motion sickness

[vfb2girls]

I have researched this board on motion sickness and the various types of medication that people use. My question is that I have never suffered from motion sickness but then again I have never cruised before. Since we are doing a 12 day land tour before our cruise and our land tour consists of sightseeing in a small plane, various boat tours and then fishing for three days in Homer what advice would you give on if and when I should take anything for motion sickness. I do not want to take the chance that once I arrive in Anchorage and we start our vacation I become plagued with motion sickness. Would it be in my best interest to talk to my doctor and have him prescribe something or is Bonine pretty safe to take? Can I take it the night before we leave for our vacation and continue taking it at night for the duration of vacation? Any suggestions would be helpful.

[NancyIL]

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but I'll tell you what I do. ;) I take Meclizine (the active ingredient in Bonine) before I fly and for cruises - 1 tablet per day. I usually take it in the morning, but some prefer to take it at night if it makes them sleepy.

[kruisecat]

I don't normally suffer from motion sickness but on our last cruise it was so rough I was forced to do something! I started the Bonine and took one every night and once I started I felt fine.

 

My plan for Alaska is to just start the Bonine the night before the cruise and take one every night there after. And for me, because I suffer from vertigo after a cruise, I will probably continue the Bonine for another week after to keep my world from going topsy turvey :D

[OnlyMe]

Hubby had pretty bad motion sickness on our Cruise in '05. He tried the motion sickness wrist bands and they worked like magic! He had never tried them before but within an hour or so of putting them on he was as good as new.... no drowsiness or other side affects. If you wanted, you could try them first and as a backup you could have the regular meds with you. We will be taking a pair for each of us on our upcoming trip.

Two things to note with the bands:

1. Some people put on just one band and complained of still being sick so I recommend putting on BOTH bands, one on each wrist.

2. The bands tend to be a little tight if your wrists are larger. The solution - get a little scissors and snip a few of the elastic strannds in a few locations - loosens them up enough to be comfortable.

[vacationfool]

You could try the patch that goes behind the ear. I saw many passengers wearing these.

[cjnky]

Doctor has recommended the ear patch, but I'm still in debate on that one after reading of the side effects. :rolleyes: So I have meclazine, seabands and ginger. Can any of those be used together??

[GATKLT]

The Discovery Channel has a show called "MythBusters" that tests myths, common beliefs, and "urban legands." They did a show on non-medicinal motion sickness remedies, in particular wrist bands and ginger tablets. They found the wrist bands generally unsuccessful, but noted that since motion sickness sometimes is related to whether you think you'll get sick or not, they can work for some people. The remedy that was suprisingly effective was ginger tablets, available in health food stores.

[OnlyMe]

The Discovery Channel has a show called "MythBusters" that tests myths, common beliefs, and "urban legands." They did a show on non-medicinal motion sickness remedies, in particular wrist bands and ginger tablets. They found the wrist bands generally unsuccessful, but noted that since motion sickness sometimes is related to whether you think you'll get sick or not, they can work for some people. The remedy that was suprisingly effective was ginger tablets, available in health food stores.

 

I have to say re the wrist bands that, prior to trying them, DH was very sceptical, he really didn't think they would work. Also, he had been vomiting pretty badly before putting them on so it wasn't 'in his head' that he was 'going' to get sick, he 'was' sick. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that, while they don't work for some people, they do for others so there's no harm giving them a go ... better than popping pills IMHO

[Toyz711]

ginger and peppermint are nature's cure for upset tummy (or keeping them from getting upset). ginger can be found in many forms. peppermint, even in those red/white candies help. dinner mints are great for heartburn or tummy problems.

remember, if you do start to feel poorly..go out side, stay cool. find a air conditioner vent or go top side..don't go into a dark, warm room (like your cabin) walk around, stay in motion. don't watch the waves..keep your eyes up, focus on the horizen.

mind over matter does work, BUT what to do to keep your mind from thinking about it?:D

good luck, ah..i mean have to great cruise

[vfb2girls]

Thank you so much for all the great info, I will probably go ahead and buy the ginger tablets, any recommended strength? Also is one brand better then the others? As far as the bonine, I will make an appointment to see my doctor to make sure that the bonine will not effect the other medication that I have to take. Like I said I have never suffered from motion sickness before but I certainly do not want to suffer my first case while vacationing in Alaska.

[Budget Queen]

There are two types of motion sickness, gastro and inner ear. So the ginger may well work for the stomachs. :)

 

Consult your health care provider, but do a search yourself for possible options and present a list for the both of you to go over.

 

In the health care field, the wrist bands are identified to work on the placebo effect. However- if it works???? Then certainly good for that individual.

[40yearcruiser]

In the past I have found the patch behind the ear to be effective but the side effect of "cotton mouth" can be uncomfortable. The last several cruises we've taken on the large ships haven't had much motion so I didn't find anything necessary. Are we likely to encounter rough water on an Alaskan cruise?

[Budget Queen]

In the past I have found the patch behind the ear to be effective but the side effect of "cotton mouth" can be uncomfortable. The last several cruises we've taken on the large ships haven't had much motion so I didn't find anything necessary. Are we likely to encounter rough water on an Alaskan cruise?

 

You most certainly can. Smooth as glass is a myth, about 1/4 of my Alaska cruises experienced at least 1 day of rough sailing with plenty of sick passengers. ALL were round trip Vancouver sailings which potentially has the least open ocean. So consider precautions if prone to motion sickness.

[SakeDad]

If you like the taste of Ginger don't waste the $$$ on pills. You can buy either pickled (sushi) ginger or candied ginger and it will work just as well for ALOT less. You can carry the candied ginger in a baggy in your pocket....again, this is only if you LIKE the taste of ginger as I do.:D

[titleistmd]

I'm a physician, but this advice should not replace that of your health care provider but is for general information. Your doctor knows you and what would likely be best for you.

 

1. Meclizine and the scopalamine patchs are antihistamine type drugs. These type of drugs help subdue input from the inner ear to the brain and are commonly used for motion sickness. There primary side effects are that of drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, and urinary retention (particularly in older men) These side effects are generally dose related. Most people do fine on the standard dose, but if you experience these side effects sometimes decreasing the dose (ie taking 1/2 pill or cutting the patch in half) maybe of help. Melcizine (drug name) is available over the counter. The scopalamine transderm patchs are perscription medicine and you will need your doctor to write one if you want this. I think the advantage of the patch is convience, you change these once every three days. I also think people generally have fewer side effects with it. The disadvantages are they are more expensive and may required a visit to your doctor.

 

2. Wrist bands. No scientific evidence that they work. However, placebos work for may different illnesses. If it works for your great and your likely not to have any side effects.

 

3. Ginger. Ginger works through an unknown mechanism. It is thought to help quite the stomach. I have a good friend who gets motion sick and swears by this. I don't know how much he uses.

 

4. Phenergan or other nausea meds of this type. These medication work on the brain to suppress nausea. They are generally sedating. They are not a good medicine generally for motion sickness prevention, but may be helpful once your sick. You need a prescription for these also.

 

5. General tips. The best way to manage motion sickness is to prevent it. Once your get it, it is much harder to control. Having said that, I often suggest to my patients that they begin there medication 6-12 hours before they travel. That means if you tend to be sensitive take this 6 hours before your flight. Because these medications can make you drowsy it is alway good to have a designated driver. While on the ship if your start feeling sick, go to an upper deck where you get plenty of fresh air and can see the horizon. Try to follow the horizon with your eyes and not something that is on the ship. If you haven't taken your medication take it with a small amount of water. Food sometimes can help settle your stomach, but it will be better if it is soup, juice, or cracker. If you do throw up you don't want it to be a steak or lobster that you just ate. The other thing many people don't realize is that what makes most of us sick is starboard to port motion, not the stern to aft motion. If you can get in the middle of ship that can help. But because of this middle can be on the aft balcony in the middle.

 

Sorry for the length of my comments. For myself and my wife I will take the patchs they seem to have worked for us with minimal to no side effects for me. But if you really have trouble with this it is worth seeing your doctor because there are a number of things that can be done, including some I haven't mentioned.

 

Happy Sailing

 

Richard

[bayview97]

Thanks for the information Richard!

 

"The best way to manage motion sickness is to prevent it."

 

Truer words were never spoken - lol! Years ago, we would go sportfishing off the coast of Cape Hatteras and getting to the fishing spots was occasionally very rough. Early on I learned there is no sickness like seasickness. The dizziness, vomiting ...etc. was no fun and could ruin a trip. Being prepared and taking action before you get sick is the key.

 

To the OP,

 

Our family of five cruised the Caribbean two years ago. All took one Bonine (meclizine) tablet each night before bed. We began this routine the night before our cruise embarked and had no problems. We did experience some rough seas and had to cancel Grand Cayman because of tropical storm Arlene. No one in our party complained of seasickness. We saw several people using the patches, also.

 

We will cruise to Alaska this year with the parents-in-law. They are sixty-somethings and FIL had open heart surgery last year. He is doing fine but we had them discuss using Bonine with their physician. Discussing use of any motion sickness medication with a physician is sound advice for everyone. We plan on using Bonine again this trip because it worked so well for us in the Caribbean with no side effects.

 

Enjoy your trip!