Jump to content

Pros and Cons of Seasick Patch


Recommended Posts

Hi, I am prone to sea sickness though I only got sick on a small fishing boat and never on a cruise boat (only 2 other cruises) . I am sailing on the Oasis on Saturday, aft. Does it make you tired? I don't drink so that is not an issue, but I don't want to be "out of it". Does that Bonvine (sp) work and where can you get that? Thanks for any input.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always use bonine. Works great. I take it 2 days before my cruise to get it into my system and then I take one a day. Its non-drowsey. If the seas are rough, I take 2. I have heard bad things about the patch. Blurry vision and dry mouth. I also bring ginger capsules with me. I'm all equipped! You can buy bonine at any CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The patch made my mouth very, very dry. I took it off the first day.

 

Bonine (meclizine) is available at most drugstores in the U.S. over the counter. From what I have read, most ships have it available for free if you need it. It's best to start it the night before any travel though. You may want to try it before your trip to see if it makes you any drowsier.

 

I can get seasick on a small boat but I never have on a big cruise ship. The motion is not nearly as bad (unless you run into horrible weather in which case anyone might get sick).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never did the patch but heard the medicine is in your system days after you take the patch off. I use Bonine and it works for me. Everyone is different if in doubt ask a pharmacist or your Doctor. Enjoy your cruise.

 

Carol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV but I can give you my real world experience.

 

I'm hypersenitive to motion sickness (like on a Ferris Wheel). I use the patch to fly and on cruises. It works well for me, especially in a beam sea, but I do experience some side effects on cruises since I wear it for 3-5 days.

 

As stated, the main effects I get are dry mouth and slightly blurred vision. For example, on day three I will start to have a bit of trouble reading the menus or the Compass. Not to be indelicate, but it can also make you somewhat constipated.

 

One other note, the patch is the ONLY thing I've ever found that will stop motion sickness after onset. Meclizine, ginger and the old Dramamine are useless once you feel ill.

 

As with any medication, even aspirin, the balance is: do the therapeutic effects outweigh the downsides. For me they do because I would otherwise be miserable pretty much all the time. Your mileage may vary.

 

Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We sailed with a friend that used the patch. By about day 4 or so, she was having anxiety attacks. My wife finally got her down to the ship's doc and he told her to take off the patch immediately. She was OK but it took another couple of days.

 

She was on other meds, but since the patch has to be prescribed, obviously her doctor didn't bother looking at the interactions...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe the ships offer shots for Seasickness, but I've also heard that, if you're on the patch, they can't give you a shot for at least 24 hrs (maybe someone can enlighten us on this?).

 

If you haven't gotten sick before, I would personally take a chance, expecting nothing will happen , but having the shot available in case you need it. But I'm no doctor either, and having never been seasick, what the heck do I know??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nausea is usually harder to treat than to prevent, but I have been carsick and taken Bonine and it worked well. My son got a little seasick on our last cruise and after taking Bonine, he felt fine shortly after.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have horrible motion sickness and start taking Bonine/Meclizine two days prior to sailing. One in the morning when I get up and one just before dinner each night and I've not had any issues. The only time this didn't work too well was when we sailed through some hurricane bands in October 2005, but even then it was just for several hours.

 

The other thing to remember is to EAT! Putting some food into your stomach while you are sitting outside with the fresh air blowing on your face will help you feel better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not favorable towards "the Patch" as DW had very bad reaction to it . . . I had no reaction to speak of.

 

One bit of advice I give anyone seriously considering using "the Patch" on a cruise is to try it out first at home when you have a couple of days with nothing important to do. If you do have a bad reaction, you are in familiar surroundings when you medical insurance will cover you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get seasick very easily. Tried the patch on my first couple of cruises. I didn't get seasick but I felt terrible with the patch. Very blurry vision and very dry mouth and just didn't feel well. Then I found Bonine and I swear by it. Start taking it the day before the cruise-one morning and one at night and I take it every day while at sea. If we have some port days in a row I don't need it but will start again when we're having sea days. Works great for me!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm the world's worst seasick sailor. I get motion sickness so easily that I cannot even ride in the backseat of a car. Well, I can, but you certainly don't want what happens when I do. :eek: I use the Scopolamine patch. Since at first it does make me a little sleepy, I put it on the night before the cruise and let it help me get a good night's sleep. The worst side effect I've ever had was "cotton" mouth. I just drink a lot of water. I have used the transderm scop for car and bus trips, scuba diving, sailing, cruising, flying. I have a continual refilling RX I use it so much. I have tried absolutely everything for motion sickness and have been sick through them. Scopolamine is the only thing that has ever worked for me. Personally, I think there is nothing more miserable in this world than being seasick. My advice would be to try it before the ship to see if you do have problems and if you do, are they manageable problems like having a dry mouth. Lately, I don't seem to have the dry mouth problem.

Good luck,

Pamela

Tucson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, I am prone to sea sickness though I only got sick on a small fishing boat and never on a cruise boat (only 2 other cruises) . I am sailing on the Oasis on Saturday, aft. Does it make you tired? I don't drink so that is not an issue, but I don't want to be "out of it". Does that Bonvine (sp) work and where can you get that? Thanks for any input.

 

With the Oasis being so large, is there really an issue with feeling motion on this ship? If the OP has only been sick on small fishing boats, I'm wondering if trying to prevent it would actually cause more issues. I would consider not taking prevention and hope for the best. Can anyone that has been on the Oasis report feeling movement while under way?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With the Oasis being so large, is there really an issue with feeling motion on this ship? If the OP has only been sick on small fishing boats, I'm wondering if trying to prevent it would actually cause more issues. I would consider not taking prevention and hope for the best. Can anyone that has been on the Oasis report feeling movement while under way?

 

Surprisingly, yes. But it was on Deck 14 all the way forward. We were sailing out of Port Canaveral and the seas were completely smooth, so I was surprised to feel anything, even that high up and forward.

 

But we felt nothing when we were aft or midships, and felt nothing in our midships cabin.

 

A bartender acquaintance told me that she got seasick on the crossing from Finland, and she'd been on plenty of rough itineraries on Rhapsody and Monarch.

 

My usual remedies of Seabands and ginger have stopped working for me.:( I took the meds doled out at the purser's desk on Rhapsody and they worked like a charm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am one of those who still use the patch. However, I learned several cruises ago that cutting them in half & wearing just the half works just as well (& it saves me having to buy more for the next cruise lol). Now I don't get any of the side effects that I used to. Please note, this is my experience; I know that people have different reactions to all medicines; don't want to talk you into anything that might be harmful or uncomfortable, just explaining how I use them.

 

Carol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I get very seasick. On my first cruise, if it were not for a friend offering me patches he did not need I would have gotton off at the first port and flown home. I had sailed numerous times on very small craft without issue. The cruiseship made me sick. I was really surprised.

 

I always have the patch with me, and I ask my doctor to give me enough for a fresh patch every day. The box says they last three days but I've never had them last more than two. There are side affects. I find that I am thirsty, but no cotton mouth. My eyes do dilate. It is also important not to touch anything after you touch the sticky part before you wash your hands well. You don't want to ge tthe medication in your eye. I had less side effects this year than I had the past two.

 

The bonine is supposed to be good, I don't like taking anything that will make me drowsey as I already have allergy meds that do that. The ginger did not work for me. I also tried seabands, but they don't totally do the trick for me.

 

You will have to talk to your doctor to get the prescription. Tell him/her your concerns. I would be prepared with a few different options. Seasickness is just terrible.

 

I think it is an excellent question to raise. There are many solutions, hope you find the right one. Happy cruising.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The patch is scopalamine, jimson week. It is contraindicated if you have heart problems - especially high blood pressure, or are a stroke risk. One odd side effect that wasn't mentioned is it may dilate the tiny blood vessels in your sinuses makign you feel like someone filled them with cement [but it goes away fairly fast if you remove the patch.]

 

Another odd side effect is if you are wearing one, and get really sweaty, don't snuggle with someone with heart/stroke issues as the scopalamine can be carried in your sweat and effect the other person. I got to be the other person and got the cement sinuese and racing heart :eek: but since I already knew about the cement sinus issue [from a long time ago prior to heart troubles pulling jimson weed out of my pasture to keep teh sheep from eating it] I knew what it was.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm the world's worst seasick sailor. I get motion sickness so easily that I cannot even ride in the backseat of a car. Well, I can, but you certainly don't want what happens when I do. :eek: I use the Scopolamine patch. Since at first it does make me a little sleepy, I put it on the night before the cruise and let it help me get a good night's sleep. The worst side effect I've ever had was "cotton" mouth. I just drink a lot of water. I have used the transderm scop for car and bus trips, scuba diving, sailing, cruising, flying. I have a continual refilling RX I use it so much. I have tried absolutely everything for motion sickness and have been sick through them. Scopolamine is the only thing that has ever worked for me. Personally, I think there is nothing more miserable in this world than being seasick. My advice would be to try it before the ship to see if you do have problems and if you do, are they manageable problems like having a dry mouth. Lately, I don't seem to have the dry mouth problem.

Good luck,

Pamela

Tucson

 

Pamela you sound like me with not being able to ride as a passenger in a car without getting sick, I don't go on vacation without my patch, thank god I have not experienced any side effects other than like you said thirsty. I put it on the day before I fly to make sure I don't get sick on the plane.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An anesthesiologist suggested benadryl to me. My wife loves to read and couldn’t in the car. She takes 50mg prior a long road trip and reads away. She tells me it works well on the boat too. The only issue is needing to take the dose 3 times a day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...