Motion sickness===Best remedy ??

[Travelbug 2]

We are leaving next week for our Med' cruise, (first time in Med').
I am not sure if I am prone to seasickness as I have only cruised once before.
Just wondering if the well seasoned cruisers out there can give some advise on medication and what works best as a preventitive with the least side effects.

Thank you all, this is a great board with lots of info'

Happy cruising.

Bert

[Esme]

I use Bonamine - you can get if at Shoppers or any drug store. No prescription required. Works for me, but I am sure others have different remedies that work for them. Now, I must say it doesn't make me sleepy, maybe because I take it at night but my daughter said she took it when she went out whale watching in Nfld. and nearly fell asleep. The kind I get last for 24 hours.

Have a great cruise.

[Druke I]

If I start to feel a bit nauseous, ginger ale and saltine crackers give me a quick relief. No need for anything stronger for me.

[Host EJNutz]

I watched a telly prog once in which ferry operators were recommending coca cola. I have tried it and it does work.

[Roadguy]

We take ginger capsules.
No side effects, never been seasick.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I swear by Bonine. I take one the day before I travel then I take one every morning. If the seas get a little rough I do double the dose. This past May in Alaska we were so fortunate to have extremely calm seas I actually skipped 2 days, which I had never done. Something tells me I won't be as lucky in my next cruise. They are easy to take because they do not have a bad taste. I just usually take with out water. They have a slight raspberry taste.

[Esme]

I swear by Bonine. I take one the day before I travel then I take one every morning. If the seas get a little rough I do double the dose. This past May in Alaska we were so fortunate to have extremely calm seas I actually skipped 2 days, which I had never done. Something tells me I won't be as lucky in my next cruise. They are easy to take because they do not have a bad taste. I just usually take with out water. They have a slight raspberry taste.

Bonine in US.......Bonamine in Canada. Glad it works for you also LAFFNVEGAS.

Acutally I start them 2 days before I leave and if I wake up in the morning to rough seas or it gets rough during the day I will take another one even though the package says "one a day - good for 24 hrs. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I also don't take them every day if the seas are calm.

[elmorejj]

I have always taken ginger capsules too. There are no side effects, and you can drink alcohol while taking them . 1`ve never been sea sick, but take them anyway, just in case....jean :cool:

[DonMaryCar]

Usually I am fine but have taken meclazine which is the generic form of Bonine (so it is much cheaper) But I have to admit on our cruise to Hawaii the waters were pretty rough and it wasn't handling it so our cabin steward gave me packets of Sea Calm which worked great. They are actually meclazine also but it was a stronger dose. You can also get them at the front desk. No charge for them so if you end up needing something and forgot to take it with you they are readily available. We are on same cruise as Laffinvegas so I'm hoping she doesn't need any extra's

Happy cruising

Mary:cool:

[pollux]

I have said it before and say it again....
"PUT ON YOUR WALKMAN AS SOON AS YOU FEEL FUNNY".

THIS IS NO JOKE IT WORKS

[Charliesmom]

I use the little wristlets that have a button on the inside which presses on your vagus nerve. They have always worked for me. I think they are called Sea-Bands. They are not very expensive. I think you can get them at the drugstore. I got mine in 1992 and take them on every cruise.

What I like about them is that you aren't taking any drugs.

Also, try to stay midships if you feel queasy. It is calmer there.

Roberta

[Cruiseoften]

. We're Ginger people - we take the tablets and drink the ale!

[mhshapiro]

Bonine (meclazine) works for me if we run into rough seas, but it does make me a bit sleepy. I find it also helps to eat something bland like oatmeal for breakfast and plain crackers later in the day.

Generally, I find that I don't need Bonine for more than a day or two until I get my "sea legs".

On most of the cruises that we have been on, I have not needed to take the Bonine. But, I always pack some just in case.

[darnapar]

I take Bonnie 3X a day starting the day before. I also bring an anti-nausea medication with just in case. I get motion very easy though.

[Vic The Parrot]

I heard never eat anything you can't keep down.


Seriously, I'd stick to light meals. And the tablets they dispense at the front desk seem to do the trick.

And don't forget staying out in the fresh air helps.
'Mal-de-mer' doesn't care ifyou have a suite with balcony, or a small cabin deep in the hull midships.

Being indoors can aggravate the feeling greatly, and being around food smells in a eating area .... well, you don't want to be there when you lose your breakfast.

Plop down in the shade under a lifeboat, and you'll be asleep in no time. When you wake up, you'll feel like a million bucks.
It worked for me!

[Ziggy7]

I swear by Bonine too, but the new kind is non-drowsey, and lasts 24 hours, it really does last!

[Vic The Parrot]

Ziggy


I'm not sure, but I think the tablets from the front office have Bonine. Haven't used them in ages, so I really can't tell.

[Ziggy7]

yes they are but I'm not sure they are the newer non-drowsey king :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have been taking Bonine for years and never knew about a non drowsey Bonine.:confused: Actually Bonine has never made me drowsey like Dramamine. With Bonine I am fine all day plus I can drink with No Problem.

[Esme]

Stuff given at the front office is the same as Bonine/Bonamine, Meclizine, etc.


check this out http://www.drugs.com/cons/Bonine.html

I think they work differently for each person. I don't get drowsy, yet DD does. Go figure! :p


I used to use Antivert but they discontinued it in Canada. I had a hissy fit when I went to renew my prescription for it (yes we had to buy it with an RX) and found out it was no longer available. The druggist told me to try Bonamine (Bonine) and I found it worked even better than the Antivert which did have a side effect to it.... believe I had to eat before taking it....... :)

[sail7seas]

Do you need an Rx for bonamine/bonine?

[Ziggy7]

Do you need an Rx for bonamine/bonine?
No, its now over the counter, has been for about 6 yrs now :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

Bert, I still swear by the Sea Bands. They work for me every time. At the first sign of quesyness (sp?) I slip them on my wrists. Once I get my sea legs, I take them off and that's the end of it. You can buy these in the drugstore in the same area they sell Bonine and such.

I like them because there are no drugs or chemicals involved. Motion sickness is the result of an equillibrium problem and for some reason these take care of that.

Also, always a good idea to sit on deck and look at the horizon. This helps enormously. Good luck whatever you decide to to and have a wonderful vacation!:D

[LovetheSea]

No drugs necessary!................. I remember years ago on a morning T.V. news show they had a doctor on talking about seasickness. He said he had an instant cure for it. Jump in over your head in water. I suppose you could hold your nose and stay under a bit. Now I don't recommend jumping overboard, although I HAVE been seasick before and after throwing up 6 times I might have tried it. But the ships have swimming pools! It has something to do with our equilibrium and ear pressure? I don't remember exactly. Good luck and I hope no one gets seasick :)

[sail7seas]

When Rotterdam VI was brand new, we cruised her first New Year's cruise with our dearest friends and their family. He is one of the most respected Internist in our area.

His wife loves cruising but always gets seasick. By trial and error, and the fact she has reactions to many Rx and cannot take many meds, they found a drug that did the trick for her.

My DH and I had been on dozens of cruises and had never been seasick in the past.

That cruise, with seas that were not particularly rough, I got so seasick one night that I left dinner.

I went to my cabin and was hoping to die when I heard a knock. It was our friend. I told him to go away that I refused to pay him for a house call. Knock...knock....open this 'dam' door.

Okay, so you dragged me out of my bed to say "hello". By now, he doesn't care if I DO die. !!! :)

He hands me two pills and says "take these". Smart mouth replies.....My mother told me to never take drugs from strangers.

"Take the 'dam' pills. Lie down for an hour and we'll see you later in Ocean Bar.

WHAT!!! OCEAN BAR!!! ARE YOU NUTS???!!

He leaves.

Oh well....what is there to lose. I do as instructed. I was up and dressed and in Ocean Bar within an hour. We now NEVER cruise without a prescription for Taigan. (generic name is trimethobenz). This stuff is amazing.

Since that time, on a rare occasion when we thought we might be a tiny bit 'off', we take one prophylactically and by doing so we are fine.

What I most like about them is that I only take if needed so am not taking a drug all week that might not even be necessary and they are very fast acting for all sorts of things causing nausea.

[Esme]

Sail:

Are you sure the drug isn't TIGAN and not Taigan? This drug is not available in Canada.

[temple10]

I am going on my first cruise in december and I am really worried about this for myself and my son. Will it hurt to use Bonine and the sea bands?? and do you find these things somewhere like walgreens,Walmart?? Thank you for any advice. Christine P.S. I thought since I've never sailed and I don't know if we wil have a problem I thought use both at the same time.:)

[sail7seas]

SeaBands are not a drug; they are not invasive. They work based on accupressure. It is safe to mix bonine and sea bands. Before giving your child (you didn't say age), you probably should check with his pediatrician. He may wish to provide something different or have different advise for you.

SeaBands and bonine (over the counter) are both available at WalGreens/CVS. I have seen bonine in our local WalMart but do not think I saw SeaBands.

[sail7seas]

Sail:

Are you sure the drug isn't TIGAN and not Taigan? This drug is not available in Canada.

Oh Glory Be....seems I made a typo. Kindly forgive my error. :)

Pity it is not available in Canada. It is an excellent, very safe medication. I am happy U.S. pharmacies have it readily available.

I have talked about it with nurses on HAL ships and sometimes, in the infirmaries, they have it in suppository form.

[Ziggy7]

sail7seas,

Thats how Bonine worked for me, except I was up and about in 20 minutes :) Funny how things work differently for some.
But I am going to ask my doc for some TIGAN and try it next time, DH doesnt like bonine, he said it gave him heartburn.

Temple10,
My daughters took bonine at the age of 12 but I would check with doc for your son.

[merryecho]

I get horribly sick at mild rocking, and neither dramamine or bonine has done much good. A couple of trips ago my doc gave me phenergan. I took it at the first sign of queasiness and an hour later I was eating and drinking without a care in the world. Now I see why the people with natural sea legs don't understand how miserable sea sickness is- I felt so good it was hard to believe myself. It comes in pill or suppository. The latter is good if you waited too long to keep anything down, but it can cause a little 'tummy trouble'.

[dexter]

We take ginger capsules.
No side effects, never been seasick.
Our tablemates on the Zuiderdam were also recommending ginger pills. As for me, I've never been seasick. I take the advice of an old fishing boat captain who once told me to drink several beers before going on the ocean and you won't get seasick. There isn't enough motion on a big ship to make one sick anyway...is there?

[sail7seas]

Our tablemates on the Zuiderdam were also recommending ginger pills. As for me, I've never been seasick. I take the advice of an old fishing boat captain who once told me to drink several beers before going on the ocean and you won't get seasick. There isn't enough motion on a big ship to make one sick anyway...is there?
Don't get too complacent and sure of yourself..... :D It took me more than two dozen cruises for the "first time" to hit me!! Can (and does) happen to everyone at one time or another.....including Captains ;) and crews who have sailed for years.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Don't get too complacent and sure of yourself..... :D It took me more than two dozen cruises for the "first time" to hit me!! Can (and does) happen to everyone at one time or another.....including Captains ;) and crews who have sailed for years.Right again, Sail! I didn't get even quesy until my 8th cruise and now it happens a little from time to time. So it's always good to have something along with you. The shot the Docs on the ships give knock you flat so bringing something is a good idea. You can always bring the Bonine, the ginger and the Sea Bands and see what works for you. Doesn't take up any space at all and better safe than sorry ... that's my rule of thumb for just about everything these days;) .

[Randyk47]

I spent many years working on boats and floating docks in the Pacific Northwest and rarely get really sea sick. Back in 1998 on our honeymoon on the Ryndam my new bride forgot something in one of the bags. I crawled under the bed trying to fish out the missing item. Should mention we'd only left Ft Lauderdale the day before and were still in the Atlantic trying to out run a storm. They'd hung the bag containers all over the ship and even some of the crew were feeling it. I barely made it out from under the bed and while the feeling passed without any medication it's not one I'm in a hurry to experience again. We carry Bonine just in case now.

PS - Same cruise there was an MD who was a gastrointestinal specialist on board. Met he and his wife at the pool bar during the sail away. Didn't see him for the first two days and on the morning of third day he showed up with that "please shot me" green look on his face. In fact, he said it was a good thing he didn't have a gun with him. Even the docs who know what to do and take have trouble from time to time! :)

[dexter]

Okay, I did get a little queesy one time. I was in a small charter boat fishing off the coast of Cancun and we were hitting 4 to 5 foot waves head on. I was sitting in the fishing chair and all of a sudden my arms felt all tingly and I had that "driving the porcelain bus" feeling, but luckily it passed. I have fished and cruised for 40 something years and so far...no seasick for me. Yes, I am knocking on wood as we speak.

[a1moty]

RE: SeaBands and bonine (over the counter) are both available at WalGreens/CVS. I have seen bonine in our local WalMart but do not think I saw SeaBands.


I bought my SeaBands at my local Walmart, but I had to ask at the pharmacy
for them, they keep them behind under lock and key. Don't ask me why--
I wore them for the first several days and felt great. I took them off half way through the trip, and just kept them close by "just in case".

I think that they are wonderful. :p

[steelcity5044]

Hyland's Natural Relief Motion Sickness Tablets
My father took his first cruise about 2 years ago. The sight of waves makes him sick. He is on some major medications and was worried about drug interactions. He couldn't take Dramimine or Bonine because of this and also because made him extremely sleepy which made him feel sicker.
He took this all natural medication and never got sick once. Also didn't interfere with other meds.



"Natural relief for nausea and dizziness due to motion, car sickness or sea sickness. Hyland's Motion Sickness is a traditional homeopathic formula for the relief of symptoms of nausea and dizziness associated with or aggravated by motion. This product is also useful for relief of car sickness and sea sickness. Working without contraindications or side effects, Hyland's Motion Sickness stimulates your body's natural healing response to relieve symptoms. Hyland's Motion Sickness is safe for adults and children and can be used in conjunction with other medications. Relief of symptoms of nausea and dizziness associated with or aggravated by motion. Useful for car sickness and sea sickness. Recommendation: Adults: Dissolve 2-3 tablets under tongue every 4 hours or as needed. Children 6 to 12 years old: 1/2 adult dose. Use no more than 6 times per day."

[temple10]

Sail7seas and a1moty, Thank you so much for your help. Off to Walgreens and/or Walmart I go.:D

[caregiver4ever]

I also am worried about getting sick. I bought sea bands for me and the 2 kids. I went to walmart here in Mass. and had to go to the pharmacy also. It seems thats where they keep them in the stores.

[gigivic]

I have tried the patch behind the ears, bonine, phenergan and the doc on board said I had overdosed on dramamine. Nothing worked. Heard that I could go to my regular Ear Nose and Throat doc and he could wright a prescription for the inner ear prob. I hope so because I sure am tired of getting sick the first 2 days of my cruise and groggy for the remainder of the cruise. Have another one (will be the 6th) next May to Alaska again. Can't stop crusing.

[anngie]

Take Equate Motion Sickness tablets 100 tablet bottle at Wal-mart $4.56.
Super cheap!! You can get smaller package 12 for $1.46 .
Actually, I never need anything. We wore the patch just in case 20 years ago. It made me so sleepy. Next time we did not do anything and have never been sick after 20 cruises. I do take the Equate tablets with me on cruises. They make me sleep better.:)

[merryecho]

gigivic- what medicine does the doctor write a prescription for? I am always on the lookout for a new anti seasickness med.