Seasickness?

[janabelle61]

We're taking Mom on her first cruise - 9/2/07 on NCL Spirit to New England. The sisters and I are all experienced cruisers who have never had a problem with seasickness, but I'm worried about making sure Mom's first experience is a good one.

 

It seems that most of the seasickness remedies I've read about have to be taken before you get sick, but are not effective after. :eek: Is there something I'm missing? :confused: How do you know you need them if you've never cruised?

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated. I just want to make sure Mom has a good time (so she'll go with me again!):) :o :)

[kitty9]

The OTC remedies will work if you take them after the seasickness starts, but the comment that you must take it before is just because they don't want you to have ANY problem feeling ill. You could give those Sea Bands a try and some swear by ginger tablets.

[dmndlil]

Ginger capsules here..... but I always take the generic bonine with me just in case. Never had to use it though.. Ginger works fine.

[wieslaw]

The OTC remedies will work if you take them after the seasickness starts, but the comment that you must take it before is just because they don't want you to have ANY problem feeling ill. You could give those Sea Bands a try and some swear by ginger tablets.

 

Sorry Kitty.

maybe that works for you....but not for me or many others..

Once I got / get motion sick on a cruise ship (or any ship) it is very difficult or perhaps impossible to put any of the "OTC remedies" in your mouth (stomach)....whatever I put in - keeps coming back.....

Perhaps you have never been 'sea sick' before ( and you are lucky if that is the case) - but I have been "there" many times in the past.

The "Sea Bands" and electronic "ReliefBand" - that might or might not work on your P6 area - never did anything for me....before or after the sea sickness started ......I have them...use them....consider them uselless for me.

It is a lot easier to prevent than to fix.....the sea sickness.

About 28 precent of people are prone to it, females - twice as much as males, people with frequent migraine headache - 5 times as much....that was posted by "Alex MD" on "this" board - Kitty you might remember him - very good poster.

Once the sea sickness starts the only thing that works for me ( and I am sure for others as well) - the 'medicine' has to get in the 'system' either in the form of injection or suppository. Perhaps the Scopolamine Transderm Patch (Rx) might work - that gets in the body through the skin - but it does have many serious side effects, and many medical conditions that people have will not allow them to use that anyhow.

The "ginger tablets" that you have mentioned work for some (including me as an addtion to meclizine) but only before.....not after.

Kitty sorry to disagree with you....but I have been there...perhaps more than you.

 

Wes

[CHIPMUNKSMOM]

My mom is 82 and always uses the patch. as do I. She is not prone to seasickness but we have had a few rocky days at sea and this allows us to not have to worry.:)

[klct39lg]

I usually take a nondrowsy dramamine on the morning I am boarding the ship. Thereafter, I take one early in the mornings because that's when queasiness hits me during a cruise, as in I wake up because I am feeling nauseous. This a.m. dose works all day because tenders, buses and elevators can also make me feel icky. :)

[KruznKel]

I never thought I was prone to seasickness... (being from newfoundland out in boats crossing the north atlantic) but on my 1st cruise the 2nd day I was not feeling well.. I was only using ginger capsules.. (they may work for some not all) I had brought along gravol with ginger (cdn) I think it is bonine in the states.. I have not had a problem since.. but I do take it everyday to make sure :)

[janabelle61]

I really want to thank everyone that has responded for their input. Seasickness clearly affects some differently and more intensely than others, which is probably why there are so many different methods to avoid it.

 

Is the patch available over the counter or would we need to get it from Mom's physician?

[janabelle61]

About 28 precent of people are prone to it, females - twice as much as males, people with frequent migraine headache - 5 times as much....

Wes

 

Wes, You've hit exactly on my concern. Mom has had problems with migraines over the years that make her extremely nauseous and unable to function - much less enjoy herself on a vacation. I would hate to have her go through that on a ship but was afraid she might be more susceptible because of it.

 

Jan

[wieslaw]

Wes, You've hit exactly on my concern. Mom has had problems with migraines over the years that make her extremely nauseous and unable to function - much less enjoy herself on a vacation. I would hate to have her go through that on a ship but was afraid she might be more susceptible because of it.

 

Jan

 

Hi Jan,

please do not base your decission on what I have posted - that is not a medical advice - none of them are on this board....it just so happen I do know this subject well but it is still only my opinion and nothing else.

There are cruises that I have been on that the ship was hardly moving.

Please check with the medical person that you trust - Scopolamine Transderm Patch might be the answer ( it is Rx in the USA)- make sure that you read all the information that you can - sometimes even the doctor does not read all of that. Do not cut the patch if you think that the dosage of scopolamine is too large for her size - it suppose to release 1 mg of the drug evenly over 72 hours ( if you absolutely have to reduce the dosage put a piece of plastic under portion of the small patch, do not touch the eyes when handling this medicine, scopolamine also comes in a form of oral medicine - that might be another chioce.

The electronic ReliefBand which I did reffer to does not work for me but works for many according what I have read on this and other boards - maybe it will work for your Mom. As you know many (including myself) use meclizine - watch the dosage some pills are 15 mg, some are 25 and there is also 50 - too much will make her sleepy, there are also suppositories that can control nausa --look in all of that. There is also the medical doctor on ship that can offer help - usually an injection (for some reason that they are familiar with they almost never recommend the patch - probably based on what they have seen as far as the bad reactions.)

The ginger - I did use it about 2gr daily - if a person is on some blood thiners - check with medical person if it can be used. Try some of the medicine before the cruise just to see if there are no bad reactions.

She might enjoy the cruise - good luck

 

Wes

[KruznKel]

I would try out any medication before hand to makesure if any of the side effects:)

[janabelle61]

Wes,

 

I appreciate your input. Your wise to point out that everyone on CC is providing their best advice, but it is not medical advice and I appreciate the difference.

 

Ultimately, I think I'll have Mom talk with her physician and determine what they consider to be the best alternative. One can never be 100% certain that there will be no problems, but I want to do everything possible to make sure she has a wonderful time!!

Jan

[Keith1010]

janabelle,

 

As some of the others have said, there is no perfect remedy for seasickness as some remedies work best for some people and others work better for others.

 

On our last cruise, we actually brought three different of the so called remedies with us; two of which we have never used before.

 

1. There is the sea band. It works for some and not for others. There are no side affects and basically you wear it the entire time at sea. I actually did very well with this. You can order them on line at places such as drugstore.com or amazon.com or you can find them at some stores. I have seen them at Walmart from time to time.

 

2. There are some over the counter medicines for motion sickness. One of them is Bodine. We used them on our last cruise a few times and they worked well. You had asked how do you know if the seas will be rough. We do two things. One if the captain comes on to say later in the day or later in the evening the seas might be rough we just went ahead and took them and that worked well or if we began to feel the rough seas we just went ahead and took it. It lasts for 24 hours. Now the key is to take it before you get sick so in doubt we just took them and as I say it worked well. We were on a 109 day World Cruise earlier this year. But at least for me I know that it's important to take them right away if in doubt because the year before we were on a cruise and as background I had never been seasick before and have cruised numerous times. Well, there was a certain rocking of the boat that really got to me but unfortunately I waited until after I was sick to take the Bonine. The result was it wiped me out. I ended up staying in bed almost the entire day sick. So, I told myself never again and for the world cruise I wore the sea bands and then on the few days where either the ship started to rock or when the captain warned us of rough seas I went ahead and took them and everything was fine. Now, what I would recommend doing is taking a tablet at home to try it out.

 

3. As a precautionary method my wife and I also brought the sea patches with us for the very first time. As it turned out we didn't use it. Many people we have met swear by them. They say that the biggest side effect is a dry mouth. And when you put them on to be very careful not to touch your eyes and to wash your hands thoroughly right away. You have to get a prescription from the doctor for them.

 

In short, I think it is a good idea to come prepared.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Keith

[emmaco]

When I cruise I always wear the sea sickness patch. For me , I experience dry mouth for a day , then it goes away. Wouldn't cruise with out them. :)

Emma

[janabelle61]

Thanks again to everyone for your helpful advice!! I'll be visiting Mom over the July 4th holiday and will encourage her to discuss some possibilities with her physician and see if she can get samples to test for possible side effects.

 

Keith1010 - I guess seasickness can hit anyone at anytime! After sailing through a storm in the Atlantic and not getting sick (we were locked down for 24 hrs on the Brilliance), I thought I would never have to worry. :cool: Now you have me thinking that I might want a backup for myself!!

[Keith1010]

janabelle, yes it can happen at any time. I had been on numerous sailings and in worse seas than the one I finally got sick in and never had a problem. For the one I got sick on, early in the morning I was feeling fine and decided to go into the computer room which was quite small and by the time I left I was starting not to feel well. In the end, I think it was the type of motion that the seas were causing the ship to go through. Again, I had been in worse seas but this particular motion really got to me. We now plan to always bring the various remedies with us that I mentioned earlier as a precautionary method.

 

Keith