Travel sickness advice??

Hi folks I am the worst traveller ever get sick on any length of car journey and also suffer from ibs so if I am nervous or excited it plays up something awful.. I normally wear sea bands as well as taking an over the counter travel sickness tablet, but am worried that is may be extremely rocky from Southampton .. Do you think it would be advisable to get something better from the doctor before hand??

I have been on two little cruises before but always flew abroad then left, this is the first from Southampton

Lesley

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Hi Lesley, stop worrying you'll be fine, I'm the second worst traveller. Lol. we've sailed from Southampton about 9 times now and I've never felt bad. I start to take sturgeron the day before we travel and for the first couple of sea days the secret is to take something before you feel sick. It also helps to get as much fresh air as you can and don't think about feeling sick.

The ship is huge so you really don't feel much movement at all , we've only had one bad crossing over the Bay of Biscay and to be honest it wasn't too bad the rest of the time it's been fine.

Hi folks I am the worst traveller ever get sick on any length of car journey and also suffer from ibs so if I am nervous or excited it plays up something awful.. I normally wear sea bands as well as taking an over the counter travel sickness tablet, but am worried that is may be extremely rocky from Southampton .. Do you think it would be advisable to get something better from the doctor before hand??

 

I have been on two little cruises before but always flew abroad then left, this is the first from Southampton

 

Lesley

 

 

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My husband used to sail, and if rough they were instructed to eat a green apple - no idea if/ why it works. Ginger was good when I was very sick while pregnant so that may help - good luck

Sorry to hear about your travel sickness, it can be very miserable.

Nobody can guarantee what the weather will be like, as you know, so as you are very prone to travel sickness it would definitely be worth talking to your GP. He may be able to prescribe something a little stronger than an over the counter medication.

Here's hoping you won't need anything and that it will be smooth seas all the way!

Hi Lesley, stop worrying you'll be fine, I'm the second worst traveller. Lol. we've sailed from Southampton about 9 times now and I've never felt bad. I start to take sturgeron the day before we travel and for the first couple of sea days the secret is to take something before you feel sick. It also helps to get as much fresh air as you can and don't think about feeling sick.

 

The ship is huge so you really don't feel much movement at all , we've only had one bad crossing over the Bay of Biscay and to be honest it wasn't too bad the rest of the time it's been fine.

Thanks Jennywren it is normally sturgeon I take which helps most of the time X never thought to start taking the day before though so shall need to try that x

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Go to your local drug store and buy ginger pills My daughter would get sick all of the time until some other cruiser told us about ginger. She starts taking a couple of pills a few days before the trip and a couple each day while on the cruise and has not gotten sick!! They are her "magic" pills. We have been in some pretty rough seas and again she has been fine. Good luck!

I too suffer from IBS and motion sickness. I used the prescription trans scopolamine patches. Some cruises I never use them but a North Atlantic can be one of the roughest cruises. Better to be armed with big guns and not have to use them rather than to have a peashooter and need something bigger!! Happy sailing.

Five miles in the back seat was about my limit as a kid ( and about 45min in the front). Today there's Bonine (generic name is meclizine).Dramamine 2 "LessDrowsy" is same stuff. Works very well. I've never tried the scopolamine patches. Good luck.

Never heard of stugeron so I looked it up.

However, a recent 2012 study comparing the effects of cinnarizine to transdermal scopolamine for the treatment of seasickness, concluded that scopolamine was reported as significantly more effective and as having fewer adverse side effects than cinnarizine.[14] This led to the conclusion that transdermal scopolamine is likely a better option for the treatment of motion sickness in naval crew and other sea travelers.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnarizine

We just returned from the Alaskan Explorer of the Seas trip and I saw several people wearing the Transderm Scop patch. Ask your doctor about a prescription. RC also gives motion sickness tablets at the desk. Hope you don't need either and have a great trip.

I highly recommend the scopolamine patches. Until I started using them the first 3-4 days of my cruise would be rough as I was trying to get my sea legs even while taking Bonine or Dramamine. On a 7 day cruise, that totally blows.

They do have some weird side effects so not everyone likes them. For me, they are a but dehydrating and I usually wake up with cotton mouth. They also make my nearsighted vision a bit blurry (from what I understand it dilates your pupils a bit) and I am a little more sensitive to alcohol. But for me, it's totally worth it and makes my cruise so much more enjoyable.

The one major recommendation I can make is to always put it on the night before go to bed. This goes for the night before you sail and also when you have put on a new one as it only words for 3 days. It seems like putting it on a night allows your body to "adjust" to the medication while you are sleeping. The one time I put a new one during the day, I became very dizzy and and did not have a good experience. I've never had that feeling after putting it on at night.

Meclizine! Trade name Bonine.

Hi folks I am the worst traveller ever get sick on any length of car journey and also suffer from ibs so if I am nervous or excited it plays up something awful.. I normally wear sea bands as well as taking an over the counter travel sickness tablet, but am worried that is may be extremely rocky from Southampton .. Do you think it would be advisable to get something better from the doctor before hand??

 

I have been on two little cruises before but always flew abroad then left, this is the first from Southampton

Lesley

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I would think the best advice you can get is from your physician. I doubt that any of the responses you received were from a medical professional. What works for them may not work for you and could have unpleasant side effects.

Start whatever you are going to use before you go, even a few days to a week before.

My wife swears by Ginger (in any form) and green apples.

The scop patches worked great for my wife. None of the various remedies worked at all for her. To the point where she wouldn't even consider a cruise until some friends told her about them and did some arm twisting.

Hi folks I am the worst traveller ever get sick on any length of car journey and also suffer from ibs so if I am nervous or excited it plays up something awful.. I normally wear sea bands as well as taking an over the counter travel sickness tablet, but am worried that is may be extremely rocky from Southampton .. Do you think it would be advisable to get something better from the doctor before hand??

 

I have been on two little cruises before but always flew abroad then left, this is the first from Southampton

 

Lesley

 

 

I Lesley, I can definitely empathize with you! I can't even go on a child's round-a-bout, but I take Gravol (may cause drowsiness)each sea or flying day, and transderm patches if the seas are wild. My doctor says to use it only for three days, take a break, then use another for three days. It only gave me a dry mouth, and I didn't drink too much alcohol with it. The other thing that helps me is a cabin that is mid ship, on a lower deck, as the motion of the ocean is less there. Good luck and have a great cruise. Nicole

Are you sailing through the Bay of Biscay? That would be my concern for you. Sometimes it is smooth, but the first time we sailed from Southampton to the Med through the Bay of Biscay, we had what could only be described as the absolute WORST day at sea EVER! Even worse than going up to Alaska in September. So bad, the Captain closed all outside decks - but then, it was hard to walk around the ship at all and dining was a major challenge (hold onto your glass at all times, lean forward so the plate doesn't slide off the table into your lap), so who would want to go on deck in those conditions? I was awfully glad to have Trans Derm Scops (scopolamine patches) with us and we both put one on in the morning, and we took our IPADS and made our way midship for the day. It still was a horrible day at sea and we were very uncomfortable, but at least we were not vomiting and nauseated. The good news was that the next day we were in the Med which was smooth as glass - like nothing had ever happened and when we returned to Southampton, the seas were relatively calm.

Are you sailing through the Bay of Biscay? That would be my concern for you. Sometimes it is smooth, but the first time we sailed from Southampton to the Med through the Bay of Biscay, we had what could only be described as the absolute WORST day at sea EVER! Even worse than going up to Alaska in September. So bad, the Captain closed all outside decks - but then, it was hard to walk around the ship at all and dining was a major challenge (hold onto your glass at all times, lean forward so the plate doesn't slide off the table into your lap), so who would want to go on deck in those conditions? I was awfully glad to have Trans Derm Scops (scopolamine patches) with us and we both put one on in the morning, and we took our IPADS and made our way midship for the day. It still was a horrible day at sea and we were very uncomfortable, but at least we were not vomiting and nauseated. The good news was that the next day we were in the Med which was smooth as glass - like nothing had ever happened and when we returned to Southampton, the seas were relatively calm.

Yes we sure are and that is my main concern as I have heard how bad it can be.. My husband and I have cruised before on little ships in the med and one day it was rocky and it felt that when walking around we were drunk without the alcohol. If I remember I ended up just going to lie down fell asleep and woke the next day to smooth seas again. Different this time though as will have a 6 year old with us xxx

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One way to mediate the side effects of the scop patches is to reduce the dosage. Place a small, round band-aid behind the ear where the patch will go. Then place the patch partially on the band-aid and partially on your skin. Only the portion of the patch touching skin will transfer the scopolamine. If you still have side effects, but the nausea is fine, move the patch a little more on the band-aid. If the side effects are okay, but the nausea is not under control, move the patch a little more on the skin.

Fist stop worrying so much. I think that might be a problem. Maybe before the cruise get some relaxation exercises to do. Do bring motion sickness pills but realize there are two type, ones that make you sleepy and others that don't so pick accordingly.

If rough seas occur, if you can go back to your room and take a nap. Also going outside and watching the horizon is helpful. Try to stay toward the center of the ship and avoid the front and back. Lastly try to have fun with it as opposed to fearing it. These ships are big and try to avoid rough seas when they can but it could last several hours or longer.

I get very sea sick on smaller ships but I've never had a terrible problem on a big ship. If you are very worried, a balcony room is much better than an inside room, in that respect. Again, watching the horizon and getting some fresh air is the key.

It's the scop patch for me. I've tried wrist bands, ginger, aromatherapy oil and both OTC and prescribed tablets - and none of them have worked when the seas get a bit rough.

Due to medical problems it is difficult for me to travel any other way than cruising, otherwise I would have called it a day! It's probably my meds that make me so sick in the first place.

Some people have bad reactions to the patches so, if you go down this path, it's worth trying one before you go away.