Sea sickness, best remedy, precaution etc...

Going on our first cruise, wife suffers from vertigo/motion sickness. We are sailing around the Med in July, not sure if calm or not...hopefully!

What are the best things to get/take please. We are from UK so can either goto boots or local GP.

What are the things that they use on board if you see a doctor? I can imagine they are good whatever they are so can you get them in boots or from as GP?

Any tips please, kids coming to and can imagine they might suffer to. I want to be as prepared as I can!

Thanks

Meclizine is anti-nausea which you can get over the counter in the UK.

Candied Ginger, ginger pills, ginger capsules, ginger ale, ginger beer all combat nausea.

Look on board in the buffet for green apples they will help as well.

Get outside on deck and look at the horizon-- walk walk walk in the fresh air.

I have found sticking a cotton ball in my left ear (right-hand dominate) eases the motion sickness. I know it sounds peculiar but give it a try. From acupressure to meclizine, this method has worked the best for me. Most cruise lines will offer meclizine if experiencing rough seas. Have a great time on your cruise!

I would not get medical advice from a chat board- particularly as it relates to medication. Tolerances, reactions and interactions are different for every one.

Going on our first cruise, wife suffers from vertigo/motion sickness. We are sailing around the Med in July, not sure if calm or not...hopefully!

 

What are the best things to get/take please. We are from UK so can either goto boots or local GP.

 

What are the things that they use on board if you see a doctor? I can imagine they are good whatever they are so can you get them in boots or from as GP?

 

Any tips please, kids coming to and can imagine they might suffer to. I want to be as prepared as I can!

 

Thanks

We have used the Ginger Capsules, and hot ginger tea.. Hope you find something that will help and have a great trip..

If she is truly pre-disposed to motion sickness, start taking whatever preventative a day BEFORE you start sailing...and continue for at least a day after the cruise. Meclazine or Bonine...something along those lines, is VERY effective.

I've used Meclazine. Trick is to take it before you start to feel sick.

I believe it was one every 12 hours so on port days I didn't take it in the morning and only took it about 1/2 hour before sailaway.

Preferred it over most other anti-nausea drugs as it didn't cause any drowsiness and only had to remember to take it the once a day (and twice on sea days). Gravol had me in zombie mode so I was so happy when I found this (note to Canadians - we can no longer get it here - I had to get mine in the US enroute).

I have heard that green apples work, however my friend that was with me is very allergic to apples so it wasn't an option for me to try.

I would confirm at least with the pharmacist that it won't interact with any medications that you may be currently on.

If you have to visit the ship's hospital, it will cost you for the visit plus any medication. Even if you have travel insurance, all charges will go onto your ship account as the ships medical centers don't accept the insurance. You will have to claim it at the end of the cruise.

I would not get medical advice from a chat board- particularly as it relates to medication. Tolerances, reactions and interactions are different for every one.

I agree with CruiserBruce, check with your medical provider before taking any medication. In the meantime, this is a link to a blog post by Richard Detrich (a frequent cruiser and lecturer on cruise ships) in which he lists 50 ways to combat seasickness.

https://richarddetrich.com/2016/06/05/50-ways-the-pros-tackle-seasickness/

Accupressure wrist bands work really well for my sea sickness. I put them on the night before embarkation, and leave them on. Normally, I'm ok after a few days and can stow them away, but I keep them handy in case the boat starts rocking again.

I do carry meclizine with me just in case I get sick despite the wrist bands. I haven't needed the medication on the last few cruises, but it's much cheaper to buy at home and carry it with me than it is to get it on board. Ginger and green apples have never helped me much.

+1 on the advice to talk to your doctor about any medications. I cannot use the sea sickness patches - they make me hallucinate. Others rave about them. We are all different, and tolerate medications differently.

Accupressure wrist bands work really well for my sea sickness. I put them on the night before embarkation' date=' and leave them on. Normally, I'm ok after a few days and can stow them away, but I keep them handy in case the boat starts rocking again.

 

I do carry meclizine with me just in case I get sick despite the wrist bands. I haven't needed the medication on the last few cruises, but it's much cheaper to buy at home and carry it with me than it is to get it on board. Ginger and green apples have never helped me much.

 

+1 on the advice to talk to your doctor about any medications. I cannot use the sea sickness patches - they make me hallucinate. Others rave about them. We are all different, and tolerate medications differently.[/quote']

 

 

Thanks for suggestion, is it something like this?

Sea-Band Wrist Band Drug Free Nausea Relief https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000LNEB0Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zwuExb03B92FW

 

If so I'll buy some and put them on for use all to see.

Sea Bands are exactly what I use. I have seen other brands, and I assume they work as well. I have been using the same pair for 3 years now, so they do hold up well.

Going on our first cruise, wife suffers from vertigo/motion sickness. We are sailing around the Med in July, not sure if calm or not...hopefully!

 

What are the best things to get/take please. We are from UK so can either goto boots or local GP.

 

What are the things that they use on board if you see a doctor? I can imagine they are good whatever they are so can you get them in boots or from as GP?

 

Any tips please, kids coming to and can imagine they might suffer to. I want to be as prepared as I can!

 

Thanks

What works for me is ginger ...

I have used Sea Bands, but they aggravate my carpal tunnel. I practice aerial arts and sometimes get nauseated from the drops on the silks. I find ginger candy helps a LOT.

I have also found that certain foods make me more or less prone to the vertigo/motion sickness. Egg whites are good, anything with oats are really bad. Of course this can vary between individuals.

Stugeron is the one usually mentioned on UK forums... most pharmacies, and at Boots. Boots also make their own pills.

If possible, buy the Meclizine at whatever pharmacy or big box store pharmacy. Ask for it by name "Meclizine" If you buy over the counter you will just get a tiny roll (like life savers candy size) vs bottle of 100. We use the 25 mg and they are chew able. We always start out at the lowest dosage. You can go up, but hard to cut such tiny pills. I have bought them on Amazon, but found that I was able to get them over the counter at the pharmacy at Walmart just as cheap and when I want them. We have also used them when my son had vertigo. MD was going to prescribe it, and ha, I already had it and didn't have to pay again!

As a side note, a food that tastes the same coming up as going down is pineapple. :rolleyes:

I would not get medical advice from a chat board- particularly as it relates to medication. Tolerances, reactions and interactions are different for every one.

Exactly. What works for me might not work for you. And there are some side effects (drowsiness for me for many OTCs; ginger, which works for me, is not recommended for those on blood thinners; etc.) you might want to be aware of. If on a prescription, talk with your doctor. For a child, talk with his/her pediatrician.

Going on our first cruise, wife suffers from vertigo/motion sickness. We are sailing around the Med in July, not sure if calm or not...hopefully!

 

What are the best things to get/take please. We are from UK so can either goto boots or local GP.

 

What are the things that they use on board if you see a doctor? I can imagine they are good whatever they are so can you get them in boots or from as GP?

 

Any tips please, kids coming to and can imagine they might suffer to. I want to be as prepared as I can!

 

Thanks

I suffer from Vertigo.The only thing that has ever helped me is Bonine .I tried the wrist band on my last cruise and it did not help .I wound up with an infection on my wrist.

I grew up fishing the Hawaiian Islands on small boats. As kids we used to get sea sick every now and then. I'd watch Uncle Chico drain Oly after Oly and wonder how he could drink beer and not get sick. Then I figured it out.

Seasickness is about ones body trying to maintain equilibrium. What happens when you drink alcohol?? Your body loses equilibrium. So Uncle Chico had it right, drink a couple of beers and go with da flow.

We were on a Carnival cruise in 25+ seas. Pools closed, Outside decks closed, barf bags taped up all over the place. My son and I were trying to finish all the beer we had. Other pax thought we were nuts.

Remember you must eat and stay hydrated when getting sea sick. Best remedy= Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches. Taste the same coming up as it did going down!! Try it.

Aloha, Tim

Oh yeah, don't take advice from a chat board. Consult your local fisherman first.

I suffer from Vertigo.The only thing that has ever helped me is Bonine .I tried the wrist band on my last cruise and it did not help .I wound up with an infection on my wrist.

Have you spoken to your ENT or PCP about having an Epley Manuever done? Painless and non invasive, and remarkable!

Have you spoken to your ENT or PCP about having an Epley Manuever done? Painless and non invasive, and remarkable!

My ENT wants to do it but my PCP said under no circumstances would she ever recommend it because of possible side effects.

What works for me is ginger ...

 

How much do you take a day how often?

What works for me is ginger ...

 

How much do you take a day how often?

On a cruise where I was warned the seas would be rough, I took one pill before breakfast and one pill before dinner. I started the morning before I boarded the ship. Make sure you take some water with the ginger pill.

Of course there is no way I could verify it worked because I didn't get seasick. I was in conditions that might have gotten me seasick. Others on the ship did get seasick. But who knows if I would have gotten seasick had I not taken the ginger. When I was young I got seasick on fishing trips all the time.

I have only become seasick once on a cruise ship and that was because I was doing something that I knew could get me seasick. I was working on my laptop computer while in rough conditions. I should have taken a ginger pill before, but I didn't. Sure enough, I got seasick. However, one advantage of a ginger pill over the motion sickness meds is ginger works after you feel bad also. The meds do not.

Thanks for suggestion, is it something like this?

Sea-Band Wrist Band Drug Free Nausea Relief https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000LNEB0Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zwuExb03B92FW

 

If so I'll buy some and put them on for use all to see.

Those are the sea bands you are looking for.

1. use them on both wrists.

2. positioning: when looking at left arm, turn wrist over facing you; keep wrist straight even with arm; working from inside of wrist toward thumb you will feel (see) the soft spot where your vein is; DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE place button there; you will then feel one tendon and then a second tendon; position the button in between those 2 tendons.

Do similar for right arm.

Bonine usually works for me. I have only had to use the wrist bands twice and it works. It also helps not to eat heavy greasy meals, crackers will help also.

Only time I ever got really sick was on my first cruise on the way back from Bermuda in 1990. Ship was caught in 30 MPH tail wind and I was thinking all these paper bags the crew had put on railings in main hallway were some kind of game of chance. I quickly discovered their real use.

It helps not to expect to get mal-de-mer. I have heard of people getting motion sick on the dock even before they got on board or the ship has even moved!

Happy cruising.

I agree with CruiserBruce, check with your medical provider before taking any medication. In the meantime, this is a link to a blog post by Richard Detrich (a frequent cruiser and lecturer on cruise ships) in which he lists 50 ways to combat seasickness.

 

https://richarddetrich.com/2016/06/05/50-ways-the-pros-tackle-seasickness/

good stuff

happy cruising

I read on here that it's a good idea to always make sure there is enough solid food in your stomach and I found that to be true. The only time that I got queasy on my cruise to Bermuda was on the first morning when I woke up hungry and waited to eat. I felt a lot better after eating breakfast and from then on, I made sure to avoid getting too hungry. It sounds like a joke because cruises are known for having lots of food but it was a very helpful strategy for avoiding seasickness.

I would talk to a GP about vertigo though.