chance getting seasick or take preventative meds

[Kentman23]

My wife and I have never been on a cruise ship before. We've been on small boats for little amounts of time and haven't gotten sick. Obviously this is different. My wife has taken meclizine in the past for car sickness, but it makes her very tired.

 

Since we don't know how either of us will do on the ship should we try med free and see how we do, but bring it along just in case? Or should we just take something every day as a preventative measure?

[travelbugAF3]

I am very interested in replies to this, as I have been wondering the same thing about my first cruise (coming up in just 65 days!).

 

After talking to a few people, I'm 80% sure that I'm not going to take anything beforehand. I do get very car sick, but have only gotten sick on a boat once (a pontoon in very, very choppy waters, and the "captain" was spinning us in circles as fast as he could). I normally do okay small boats. I plan on taking ginger in my purse and having meds on hand just in case. Hopefully I won't need it.

 

My Mom gets carsick/seasick as well. She used the patch on her first cruise, but it made her very sleepy. She just took ginger on her most recent one, and did fine.

[kbmeow]

i am pretty good in cars and on boats. But on a cruise I will take sea sickness meds. I take it the night before the cruise and the first night of the cruise. My first cruise I woke up on the first full day feeling blah, did not know if it was hangover of seasickness. Took seasickness meds and felt great. So I do it as a preventative. And our last cruise there were some very choppy seas and it didn't bother me because we had taken the meds. I have not needed it beyond the first night.

[SexyK]

I normally dont get seasick. But been dealing with vertigo. My cruise last year n this year I just took the ginger pills every morning at breakfast n did fine. One of my girlfriends had the patch and she was sick most of the cruise. other friend had seabands and did good until she lost them. so it effects everyone differently. Do what you think will work best for you. being Im flying to this cruise I will start my ginger tablets that morning and continue until back home.

[kbmeow]

I normally dont get seasick. But been dealing with vertigo. My cruise last year n this year I just took the ginger pills every morning at breakfast n did fine. One of my girlfriends had the patch and she was sick most of the cruise. other friend had seabands and did good until she lost them. so it effects everyone differently. Do what you think will work best for you. being Im flying to this cruise I will start my ginger tablets that morning and continue until back home.

 

Ask your pharmacist what is best for you. I wanted to take ginger pills but my pharmacist did not like them with my other meds

[SexyK]

Yes by all means check with your doctor first and foremost. I dont have problems so I can take the ginger. They are asking for advice. But I hope they know to check with their doctor first.

[samrothstein]

DF and I both took ginger pills everyday, and she also took bonine most evenings as well and neither of us go sick. The boat was rolling a good bit every evening as well.

[firefly333]

I only take it if I need it. It doesnt take long to get into your system if the waves do kick up.

 

Why would I take it when the waves may be flat and its not needed. I did take it once last week. The night I got up about 3 am when my cabin was tippy.

[treasure4two]

Just a hint:When I first started cruising in the early 1970s, crew members told me it was better to be on deck if you were feeling bad, as opposed to going to your cabin. I did what they said and was one of the few not sick on the cruise. I have also used that on small boats that had an area where you could go below-I stayed on the deck and had no problem-people below, not a pretty sight. I guess the circulating air helped. Just my two cents worth.

[okgirl]

I've been cruising for years and have on a couple of very rare occasions felt a bit ill, but never got sick........

 

I don't take anything, but I ALWAYS travel with a well stocked kit of OTC meds and 1st aide supplies......

 

For motion sickness specifically, I find that if I just have something on my stomach then I'm fine...I usually take along some crackers and keep a pack in my purse all the time.

 

If your sailing is rough, and you are having problems try a couple of things before you rush to take something. Some people get relief just by having a breeze on their face, so head up to the Lido mid ship......but the higher in the ship you are the more motion you will feel, so some people are better going to a lower deck and as close to midship as you can get....on a Conquest class ship this would be the midship lounge on deck 4

 

It also helps not to look at the rise and fall of the horizon or the tilt of the liquid in your water glass.....

[footballbabe3]

I took my first cruise about 5 years ago and was seasick pretty much immediatly. I took the medicines and it made me very very tired. So the last cruise I went on I started taking the Ginger tablets the night before

and used the bands. They worked great!! I was really thinking it wouldn't so I was shocked when it did. Then half way thru the cruise I was dressing up and didn't want to wear the band with me dress. Big mistake

about 2 hours later I had to put it back on. These really work. So go and have a blast!!

[dude_hdt]

Ear patch works great for me. I usually cut the patch in half...one for me, one for wife. Don't know if this means less medication intake but I find it enough. Once in a while I'd have it fall off from being in water and my stomach would feel it very quickly.

[okwriter]

I'd wait and see how you do before taking anything. Chances are, you'll be fine. :)

[vacruizer]

It's a tough call. If you are prone to motion sickness, then talk to your Dr. about what the best preventative is.

 

On the other hand, don't stress about the possibility. I know I was a little worried about it before our first cruise even though I've never gotten any kind of motion sickness before. Turns out my DH and I both are those lucky ones who seem to be fine with no meds, even in rough seas. I'd rather keep the meds out of my system unless I really need them.

 

Oh - most of the OTC meds like dramamine and bonine are antihistamines (thus the drowsiness for some) so definitely check with your Dr. or pharmacist for interactions, be careful if you already take antihistames for allergies, and watch the alcohol consumption on them. Lots of people here swear by the patch but there are also plenty of stories about bad side effects.

[Kentman23]

Thank you for the replies. I think we'll take meds with us and if we need them we'll use them. I would hate to be drowsy the whole cruise when it's not needed. I'm going to ask my pharmacist about the ginger pills too...just in case!

[scooterpopsnana]

Heard last night on Jeopardy, of all places, that ginger root is more effective than Dramimine for stomach issues. As part of the allowed beverages, we carry ginger ale and sip a little occasionally. Some of the ginger ale is made with artifical flovors, so check the label. Enjoy your cruise!

[Sun 4-ever]

I put on sea sickness bands and chew ginger gum our first day on a cruise, always. I don't wait to see if I'll get sick I just do it every time. After the first 24 hours I'm good and take the bands off. I also use ginger pills. If the weather gets bad one day I will chew the ginger gum again and put my bands back on.

[Aviendah]

DH gets very motion sick in cars or on rides at the amusement park. On a cruise or when we go deep sea fishing he takes Meclizine before he goes to bed and he does great. This way if the med makes him drowsy he just sleeps right through it. He has never had issues with motion sickness on our cruises. The only time we had trouble being sick for a day was when we drank soda with ice in it in Mexico... :)

[cruzsearcher]

Everyone is different and you've gotten lots of good suggestions. You really won't know how it will affect you until you are on the ship and see the conditions and how you will react. Don't scare yourself into feeling bad though! :D

 

I don't get motion sickness in any other circumstance, including planes cars, catamarans, small ocean going vessels, ferry boats etc...but cruise ships and riding backwards on a train....not good. I don't get sick, just feel off.

 

I've had it hit me unexpectedly, usually in the evening when I'm inside the ship more, and its more like a vertigo thing than being sick and taken the dramamine, bonine, etc...and I end up sleeping half my day or night away. There's some great pics of the ENTIRE family at a captains cocktail party on formal night, but I couldn't testify it happened, cuz I was comatose in my room...I never tried the ginger. I found, too, that either going on an outside deck for fresh air helped as well as getting my bearings. I actually feel better when I can see the horizon line and get a perspective.

 

I used the patch the last time, and it was wonderful. I wear it a day or two after the cruise as well to get past the first few days of post cruise vertigo. I just picked up my scrip for Dec and while pricey...it is worth it for me.

[JaniceB]

I have never been car sick and we have a boat and I don't get sick on it. I just got off the Pride going to Bermuda I was worried about the Atlantic being rough. I had brought some meds along with me. I used the liquid you put behind your ear and I was fine. The seas got pretty rough so I switched to Bonine. It worked really well and I had did not get drowsy. My sister is a private boat captain and she says one of her clients swears by Bonine.

 

I agree that fresh air can be very good medicine.

 

I think I will look for some ginger and try it next time.

[meh56]

I always take 1/2 of a bonine the night before and after take 1/2 in am and 1/2 in pm for the first couple of days...Once you body gets use to the motion you won't need it...I was sea sick the first time and never want

to experience that again....By taking 1/2 it does not make you sleepy...but

check with your Doc to make sure it ok to take...Once you are sick the

pills don't work

[Jenna1983]

I'm VERY prone to motion sickness. If I ride in the back of a car...I'm ready to throw up. If I'm on a ferry or a small boat...sick. I took Bonine the first three cruises and haven't the last five. I do notice movement more than before but it doesn't make me sick. Now if I sailed during hurricane season? I'd be taking Bonine.

[zqvol]

IMO, if you are the least bit prone to motion sickness you should take something as a preventative. The ships will often feel as if they are not moving, but sometimes your brain gets clues from the waves, etc. and you get sick. Once you get sea sick it is tough to stop until you can get on shore for a couple of hours. Much easier to prevent it than it is to cure it.

[cantwaittocruise12]

My daughters and I took bonine every day of our cruise on the Pride from Baltimore last December. There was one day my 16 yr old forgot to take it and she was very sorry. The rest of the time we were all fine, and we hit very rough seas a couple of days. I don't think it made any of us tired.

[DebJ14]

Our ENT recommends Bonine because DH gets vertigo after he gets off the cruise. He does not get sick onboard, nor feel any ill effects, but the morning after a cruise the room spins. He was instructed to take Bonine the last 3 days of the cruise and for a few days after. It has done the trick and has prevented any more attacks.

 

As for sea sickness, if you are taking ginger be very careful because too much ginger can make you sick. Our pharmacist recommended the candied ginger in the produce section, not the capsules. But once again he warned not to eat too much of it or you could get an upset stomach.