Seasickness...

[kikiganz]

I am worried my husband may be prone to get sea sick. Is there any adverse effects for taking sea sick medicine even if you don't know if you need it? Can the medicine make you queazy? What is better - the patch or the pills? Any help is appreciated!

 

8 days and counting...:D

 

kikiganz

[jlx2]

I have used both pills and the patch at the same time just because I am extremly prone to motion sickness. I don't really know if you have to use both or not, but I was so paraniod about getting sick and ruining our vacation. I used bonine I find I don't get as sleepy using it vs. dramamine. I take one in the morning. I also use the patch. You need to make sure you put it on even before you get on the ship to help prevent motion sickness, then you change it every 72 hours I think. It is by perscription only so when you call your Dr. make sure to get the right amount of patches you'll need for the whole trip. One side effect I found on the patch is I got a very dry mouth, but I'd much rather that than feeling sick to my stomach! I didn't feel sick at all while using them both. I just get a terrible case of vertigo when I get off the ship that lasts about 3-4 days after we get home. Good luck, and have a great cruise!

[BamaVol]

Mrs. BamaVol experienced some discomfort on our first cruise so she had her Dr prescribe the patch before our second. No discomfort but she did experience blurred vision that did not clear up for several days after the cruise ended. I'm glad I was there to drive. Something to consider.

[JodiBB]

My husband gets queasy pretty easily. He's gotten the patch and while he could feel the boat move (I couldn't), it didn't bother him.

 

For less rocking, he'll take Bonine. It's an OTC medicine that is like Dramamine, but there's not the drowsiness side-effect. He uses it when snorkeling or parasailing and doesn't have any problem with it!

[Dadofsara]

Try Ginger tablets. They really work.

[imkimpossible]

Before my first cruise, I had two horrible bouts of vertigo and was terrified of this very thing. I took Bonine and wore the patch, and did fine on the ship. The one thing I will tell you, I am a small person (5'1") with a small frame and I had to wear just a HALF of a patch. The whole one made me feel funny and it itched and burned. Half a patch and Bonine did the trick for me. But as someone else stated, I felt like I was still moving for at least a week after returning home.

 

Kim

[CruiseMark]

Why take any medicine at all if you don't need it? We used Relief Bands (http://www.reliefband.com/) and they are aboslutely fantastic! These aren't the same as sea bands, which are just a little ball on an elastic strap. Relief Bands look like a wrist watch and are electronic, so you can adjust the amount of relief as needed. Plus there's NO side effects and you only use it if you need it. It's great too because you can put it on AFTER the symptoms start and have relief in just a couple of minutes. They're the only device that's FDA approved for this too.

 

Highly recommended!

[Dave4120]

Hello...I have to echo the wristbands. I get seasick in a bus, in the back seat of a car, even watching too much movement on a TV show gets me sick. I have been on 13 cruises and on the first cruise I was so sick, and cannot even describe it.

 

I mentioned this to my doctor and we discussed options. I told him I really did not want to take any pills. He also mentioned the ginger tablets, but also mentioned the wristbands. I tried them, and have never, ever had a seasick problem since. These wristbands are only about $8.00. They include a little ball that when put on your wrist, applies pressure to the wrist area, which supposedly sends a signal to the brain that elieviates the motion sickness. I am not sure how it works, but when put on the wrist correctly, it works. This way to me, is a better way to lick the problem versus taking pills and all of the side affects.

 

Doesn't hurt to try the wristbands. If for some reason they don't work, you can always take the medicine.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

 

Dave

[CruiseMark]

Hello...I have to echo the wristbands. I get seasick in a bus, in the back seat of a car, even watching too much movement on a TV show gets me sick. I have been on 13 cruises and on the first cruise I was so sick, and cannot even describe it.

 

I mentioned this to my doctor and we discussed options. I told him I really did not want to take any pills. He also mentioned the ginger tablets, but also mentioned the wristbands. I tried them, and have never, ever had a seasick problem since. These wristbands are only about $8.00. They include a little ball that when put on your wrist, applies pressure to the wrist area, which supposedly sends a signal to the brain that elieviates the motion sickness. I am not sure how it works, but when put on the wrist correctly, it works. This way to me, is a better way to lick the problem versus taking pills and all of the side affects.

 

Doesn't hurt to try the wristbands. If for some reason they don't work, you can always take the medicine.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

 

Dave

 

Just to be clear, Dave is NOT echoing my comments on Relief Bands, which are very different from the ones he describes (which are available as Sea Bands)..

 

Sea Bands = Elastic strap with a little ball in it that uses accupressure.

 

Relief Bands = an electronic device approved by the FDA to cure motion sickness.

[TheWog]

Sea-Bands and Bonine worked great for DW. She didn't feel seasick once she got over the first night.

 

If you get the patch try it before you leave, it can have serious side effects on some people.

[sueb]

Hi Kikiganz.......let's just say I am an expert...from experience. I have always gotten VERY motion sick even driving down the street in a car. I actually can get sick snorkling (while snorkling in the water..something about the bobbing up and down). That being said, to date (knock on wood) I have not gotten sick on a ship.(8 cruises) I usually start taking bonine (1 tab) the day befor we travel. It shouldn't really make you drowsy. This past trip (Jewel over Thanksgiving) we felt quite a bit of rocking on the ship. I then new to increase my dose to 2 tabs (max dose) and sort of ended up staggering them that way for a couple of days while we were in rough water. I felt no side effects from the bonine.

I always keep dramamine in stock for emergencies. I did use scopolomine once (the patch), but, after two days My pupils where "blown" and I couldn't read. Had to discontinue it because of that side effect. They took it off the market for a while and don't know if they changed the formulation since then.

I also have a set of sea bands (from CVS) that I haven't used yet...but..I have them just in case. Good luck and don't worry!

[JOANNAHOLTON]

Does these remedies work on dizziness also?And can you drink while taking these meds?I don't drink a lot but like to have a couple in the evenings.

Thanks,

Joanna

[VABeach]

I have vertigo due to an inner ear problem and have been known to get queezy on the ships. First time I took Dramamine and had a misserable time. It made me very tired. Second time, a doctor told me about the magnetic braclets (you can buy from Wal-Mart for $5.00 in the jewely dept.). THEY WORK!!! I also take those chewable Pepto-Bismol Tablets. If I start to feel queezy, I take one and it calms the tummy down. Ginger also helps many people as well as the Sea-Band.

 

I also did much studying on seasickness and learned that if you watch the horizon rather than a fixed object, it helps. This really works also - I swear! What causes sea sicknes (or any motion sickness) is the brain being confused. If you are moving, but are in a room or cabin or the backseat of a car, your eyes are looking at a fixed object and not the horizon. The brain gets confused. It feels you moving, but doesn't understand WHY. If you go to the top deck and look out at the sea, the brian understands WHY you are moving and it calms down. I know it sounds weird, but that's why people ususaly DON'T get car sick if THEY are the person driving (or at least in the front seat). It's also why some people can't read in a car.

 

When we were in Cozumel, we took the ferry over to Cancun. The water was very choppy. My friend wanted to talk to me the whole way over there. If I looked at her, I would start to feel queezy. If I looked out at the water, it would go away. WEIRD, but true!!! The worst thing you can do is go to your cabin and lay down.

 

Also, the ginger and Pepto work because they calm the stomach. Hope this helps!:)

[MonaCK]

Am prone to motion sickness -- I take one bonine every morning before going about my day, and I'm fine. No adverse effects.. no drowsiness.. and can drink with no problems. :)

 

Have a great cruise. :)

[ZMEN]

Do you wear one sea band on each wrist (total two), or one only on one wrist?