Question for Cruisers with Motion-Sickness

[cathalane]

Okay, I'm booked on my third cruise and I'm looking to get some experiences of other cruisers who suffer motion sickness... I've had varying degrees of sea-sickness on both of my previous cruises. I love being on a ship though, and I refuse to let motion sickness get the best of me. On both cruises I didn't take something before I got on the ship (which I've been reading now is a BIG mistake). Is it true that the meds won't really help once you feel sick? I also just heard that sleepiness can be a beginning sympton of motion-sickness - has anyone else experiences this? I feel so stupid because one of the reasons i've held off on taking medicine on my 2nd cruise was because I thought it was the bonine that was making me unbearable sleepy on my first cruise!

 

So what's it been like for other sea-sick prone cruisers? Is there really a way to not feel tired and slightly naseous during a cruise? If I love cruising now, I can't imagine how good it would be if I felt GOOD! ;-)

[Jeans*Fanatic]

On my last cruise, I did the patches (small/tiny) behind my ears but alot of people on this board have used ginger pills or drank ginger ale during their cruise. So that is what I am going to try this time around...:D

[GTO-Girl]

I always take my Bonine at night so it doesn't matter if it makes me sleepy. I take it a couple of nights BEFORE I get on the ship......during the cruise if I need it and a couple of nights AFTER I get off the ship to keep from having the swaying when back on land.....

[firefly333]

We brought patches and the sea sickness dissapeared right away. We have never taken them ahead of time.

[denisey]

Okay, I'm booked on my third cruise and I'm looking to get some experiences of other cruisers who suffer motion sickness... I've had varying degrees of sea-sickness on both of my previous cruises. I love being on a ship though, and I refuse to let motion sickness get the best of me. On both cruises I didn't take something before I got on the ship (which I've been reading now is a BIG mistake). Is it true that the meds won't really help once you feel sick? I also just heard that sleepiness can be a beginning sympton of motion-sickness - has anyone else experiences this? I feel so stupid because one of the reasons i've held off on taking medicine on my 2nd cruise was because I thought it was the bonine that was making me unbearable sleepy on my first cruise!

 

So what's it been like for other sea-sick prone cruisers? Is there really a way to not feel tired and slightly naseous during a cruise? If I love cruising now, I can't imagine how good it would be if I felt GOOD! ;-)

 

The family joke is that I get sea sick on dry land from the spinning of the Earth.

 

Once you are sick it is tough for the meds to help, so I agree that taking something before you board the ship should help. I cut my bonine in half and take it half at a time to help with the side effects.

 

Other cruisers have had good luck with the Sea Bands (wrist bands that hit on pressure points to stop sea sickness) I've also heard ginger tablets recommended. You can get them at any health/nutrition store, but need to start taking them a couple of weeks before the cruise.

 

But the thing that helps me the most is being aware. If I have the slighted twinge, I get myself outside in the fresh air and take very slow breaths. I work slowly up to the point where they become deep breaths. I also watch the horizon, if possible. This has especially helped me with excursions on little bobbing boats.

 

I also try to avoid situations that I know will set me off (sitting sideways in the show lounge, being in a closed in space in the interior of the ship)

 

Best wishes to you! Have a great cruise!

[denisey]

On my last cruise, I did the patches (small/tiny) behind my ears but alot of people on this board have used ginger pills or drank ginger ale during their cruise. So that is what I am going to try this time around...:D

 

If you get an RX for the patches, test them out before the cruise. They have some odd side effects.

[nagster]

I used the patches behind the ear for the first 3 cruises. Then I would sleep a lot the first couple of days. I thought it was just being away/relaxing but realized it probably was the medication. So I read up on it and decided to start bonine two nights before the cruise and 1 ginger pill in the morning and one in the evening two days before the cruise. Keep that up and you will be fine and for me no sleepiness anymore. I am the queen of motion sickness, can't count how many cars I have puked in. My first cruise I didn't know you gave your bags before you boarded so the meds where in there, even in dock at Port canaveral it didn't take but 30 mins to start feeling horrible.

[beccadoby]

Bonine should not make you sleepy.

I have many friends and clients who take it and they have never said it made them sleepy. BUT, meds effect people differently. I would say to take it a few days at home and see if it makes you sleepy.

 

My Mom suffers from REALLY bad motionsickness. She takes the bonine and ginger during her cruises. She does quite well doing this.

 

Since you know that you suffer from motionsickness, take the Bonine beforehand and all during the cruise. DONT wait until you are sick...

 

As far as the patch, if you are going to try it, try it out a day or two at home. The patch does well for some people. Others it has bad side effects. :(

[CruiznWithHubby]

I always take my Bonine at night so it doesn't matter if it makes me sleepy. I take it a couple of nights BEFORE I get on the ship......during the cruise if I need it and a couple of nights AFTER I get off the ship to keep from having the swaying when back on land.....

 

 

this worked beautifully for DH,,,,,

 

me on the other hand,,,no sickness on board,,,,but the house has been rocking for 5 days now, it wont stop, and the pills aren't helping,,,,sigh,,,

 

not sick,,,just a bit dizzy and off balance,,,,,,,,Holly

[PINEVIEW01]

If you get an RX for the patches, test them out before the cruise. They have some odd side effects.

This is so true. I used them the first cruise as I have such a problem in cars and small boats. I did great on the cruise but, when I got home and took them off, I got so sick I had to crawl to the rest room. I called the doc and was told yep, that is one of the side effects. I have used them only twice since and the weather was really bad. I only used them for the days of the really rough seas.

 

I now just use ginger and it is great. No side effects and you only take when needed. I gave some to a table mate on their first cruise. The DH hunted me down to say how great it was and it saved his wifes cruise.

[lynn62]

If you get an RX for the patches, test them out before the cruise. They have some odd side effects.

I also strongly recommend you try the patches out before using them on ship. My husband put one on at the airport the morning before our first cruise and he was extremely nauseated and had a headache about 6 hours later while we were still in port. It last the rest of the night. The next morning he was still feeling really bad and decided to take the patch off. Within 2 or 3 hours he felt fine. I know these patches work great for alot of people but you dont want to try it the first time on your cruise.

[Dee777]

Okay, I'm booked on my third cruise and I'm looking to get some experiences of other cruisers who suffer motion sickness... I've had varying degrees of sea-sickness on both of my previous cruises. I love being on a ship though, and I refuse to let motion sickness get the best of me. On both cruises I didn't take something before I got on the ship (which I've been reading now is a BIG mistake). Is it true that the meds won't really help once you feel sick? I also just heard that sleepiness can be a beginning sympton of motion-sickness - has anyone else experiences this? I feel so stupid because one of the reasons i've held off on taking medicine on my 2nd cruise was because I thought it was the bonine that was making me unbearable sleepy on my first cruise!

 

So what's it been like for other sea-sick prone cruisers? Is there really a way to not feel tired and slightly naseous during a cruise? If I love cruising now, I can't imagine how good it would be if I felt GOOD! ;-)

 

My daughters (both age 25 years) suffered a little mal de mer on our cruise together this year. I gave them meclazine once daily (Bonine, or Bonamine as we know it here in Canada) which was a chewable pill. I brought it along in case anyone in our party became seasick. They both happily reported that it did not cause them any drowsiness and completely took away the queasiness. They each took one tablet once daily for the entire cruise. They did not say that they were drowsy prior to feeling ill, but everyone is different!

 

If you are afraid that it may make you drowsy, you could take it at bedtime.

 

Dee

[hurrcane201]

My wife gets sea sick as soon as the ship starts moving from the dock. She used a prescription from the doctor. It is a patch behind the ear. You replace it every three days. The drug in the patch is called Transdermal Scop. Ask your doctor. The only side effect is it makes her a little groggy.

[cathalane]

I think I'm going to have to spend a day riding the Staten Island Ferry trying out different meds and getting to something that works!!

[Dee777]

For those of you who use scopolamine and are divers, here is a little heads up for you.

 

Use of scopolamine in scuba diving to prevent sea sickness has led to the discovery of another side effect. In deep water, below 50–60 feet, some divers have pain in the eyes that subsides quickly if they ascend to a depth of 40 feet or less. Mydriatics can precipitate an attack of glaucoma in susceptible patients, so the medication should be used with extra caution among divers who intend to go below 50 feet.

 

Just so you know! :)

[pearose]

I am confused. The meclizine we got on board worked wonders for me (once I was able to keep it down), so this time I am buying some at Walgreens and starting it a day or two before we leave, to make SURE I don't get sick. However the directions on the box state take once a day, and people posting here state take it once a day, but on the cruise, when I got the pills at the information desk, they said take one every 12 hours, or twice a day, which is what I did. Does anyone know why the difference? I want to make sure I take the right dose and don't get sick.

Thanks for the help.

[JnM]

As with any medication, what works for one does not work for another.

 

DH & I will split a Dramamine tablet if we feel sea sick. We're completely knocked out for a few hours but wake up very refreshed. Last cruised, we popped the free sea sick pills (go down to level 1 & they're outside the infirmary) and they worked as well. We were drowsy but not as bad as the Dramamine.

 

Of course, all that alcohol probably wasn't helping the situation.

[WhoDatNation]

Where do you get the ginger from? Is it pills or liquid?

[WhoDatNation]

I'm bringing my 1 year old daughter with us, what do you recommend for her or should I ask the doctor?

[BigDfromTN]

I use the Meclizine (sp). It works well. 1- 2 pills a day starting day of boarding. I usually quit it after 2 days unless seas get rough.

 

Works Well for me!!!

[Tara&Jas]

My daughters (both age 25 years) suffered a little mal de mer on our cruise together this year. I gave them meclazine once daily (Bonine, or Bonamine as we know it here in Canada) which was a chewable pill. I brought it along in case anyone in our party became seasick. They both happily reported that it did not cause them any drowsiness and completely took away the queasiness. They each took one tablet once daily for the entire cruise. They did not say that they were drowsy prior to feeling ill, but everyone is different!

 

If you are afraid that it may make you drowsy, you could take it at bedtime.

 

Dee

 

I haven't been able to find any Bonamine in Western Canada for about 6 months now... they say it has been discontinued.

 

I am planning on buying some Bonine as soon as we get to the US.

[myhrmaid]

Hi all,

 

Here is my in-put on preventing sea sickness (and I get sea sick VERY easily!): I swear by the use of sea bands! No side effects, besides the obvious not-a-fashion-statement look of them. I just found some in purple, though, so I have a black set and a purple set to use. Just make sure they are a tight fit and always wear both of them. I wear them all the time we are at sea, even at night. After awhile you don't even know you have them on!

 

I also use ginger to make me feel better if I am at all queasy. I buy the candy-like, but not sugar-coated, dried ginger from Trader Joes that is near the dried fruit. Drinking ginger ale and eating soda crackers also helps.

 

Now, I did try Bonine this last summer when I took the boat out to Catalina Island. It seemed to do the trick on the boat trip, but by mid afternoon, when we were walking around the island, I could hardly keep my eyes open and dearly wanted to lie down on the sidewalk and take a nap! I would only take it again if I had a place to take a nap mid-way through the dose time. I much prefer the sea bands!

 

Ok, that's my input.

 

Happy Cruisin'!

Cindy - Myhrmaid

[sk8rpatty]

I swear by ginger! I've used it on my last 4 cruises and when I go sailing. I've been out on some rough days and have not had a problem.

 

All the other meds made me sleepy, so ginger has been a miracle for me.

 

I buy the pills from either a health/nutrition store or sometimes they can be found at a drug store. I have also saved other people's cruises by giving them ginger. Same thing happened with me with someone's DH hunting me down for more!

 

I start taking them the day before my cruise and then every morning and afternoon until I'm off. If it gets a bit rough, I may take more in between. The ginger also will help if you've over indulged at the buffet!

[1sttimeAlaska]

My DH and I took Bonine on the evening our ship left the port. We weren't sick at all at the time, but thought 'an ounce of prevention...'! The next day we took another one in the morning. The boat was swaying a little in open sea, and we felt VERY tired. We took 2 naps before lunch and another after lunch! But then FINE the rest of the 7 day cruise. And we didn't take any more bonine, as we were feeling fine. So we don't know if it was the bonine making us sleepy, or the rocking of the boat. I think for our next cruise I will take it the night before leaving.

 

I can and have gotten motion sickness in the past, and also have problems with vertigo, but I was fine. I'll take a little bit of sleepiness over nausea any day! (As long as I don't sleep the entire cruise!)

[Dee777]

I haven't been able to find any Bonamine in Western Canada for about 6 months now... they say it has been discontinued.

 

I am planning on buying some Bonine as soon as we get to the US.

 

I've always bought it at Pharmasave. They keep it behind the pharmacist's counter.

Buclizine (another brand of meclizine) is not commercially available in Canada.