Best way to handle sea sickness

There seems to be quite a few posts with the reports of rough seas in the Pacific. Since we will soon be sailing I was wondering what others do to prevent sea sickness. Do people wait until foul weather or are you pro active and bring something from home either OTC or from the doctor?

We have Bonine with us - just in case. But unless seas are extremely rough, we aren't bothered too much. Others seems to feel even the most minimal swells. I know that there are stronger remedies such as patches that help. DH also likes to have crystalized ginger that settles a queasy tummy:).

On our last cruise (Caribbean) the seas were very smooth as far as we were concerned but we met others who were bothered. Everyone responds differently.

There seems to be quite a few posts with the reports of rough seas in the Pacific. Since we will soon be sailing I was wondering what others do to prevent sea sickness. Do people wait until foul weather or are you pro active and bring something from home either OTC or from the doctor?

I wait for no weather system:) Actually went through 3 typhoons during our last cruise to Alaska September 17-24th 2011 (yes, all in one week) and boy did we have soe really rough seas.

BUT, we had learned after our 1st cruise in 2008 to use sea bands that we buy at WalMart or Walgreens for I think $5.00 per pair. They are reusable and washable and work fantastic for us!!

We put them on as soon as we check in at the pier and they do not come off until we get off the ship to head for home.

Joanie

My wife is prone to sea sickness and she's been using Meclizine 25mg bid, for the past 15 years and has never been seasick, or landsick while cruising. She starts the night before embarkation and finishes a day or two afterward.;)

I start a regiment of Bonine (over the counter) and Ativan (doctor prescribed) for seasickness and the anxiety that could come with rough seas - the day before embarkation so that it's in my system. And I stay on it the entire cruise. And I have never gotten sick.

I pack our sea bands - rarely use them myself but I don't cruise without them:) I'm pretty good but if it's rough, they level the equilibrium for me.

dh has discovered the joys of ginger and we get some after dinner every night. He has even discovered green apples. There are a lot of natural cures that we use and they work quite well:D

My wife is prone to sea sickness and she's been using Meclizine 25mg bid, for the past 15 years and has never been seasick, or landsick while cruising. She starts the night before embarkation and finishes a day or two afterward.;)

This is a great protocol, and one which my DH and I follow, too. It's served us well on every cruise. If the Captain announces rough seas, I will take a meclizine and hour before the rough seas are to start and that thwarts any seasickness.

Just be careful with alcohol if you are taking seasickness medication. Depending on your body mass, you may be able to tolerate one drink or a glass of wine.

Ricki

Have not been sea sick on a cruise, yet but on occasions have pre-meditated in advance with bonine and we always bring Ginger Capsules as ginger seems to relieve symptoms if they have started.

We purchase the Ginger Capsules from a drug or health store. Not having got sick on past cruises gives us confidence as I believe sometimes we can pschologically induce motion sickness with worrying about it.

Here are some tips from the Center for Disease Control for Motion Sickness: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2012/chapter-2-the-pre-travel-consultation/motion-sickness.htm

The common wisdom is to start any OTC seasickness remedy like Bonine (if you can take these type OTC drugs), 24 hours before you need it -- which makes this problematic because you don't know whether you need it, but this is the best way to have the protection it provides when you do need it. They do offer complimentary little packs of a generic "bonine" at the front desk and at the ship medical office.

One problem when waiting to take this drug closer to the time you think you need it, is you may throw it up before it can really do its work. There are also suppositories if you find yourself in an extreme nausea state

The old sea tale is ginger which is showing evidence it is good for nausea. You can either bring your own favorite form of ginger or pick it up after dinner when you leave the main dining room where a cart offers mints, figs, dates and very delicious candied ginger. (Takes care of the whole GI track when you use all three.)

Other options are the prescription patch which your doctor needs to carefully recommend to you and even try it out before you leave so you can understand how it might affect you both during and after you stop using it.

Other items I bring but have not really tried and rely on anecdotal evidence only that they work are the passive accupressure wrist sea bands, which you can also can also get in the ship store. And an electronic device that randomly massages acupressure spots at your wrist points.

I went though two terrible weeks once where the heaving seas did not stop until we docked in port, so I come prepared now. The Bonine and ginger combo as been best one for me -- you can tell if it is working if you see the sea sick bags out in the hallways and you are eagerly making your way to the main dining room for something to eat.:p

If you have a Trader Joes near you, buy their ginger candy. I have also taken ginger capsules, but I prefer the candy. I also use wrist bands and take bonine. I start the ginger/bonine regimen a day before boarding.

I was on several cruises before ever getting sea sick and when my first bout of sea sickness occurred, the ocean, sailing up the Eastern coast of Australia was as smooth as glass but we had a high level balcony cabin and that was too much motion for me.

I don't know if the ship's front office still gives out "seasick pills" but I took them on that Australian cruise and slept the whole day! I also tried the patch remedy but it made me have double vision!

I threw a box of ginger snaps in my suitcase when we sailed. Great late-afternoon snack that also got rid of the 'queasies'.

Me? I can eat a corn dog while standing in line to get on a rollercoaster :p DS (now 17) is VERY prone to motion sickness and hates the side effects of Bonine. If he starts to feel queasy Sea Bands and some ginger do the trick and he has never gotten full motion sickness on a ship (planes are a different story).

I tried the sea bands out of desperation when he was too little to tolerate a full dose of Bonine and was surprised at how well they worked for him.

I always bring a box of Ginger Tea bags when I cruise and take some with my Breakfast. Also, I find that a bottle of Grolsch beer in the afternoon helps with the queasies - and some candied Ginger from the Yum-Yum Man after dinner.

IMO, the Worst Thing is to stay in your cabin watching TV/Movies - You've got to get out on deck and walking around, enjoying the sun and fresh air.

 

IMO, the Worst Thing is to stay in your cabin watching TV/Movies - You've got to get out on deck and walking around, enjoying the sun and fresh air.

So very true.

Different things work for different folks. DH takes Dramamine, I rely on ginger caps (not the candy, I have to watch my sugar intake) and the SeaBands I've worn for the past 16 cruises. I only take them off to shower. Scopolamine patches put some people to sleep for most of every day and can have vision side effects. And a friend of ours was "land-sick" for 2 weeks after taking them off when he got home. Yikes!

I use Sea Bands. i noticed several crew wearing them when it got rough so I tried them and they work for me. i put them on when it starts to get rocking a bit and i don't have tohave drugs in my system.

Notes of using wrist band: They have a small hemispherical bead in the inside of the band that puts pressure on an accupressure point. You must get them on the correct spot, so follow the directions carefully - place the button 3 finger widths up form the wrist crease.

As a current EMT, I can tell you that we are now allowed to use wrist pressure to alleviate nausea for our patients. It doesn't matter what the casue for the nausea is, motion sickness, morning sickness, illness, side effets from drugs, chemo etc. It works for most people but some people may have their accupressure point located a little off from the normal spot so I can't help you there.

m--

I will go to Walgreens and check out the bands and get some dramamine or bonine. I haven't thrown up while on a cruise ship (but have not been in really bad weather) but have got sick on smaller boats, a ferry and a glass bottom boat.

What works best for me is to avoid drinking liquids unless just sipping on hot ginger tea. Having liquids in the tummy can make your insides feel like they are bobbing on the sea.

Many years ago, before these large luxury cruise ships were sailing, I was on a small ship, perhaps smaller than the Prinsendam. We were experiencing really rough seas one day. I knew what seasickness felt like as I had gone deep sea fishing before. Most everyone were in their cabins. I was just a young lady, traveling along, and was determined I wasn't going to miss a day of my cruise being sick.

I decided to do an experiment and found that diaphragmatic breathing helped. I walked up and down the hallways and began to synchronize my breathing with the swells. When the ship went up, I exhaled. When it went down, I inhaled. I believe that this is helpful because the lungs press down on the diaphragm which then compresses the stomach (to a slight degree.)

This is not your usual shallow breath that most of all do. It is purely diaphragmatic breathing--filling the lungs with air from the lower part of the lungs. Well, it worked and I continue to use it when at sea. My husband now also does it and it works for him, as well. He was an officer in the U.S. Navy and wishes he knew about it 30 years ago. Give it a try.

I bring a twenty two year old named Ginger with me on my cruises.

Greetings

There are many good suggestions here. But one thing you want to be sure of. Don't get seasick!!!!! If you are prone seasickness, then be proactive in whichever remedy works for you. Once actually seasick, it makes recovery difficult.

Good Sailing

Tom

I totally agree with all the comments about starting to take Bonine before you even board the ship. It need to be in the system before motion even starts.

The other thing is amazingly enough eating frequently and having a full stomach does help to prevent getting sick.

Since a very young child I have always been prone to motion sickness. I do think that ones body adjusts to certain things over time and oddly I really do not suffer from motion sickness on a cruise any longer. I still always take Bonine 24 hours before getting on the ship but then end up never taking another one in most cases. Our last cruise we did have some slightly rough seas the last days while we were pushing to get back. The bags were out and several complained of not feeling well. I was fine but I did take a Bonine as a preventative ;) Every time we cruise I buy a new package, needless to say since the last several cruises I have not really taken any I have plenty :D

Many years ago I tried things like the ginger and the Sea Bands and they never worked on me :o The only true thing that worked was the Bonine and the best part is it allowed me to drink and not get drowsey :D

I bring a twenty two year old named Ginger with me on my cruises.

I guess that beats taking dried Ginger, ground Ginger, sticky-sweet Ginger or Ginger in a capsule.:o

I get motion sickness on a Water Taxi, so knew that I would problems on a ship. I've tried everything mentioned, but have found that the only thing that works for me is the patch. All the meds are most effective if you start them at least the night BEFORE you get sick. If I haven't taken anything and find that I am getting sick on a plane/train/car/bus, I put on a Relief Band. It looks like a watch and puts out a little electric charge at the nerve point. You can increase the charge until "that" feeling goes away.

"Relief Bands" are no longer sold and have been replaced by the Reletex which provides "pulses" to the acupressure points, but best I understand it and have experienced it, not "electrical charges" if one assume this means getting and electrical shock.

Instead you feel "waves" of undulating pressure that can be self-regulated by this device that is placed over the wrist spot. This is not like TENS pain control which does deliver self-regulated low-grade shocks.

Following is from the manufacturers website gobble-gook explanation to justify the inflated price I imagine this simple motorized device.

Some translations: "Creating 'electrical' signals" is what any form of touch does - stimulates neurotransmitters which is more a chemical reaction but "electrical" loosely works too since it requires a transfer of energy to conduct the neurotransmitters across the nervous system. "Higher emetic center in the brain" is what tells you to throw up. "Median nerve" is your wrist nerve. "Theorized" means they don't really know what happens but they are guessing here.

Good news are reports this works for some. I got mine on ebay (what does that tell you?) and do carry it with me now as part of my sea sickness back up kit.

How Does RELETEX™ Work

Reletex™ is a patient controlled transdermal neuromodulation device that generates uniquely programmed pulses to stimulate the median nerve on the underside of your wrist. These pulses (specific in waveform, frequency, and intensity) create electrical signals that travel to the central nervous system and the higher emetic center in the brain. These signals act to positively modulate neural pathways, via the vagus nerve, thus restoring normal gastric rhythm and help to relieve nausea.

It is theorized that once the Reletex™ produced neural signals reach the emetic center, they act to positively modulate the various anti-nausea and vomiting feedback mechanisms and neural pathways. Reletex™ restores the normal gastric rhythms in the stomach back to normal (via modulation of the vagus nerve). Reletex™ safely uses the body’s own natural neural control pathways to help relieve symptoms of Postoperative Nausea*.

Thanks, SwissMyst. The description you provided pretty much matches my understanding of the way the Relief Band worked. The Reletex just does it a little differently. Just checked my Relief Bands (I had two) and the batteries have lost all of their charge. Looks like I'll be ordering a Reletex.