Seasickness or Noro? How to tell the difference?

We're taking our second ever cruise in July 2017 to Alaska. First first and only other time I cruised was on Disney in December 2015 from Galveston to Key West/Bahamas. I had never been seasick before that trip and I became very ill on the 5th day of the 7 day voyage. It was a bit rougher than the couple days prior but it was rocking and rolling on the 1st and 2nd day out and I was totally fine. I have been on various ferries and boats on the open ocean and been fine with no meds. I took no meds on the Disney cruise either and was fine until the 5th day. On the evening of the 5th day, I got sick throwing up, couldn't eat or drink anything for the entire next day, had chills/sweats, and basically just stayed in the cabin and slept until we got back. I did try to call the medical group a few times but it would just ring and I gave up as I didn't feel well enough to walk down there. My husband and daughter did not get sick. I'm trying to figure out if that was seasickness or something else. I'm planning to get the patch before we go this time but I'm a little nervous still and would like to avoid that feeling. How do you tell the difference? (Hope this is not a stupid question).

We're taking our second ever cruise in July 2017 to Alaska. First first and only other time I cruised was on Disney in December 2015 from Galveston to Key West/Bahamas. I had never been seasick before that trip and I became very ill on the 5th day of the 7 day voyage. It was a bit rougher than the couple days prior but it was rocking and rolling on the 1st and 2nd day out and I was totally fine. I have been on various ferries and boats on the open ocean and been fine with no meds. I took no meds on the Disney cruise either and was fine until the 5th day. On the evening of the 5th day, I got sick throwing up, couldn't eat or drink anything for the entire next day, had chills/sweats, and basically just stayed in the cabin and slept until we got back. I did try to call the medical group a few times but it would just ring and I gave up as I didn't feel well enough to walk down there. My husband and daughter did not get sick. I'm trying to figure out if that was seasickness or something else. I'm planning to get the patch before we go this time but I'm a little nervous still and would like to avoid that feeling. How do you tell the difference? (Hope this is not a stupid question).

There is no predicting when sea sickness will strike. Whether or not you ever suffered from it before has no bearing on when or if you will get it in the future. I have found that the best way to avoid it is to stay occupied with something so you don't think of sea sickness. If you look at the ocean, look only at the horizon, not at the waves. As to norovirus, it is my understanding that it involves more than vomiting----you will be sitting on the toilet as well as hanging your head over it.

I think most will agree; you WILL know the difference between Noro Virus and sea sickness!!!

I, too, assumed that seasickness did not involve diarrhea until my DD became violently seasick on an Orca whale watching tour out of Victoria, BC. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but no sooner than she started vomiting she also couldn't leave the restroom because of the other end.

When we returned to the dock, both ends quieted down almost immediately. If it were Norovirus, wouldn't it have lasted longer?

I'm planning to get the patch before we go this time but I'm a little nervous still and would like to avoid that feeling. How do you tell the difference? (Hope this is not a stupid question).

Your Dr. would be the best source of info on this one not Cruise Critic.

When we returned to the dock, both ends quieted down almost immediately. If it were Norovirus, wouldn't it have lasted longer?

It sure would have lasted longer if the symptoms were from a virus. It takes your body quite a while to get all those virus bits out of your system.

Suggest you consult your doctor on appropriate medication you can take for seasickness.

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If you are sea sick your problem should go away once in port, although it can last in some people for some time after the motion that has caused the sickness has stopped. Take your motion sickness pills as soon as you feel you might get sick, or even before if rough seas are forecast. The pills work by stopping the sickness before it begins.

I'm certainly no expert, and, yes, the above posters who advise seeking medical advice from medical professionals rather than an internet forum are correct, but I am going to suggest another idea to consider.

Your symptoms sure sound like food poisoning, to me. What do you remember where and what you ate 12-24 hours before the symptoms started? Especially, do you remember eating off the ship (i.e., in a port), or do you remember eating anything that your husband/daughter did not eat?

Again, I'm not really an expert, but the symptoms you describe--specifically, fever and chills--just sound like a food-born bacterial infection.

:(

Thanks all. I'm definitely consulting with the doctor about it too. Appreciate all the advice! Hopefully it will not return.

Web MD says the symptoms of sea sickness include: nausea, vomiting, headache, sweating.

If you have food poisoning from any of the many bacteria/viruses that can cause it, the symptoms almost always include diarrhea. Years ago I printed out a multi-page symptom list for food poisoning. It listed something like 20 different "bugs" that could cause food poisoning and the variety of symptoms and methods of acquiring it.

I don't know anything about medical symptoms but I've a lifetime of experience. So, here are my non-medical observations: sea sickness starts with a feeling of nausea followed by vomiting. Fresh air can help mitigate the symptoms. Food poisoning is within a few hours and is violent until your body clears out whatever it's objecting to and then you start feeling better. Noro is violent and doesn't quit, even when you have nothing left. It goes on and on until you just want to crawl into a fetal position on the bathroom floor.

I've been seasick only once but have had food poisoning and noro several times.

Seasickness is being queasy and off-balance. Noro is stuff coming out of both ends simultaneously. And you think you will die...but you won't. The symptoms last about 12-24 hours with Noro..but you feel like crap for at least 2=3 day...it's awful.

With seasickness, once you throw up, you're usually ok.

Seasickness is being queasy and off-balance. Noro is stuff coming out of both ends simultaneously.

It sure would have lasted longer if the symptoms were from a virus. It takes your body quite a while to get all those virus bits out of your system.

Not true at all, as a physician

]Seasickness is being queasy and off-balance.[/color] Noro is stuff coming out of both ends simultaneously. And you think you will die...but you won't. The symptoms last about 12-24 hours with Noro..but you feel like crap for at least 2=3 day...it's awful.

With seasickness' date=' once you throw up, you're usually ok.[/b']

That is mild seasickness. For those in my category seasickness is the desire to simply die. Imagine chugging a full 750ml of cheap Tequila. That is the kind of seasickness I get. That is why I wear a patch behind my ear when cruising. Even with that level of seasickness it still won't be confused with noro.

It sure would have lasted longer if the symptoms were from a virus. It takes your body quite a while to get all those virus bits out of your system.

Not true at all, as a physician

I was referring to the OP's topic question wondering if they had Noro or seasickness.

I sure wish you'd elaborate on saying something is not true at all rather than just play the physician card. While I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, I do respect a consensus of respected medical web-sites and they all indicate it takes more than a few hours to clear a virus.

Here are just two:

http://www.humanillnesses.com/original/U-Z/Viral-Infections.html - scroll down to "How long do viral infections last"

https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/hcp/clinical-overview.html

Not true at all, as a physician

Yes please elaborate as you are a physician

Thanks

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I don't know anything about medical symptoms but I've a lifetime of experience. So, here are my non-medical observations: sea sickness starts with a feeling of nausea followed by vomiting. Fresh air can help mitigate the symptoms. Food poisoning is within a few hours and is violent until your body clears out whatever it's objecting to and then you start feeling better. Noro is violent and doesn't quit, even when you have nothing left. It goes on and on until you just want to crawl into a fetal position on the bathroom floor.

 

I've been seasick only once but have had food poisoning and noro several times.

Bingo, Pam.

Even having been at sea for 40+ years, I do get the occasional bout of seasickness (usually around hurricane season), and it can and does include chills and sweats.

Like you, I've had food poisoning, and yes, when you rid yourself of the offending items you normally start to feel better in a short time.

The best description of noro I've heard is "for 2-3 days, you won't die, but you'll wish you had", and seeing the results in the medical center waiting room, where folks just can't control both ends at the same time isn't real pretty either.

My onboard medical staff tell me that there is one simple rule with Norovirus. It almost inevitably is accompanied by elated body temperature - a fever.

Seasickness does not involve a fever.

Food poisoning rarely / occasionally does involve a fever.

I never skip one of your replies on CC. The last line of this post is humorous as long as you are the observer and not a participant in the Noro roulette.

Bingo, Pam.

The best description of noro I've heard is "for 2-3 days, you won't die, but you'll wish you had", and seeing the results in the medical center waiting room, where folks just can't control both ends at the same time isn't real pretty either.

Noro usually lasts 24 hours. My case was almost to minute 24 hours of the worse symptoms. You can still be weak for a while. Alot of places on land do not test for Noro because by the time the results are back the Noro in that patient is gone. Typically they just look a the numbers that are reported to determine if there is a local outbreak and then do the bleach cleaning mainly in schools. Also usually you will not be the only one who gets Noro it is highly contagious and most hand sanitizers do not kill it.

I don't know anything about medical symptoms but I've a lifetime of experience. So, here are my non-medical observations: sea sickness starts with a feeling of nausea followed by vomiting. Fresh air can help mitigate the symptoms. Food poisoning is within a few hours and is violent until your body clears out whatever it's objecting to and then you start feeling better.

I agree with the above statements. I suffer from motion sickness to various degrees, depending on how long I have been on the roller coaster/ship or how much motion there is. It starts with a queasy feeling. Fresh air sometimes helps. Some psychological factors involved, but I can't control or predict them.

I have had food poisoning several times on land and it is very different, also depends on the severity from a few times vomiting to staying in bed for a few days.

With seasickness, even before the queasy feeling starts, I feel kind of dizzy and off balance. That's when I take meds, before the queasiness starts. Yes, if the seasickness is bad, it's accompanied by sweating and chills. There's no fever, though. And being on land cures the whole thing.

My mother used to say, "I am so sick I'd have to get better to die." I've seen both my husband and DD so seasick I think this would have applied to them.

I have supposedly had Norovirus but now think it was actually a gall bladder attack. The worst I had was a bacterial diarrhea that I caught on an Amazon River cruise. The ship's doctor thought it was Noro at first but eventually determined it was bacterial because it lasted so long. Put me on antibiotics and it cleared up.