Seasick Medicine

[RDangerIII]

Next week will be my first time crusing on the Century, well it will be my first time on Celebrity period. I have cruised on Carnival and the Commodore lines and on both lines you could get Mezclazine (sp?) from the pursors office. This is the only seasick medicine that works for my wife, so does anyone know if they give this medicine out on the Century?

[Whippets]

I will be cruising on Century for the first time myself in May. So do not know the exact answer to your question.

 

On my past NCL cruises I picked up Bonine at Walmart for a few dollars. I start taking it the day before I leave for the ship. Never had any problems that way instead of beginning it after you are already on the boat.

 

Have a wonderful cruise.

[Karynanne]

Bonine is the brand name...and Meclazine is the generic name. It readily available at any pharmacy, but the ship does have it. I always carry my own, and take it as a pre-caution. I usually start it the morning we sail....

 

Karyn

[Cruise Arizona]

Bonine and Less Drowsy Dramamine II, are both Mesclazine.

 

Like Whippet, I always bring some along from either Walmart or Walgreens. Any drug store would probably have it. However I don't like to take it because even the Mesclazine make me too sleepy, especially after a glass of wine.

 

For my last cruise, I used ginger tablets because they don't make me drowsy or inter act with alcohol. I got these at a vitamin specialty store. I've also used cyrstalized ginger from the spice isle in the grocery store.

 

Discovery channel just re-ran the Mythbusters show testing non medicinal seasickness remedies and Ginger was one of the few that worked for the testers.

[RDangerIII]

I'm a little unsure about the Bonine, because it does make my wife sleepy but she has never had that problem with the medicine she's gotten from the purser's office on previous cruises. I will try to find the Ginger though.

[msiowa]

Allow me to suggest an alternative to medication - the Relief Band. Looks like a cheap plastic watch but performs miracles. I have several friends who are incredibly prone to motion sickness - they can't even be in a car unless they're driving - and had no, absolutely no sea sickness using a relief band.

 

Happy sailing.

Joanie

[jax23]

msiowa -

where do you get the Relief Band? any drugstore? Thx

[Muushka]

I am very prone to seasickness and took Meclazine and wore "sea bands" in 30 foot seas and didn't get sick.

 

On the Century, the main desk also had a bowl of the medication. But it is advised to start taking it prior to boarding (I took it starting the day before), as a previous poster also suggested.

 

Now for my own question:

 

If you visit the ship's Doctor, can they prescribe Scopolamine (the patch)? And do they have any on board to purchase?

 

We lost our RX for it the day before boarding the Century and we were out of state. Just wondering if we could have saved all that hassle we went through.

[joramrose]

Those bands and patches work great == unless you are sensitive to the medicine therein.

 

My mother wore one, and started hallucinating. We were worried about her, took her to the ship's doctor and he ripped the patch off her. He said it affects many people that way. Some just get a little confused, unable to think straight, or get dizzy unlike seasickness.

 

So be forewarned.

 

love

joan

[Muushka]

The "Sea Bands" that I wore are an accupuncture type of thing, not drug type of thing.

[usavvy2]

our dr. Rx's Meclizine (generic) costs us less than $10 for the Rx. In addition, we take the transdom scop patches and I have a Rx for a Relief band. The relief band I have looks like a watch only you wear it on the inside of your wrist. You can set it between 1 & 5 and the battery causes impulses to "shock" (not really) your hand. It is the only treatment that is supposed to work AFTER you start feeling seasick. (The others are preventative treatments and must be started before you start to feel ill.) http://www.reliefband.com/

 

the other hint is keep something on your stomach at all times (i.e., a cracker, pretzel, etc.) so it doesn't become empty empty.

[carolmacey]

Next week will be my first time crusing on the Century, well it will be my first time on Celebrity period. I have cruised on Carnival and the Commodore lines and on both lines you could get Mezclazine (sp?) from the pursors office. This is the only seasick medicine that works for my wife, so does anyone know if they give this medicine out on the Century?

 

I bought 100 pills from Costco for about $4. I always have it with me in my room. If I feel bad, the last thing I want to do is walk to the Purser's desk.

I imagine any pharmacy would have it over the counter.

Carol

[msiowa]

I got the Relief Band at drugstore.com. Do a web search - there's probably lots of places to get them.

 

They do not have medication in them. They work with electrical pulses. My friends who have used them (I've given them as gifts) say they are not uncomfortable (it may take a little getting used to) and they work miracles.

 

Good luck!

Joanie

[Tinwoman]

I am very prone to motion sickness. The doctor prescribed the patch for me (Scopolamine) thank goodness I tried it before my first cruise, because it made my whole face go numb!! I thought I was having a stroke. A few hours after we took it off I was ok.

So I took the Meclizine and it worked wonders even on rough sea's on a transalantic, and our cabin was on the top deck for cabins. One night it was very rough and my tummy felt kinda funny but not really sick, so I took a half of a Dramamine and slept the rest of the night with no problem. :) Meclizine does not make you drowsy. I am leaving on a cruise in April and I am going to try the ginger this time too.

I tried the band but I would always take it off in my sleep and wake up naseaus, but I can't stand anything on my wrist while I sleep. :rolleyes:

Good luck!

[Cruise Arizona]

I agree with many of the above posters, it is a good idea to try out a treatment before the cruise...1. For adverse reacations, 2. For effective ness.

 

The effectiveness test is the hardest one to do, because you have to take the medicine in a situation where you normally would get motion sickness.

 

I did my ginger test at Six Flags with my kids....It worked great even on the "twirly" rides which normally make me very motion sicked.

 

I tested out the mesclazine at the county fair a few years ago. No sea sickness.... but I had slight drowsiness, and felt very spacy. I hadn't yet heard of the ginger, otherwise I wouldn't have brought the mesclazine.

[Melissa at Mohair Meadows]

Check out your local scuba store. They will probably have the sea bands too. It is an elastic wrist band with a little nob on each. The knob presses on a point on your wrist that somehow prevents seasickness. I've used while diving from small, rocky boats and it works well.

 

Good luck.

[jax23]

I googled the Relief Band and found that, along with various other bands for motion sickness. However there is a GIANT difference in price - ~$90-110 for Relief band, $11.50 for BioBand, $8 for Sea Band. Are the other non-Relief Band brands just junk?

[pierog]

Meclizine aka antivert, is usually given for people that suffer from vertigo or for motion sickness, mechanism of action is different than Dramamine that is an antihistamine, meclizine is an anticholigergic agent for which can cause dry mouth, hallucinations, tachycardia, also drowsiness. Dramamine should not be used if seizure disorder, glaucoma, or prostatic hypertrophy. The contraindications with scopolamine are many more. Reccomed talking with your physician before starting any drug, even OTC.

[TravelerThom]

Next week will be my first time crusing on the Century, well it will be my first time on Celebrity period. I have cruised on Carnival and the Commodore lines and on both lines you could get Mezclazine (sp?) from the pursors office. This is the only seasick medicine that works for my wife, so does anyone know if they give this medicine out on the Century?

I've seen lots of responses about effectiveness of meds, but not sure if anyone has responded to what X gives out. I actually still have a pack of what I got on an X cruise in January. They were handing out Medi-Meclizine [meclizine hydrochloride 25mg]. Just ask at Reception [Guest Services], and they will give you some. It works GREAT [Lyn can get seasick in one foot waves, and survived 65 footers for 12 hours on an April QEII North Atlantic (Southampton-NYC) several years ago]. Just don't listen if the desk clerk tells you to wait until you feel sick to take them - I was told this last cruise and this is exactly backwards [they don't do much if you are already feeling sick].

[JAXlakerdogerfans]

We purchased Meclizine from Drugstore.com. You can get 100 tabs for about $15.00 which is a lot cheaper than buying 6 tablets of Bonine on the ship. I've used them on 3 cruises and they work great. I tried the patch and it was too potent for me. We always make sure we have a decent supply before each cruise.

[vjw1218]

I know it's been mentioned, but I use the ginger tablets. I get them at Wal-Mart for under $5. For me, I've found that if I start taking them twice a day -as directed - about 2 weeks before the cruise, they work much better than just taking them en route. The ginger - and your system have time to acclimate to each other.

 

Another of ginger's benefits - without being too vulgar or graphic - is that it really helps keep things "working" when traveling. If that's a worry or a problem for you, it may be a good solution.

 

One other thing, if you choose to try ginger tablets, try to take your pills with a full glass of water, if possible. They can be most unpleasant if they get "stuck" in your throat.

 

I have found ginger to be a great solution for me. There really are no noticeable side effects, and they're good for your digestive system as well.

[Tinwoman]

I know it's been mentioned, but I use the ginger tablets. I get them at Wal-Mart for under $5. For me, I've found that if I start taking them twice a day -as directed - about 2 weeks before the cruise, they work much better than just taking them en route. The ginger - and your system have time to acclimate to each other.

 

Another of ginger's benefits - without being too vulgar or graphic - is that it really helps keep things "working" when traveling. If that's a worry or a problem for you, it may be a good solution.

 

One other thing, if you choose to try ginger tablets, try to take your pills with a full glass of water, if possible. They can be most unpleasant if they get "stuck" in your throat.

 

I have found ginger to be a great solution for me. There really are no noticeable side effects, and they're good for your digestive system as well.

 

In what section of the store are they in? The vitimans? I can't find them.

[Luckyladym]

I read about ginger for seasickness several years ago in "CRUISE Travel" magazine, and although I have never been really sick, I have experience some nausea in heavy seas.

 

So...when planning our first Transatlantic I purchased (at a Health Food store) the product recommended in the magazine.

 

They are called GINGERTRIPS and are a chewable tablet similar to Tums. They quickly put an end to nausea, are a natural product, and are not expensive.

Don't recall exactly how much..

 

I strongly recommend these to all of you who have a motion problem.

 

Happy sailing,

Marilyn

[vjw1218]

In what section of the store are they in? The vitimans? I can't find them.

 

Yes, they are with the vitamins. Our WM stocks our vitamins alphabetically so they're easy to locate. You can also get them at any nutrition or vitamin store.

[TravelerThom]

We purchased Meclizine from Drugstore.com. You can get 100 tabs for about $15.00 which is a lot cheaper than buying 6 tablets of Bonine on the ship. I've used them on 3 cruises and they work great. I tried the patch and it was too potent for me. We always make sure we have a decent supply before each cruise.

Celebrity [and every other cruise line I've been on] GIVES FREE seasickness pills [no doubt cheaper than cleaning up after you]. I asked at Guest Relations as recently as this January on the X Zenith and they just hand them right over, so unless there has been a policy change within the last 6 weeks, no need to buy them unless you must take them before embarking.

 

Thom