motion sick easily, I have never had that problem on a cruise ship, and I have had aft cabins (by choice) twice (three times if you count the next cruise).

 

Prior to my last cruise I had read about people getting sick on the same itinerary (and I had an aft facing cabin - cannot beat the view, but that is a subject for another thread). I took ginger tablets for two reasons:

 

1) It was the only remedy that worked on Mythbusters.

2) It is not a drug.

 

I took one in the morning before I boarded the ship (and learned from that experience to always take ginger tablets with water) and I took one at night. Basically I took one before breakfast and one before dinner every day. While others on the ship did get sick, I was fine.

[CruiseKeeper]

Generic Bonine (Meclizine hydrochloride) is also available for free at the pursers desk. You'll still want to purchase some of your own though as I have found it is important to take a precautionary dose the day before to have in your system before the sea sick can start. Once you start feeling motion sick, the Bonine isn't as effective.

 

Congrats on the upcoming wedding!

[EggDropErin]

I take two about an hour before we set sail each day , and on sea days, I take them as soon as I get up in the morning.

[PBNJ620]

Okay, all you bonine people! If you are taking that twice a day , I can only assume that you are abstaining from alcohol the entire cruise? Just curious if anyone still indulges in their alcoholic beverages while taking bonine!

 

I have been on several cruises. Never felt ill at all from motion sickness until this past June when we sailed out of New Jersey. First day out and last day coming back into NJ (especially coming back) were a little rough. Coming back, I didn't think I was going to make it through the day until something changed. They must have slowed down a bit and/or put out the stabilizers at that point because after about an hour or two , things were fine!

[EggDropErin]

I have consumed alcohol with bonine. It wasn't to the point I was drunk. Maybe a few drinks a day...didn't have any problems.

[faux]

Fom all the responses, bonine sounds great, but I just wanted to mention something that has worked for my husband. He wears a Transderm Scop patch( scopolamine 1.5mg). It is a prescription. He wore it behind his ear and that was it. You just have to put on a new one every three days. He didn't feel any side affects, but she could try one now and see how it makes her feel. If she has no problem with it, then she can get some for the cruise. FYI...my husband gets sea sea and motion sick very easily and the patch worked great for him. Also, it is really small....about the size of a small circle bandaid.:)

[FritzAbby]

I am taking my first cruise on 12/23/06. I have ourchased both the over the counter medicae and my Doctor prescribed the behind the ear patches..... Which are better?????? I am not sure if I will even have a problem, but wanted to avoid a trip to the Ship Doctor. Anything else I need? What happens when you drink with these medicines???

[REDSONJAMN]

I was sick on every other cruise I had taken using patches, wrist bands dramamine etc--

 

Finally LAST YEAR on the EXPLORER I took one BONINE the night before we left on the cruise and ONE on the first night before bed (that way you sleep through the dry mouth) Drank while on Bonine --no problems--

 

FIRST CRUISE EVER where I had no motion sickness thanks to BONINE and the SIZE of the EXPLORER--If I wouldn't ahve looked out my Balcony I would not have known we left dock--that has never happened before either--

 

BONINE my new best friend on a cruise!!!!

[Cuizer2]

I am taking my first cruise on 12/23/06. I have ourchased both the over the counter medicae and my Doctor prescribed the behind the ear patches..... Which are better?????? I am not sure if I will even have a problem, but wanted to avoid a trip to the Ship Doctor. Anything else I need? What happens when you drink with these medicines???

 

As long as you have already consulted your doctor about this, perhaps it would be better to direct these questions to your doctor also, and not to a lot of lay people who don't have the medical training your doctor has.

[FritzAbby]

As long as you have already consulted your doctor about this, perhaps it would be better to direct these questions to your doctor also, and not to a lot of lay people who don't have the medical training your doctor has.

 

Which Doctor shall I ask??? My neurologist, opthalmologist. GP, Gyno, or Dentist. I am obvioulsy looking for practical advice from people who have cruised. I can read the packages of medicine. Very often the tips you receive from people that have used the medicine are just as good as those you receive from the people prescribing them. Especially if they have not cruised. ( My General Practitioner has never cruised)

 

Why respond at all if you are going to be so SNIDE?????? :confused:

[samtig]

Fritz, just need to try different things & see what works best for you. I tried dramamine, then the patch prescribed by my doctor, then took 1 bonine when I got seasick in high seas. Dramamine worked ok but made me sleepy. Bonine worked the best for me but not necessarily for everyone. Have a great cruise!

[Cuizer2]

Which Doctor shall I ask??? My neurologist, opthalmologist. GP, Gyno, or Dentist. I am obvioulsy looking for practical advice from people who have cruised. I can read the packages of medicine. Very often the tips you receive from people that have used the medicine are just as good as those you receive from the people prescribing them. Especially if they have not cruised. ( My General Practitioner has never cruised)

 

Why respond at all if you are going to be so SNIDE?????? :confused:

 

Because you are asking a medical question that should be answered by a medical professional, not some person who not only has no medical training, but also does not know your medical history.

 

Nonetheless, if you want to put your medical health in the hands of a bunch of untrained lay people, go ahead. Just make sure your life insurance is paid up-to-date.

[Autumnrose]

I think that different things work on different people. My vote is for the SeaBands. I hate taking medicine. I have to be almost dead before I will take any type of pill. The SeaBands work great on me. I used them for morning sickness as well. They worked immediately. I would put them on first thing in the morning and I remember one day I was feeling so good that I thought the morning sickness must have surely gone away. But as soon as I took them off my wrist I instantly regretted it. But I put them right back on and I was fine.

[Autumnrose]

Because you are asking a medical question that should be answered by a medical professional, not some person who not only has no medical training, but also does not know your medical history.

 

Nonetheless, if you want to put your medical health in the hands of a bunch of untrained lay people, go ahead. Just make sure your life insurance is paid up-to-date.

 

 

Wow!!! Can seasickness really kill you???:rolleyes: I am pretty sure you will be okay with the SeaBands though cuz I don't really see them killing you. :D But I could be wrong cuz I'm not a doctor. :eek: :o