Homeopathic Meds in Rough Weather?

[Leucothea]

I will become seasick in rough weather and I was wondering if anyone has tried homeopathic seasickness meds like Trip Ease and Sea-Sik Oral Spray? I'm particularly wondering about the spray because the Trip Ease must be taken every hour I think.

 

I took a Bonine last night because of sleeplessness, and I had nothing else, and I forgot it was a 24 hour pill. It made me feel absolutely awful all day. I'm realizing that this is probably why I feel very tired and run down for about 2 weeks after a crossing, because I'd been taking Bonine or Stugeron at least during some of the voyage (as rough weather is more or less a given on Transatlantics, at least part of the time). I had attributed it to drinking on the ship and a strange phenomenon in which I feel a rocking motion days after disembarking (apparently it's called "land sickness"). But I think antihistamines don't agree with me.

 

Anyway, I'd like to try the Sea-Sik spray. Has anyone here tried it and does it work? I hear the patch has side effects too. Ginger doesn't seem work for me.

[Thaxted]

If homeopathic remedies work—and as you probably know, there are many people who deny that they do—the response is bound to be idiosyncratic. In classical homeopathy, the remedy is carefully matched to the individual's symptoms and temperament. What works for one person may well not work for another. Combinations like Sea-Sik try to beat the odds by combining several different remedies. But however useful they may be, they still may not do the trick for you.

 

I would suggest doing some research on the remedies contained in Trip Ease and Sea Sik. Do they fit the symptoms of your particular sea sickness? If so, they might be worth trying. There will almost certainly be no side effects. Your research might lead you to a single remedy that would meet your needs. Of course, you could look to a homeopath for advice. And since antihistamines don't agree with you and you're open to alternative medicine, you might also try sea bands. Many people swear by them.

 

I was fortunate on our two crossings last summer. Traveling east the seas were slight. On the westward trip home, the sea was more lively, to say the least. One night was officially described as "very rough," but apart from a slight headache, I suffered no ill effects, much to my relief. But then, I did take meclizine and managed to avoid the problems that you had to deal with.

 

If you find a homeopathic medicine that works for you, by all means let us know. You're not alone in your quest for an effective substitute for antihistamines.

[balf]

Like Captain Corcoran I am lucky to to be "never never sick at sea" but I do wonder at the attraction of cruises to those who suffer so much, often in quite moderate seas.

 

David

[Alibobs]

Have you considered the injection - I cannot speak from experience myself but talking to other passengers it seems to be a miracle cure with no side effects

[Leucothea]

Thanks for your suggestions. In my case, seasickness is rarely severe and only when it's quite rough. I did manage then to take the Stugeron or Bonine, and then just put up with not feeling that great for a couple of weeks post crossing.

 

It sounds as though the homeopathic meds may not be that effective. I have tried the wrist bands, which may have some effect.

 

As for wondering why people travel by ship if they ever get seasick, I think even crew become seasick from time to time. On one particularly rough crossing I experienced, quite a few crew members were sick; well it was a severe storm. I travel by ship because I love ships and the sea, I have to get across the pond, and don't like flying much.

 

I think the occasional seasickness is just part of ship travel. Although, my grandmother traveled on the Queen Mary with her mother, and the latter was of a generation that believed you could, and should, will yourself not to be sick. She said she would punish my grandmother if she were seasick, and so she wasn't. I don't think that would work for me though...

 

With regard to the injection, I had that once (during the severe storm I mentioned) and it made me sleep 10 hours, then I was fine. However, I wouldn't take it normally. I think it's intended more for extreme cases when nothing else works.

[SylviaB]

The only way homeopathic medicines work is through the placebo effect, it's just water and sugar, you might as well take an M&M :)

 

http://www.1023.org.uk/whats-the-harm-in-homeopathy.php

 

 

[Leucothea]

The only way homeopathic medicines work is through the placebo effect, it's just water and sugar, you might as well take an M&M :)

 

http://www.1023.org.uk/whats-the-harm-in-homeopathy.php

 

 

 

That may be partially true, but I believe it's not entirely true. Many herbs, etc are very medicinal, and some have worked for me in various capacities. For example, anti-fungals ( and anti-bacterial) like Peau d'Arco I have found to be very beneficial when I've overindulged in sugar or the like, resulting in the symptoms that ensue. Or Golden Seal is a good tonic and antibacterial for digestive problems. Dandelion Root is a good diuretic and liver cleanse. I'm a strong believer in homeopathic remedies, but they don't all work for everyone. Traditional medicines can often be very toxic, so one should be wary of those also. In my view, the less you take the better, take natural meds if possible, and medical drugs only when absolutely necessary.

 

When it comes to seasickness, it is not pleasant of course, so I wouldn't want to risk taking homeopathic seasickness meds unless I've heard from others that they work.

[renne]

Hi Leucothea, I just came across this natural product mentioned on the HAL discussion forum. This may be another alternative for you to check out. Good luck.

[Leucothea]

Hi Leucothea, I just came across this natural product mentioned on the HAL discussion forum. This may be another alternative for you to check out. Good luck.

 

Thank you. Maybe I'll try that. It seems it's an oil you apply to the skin.

 

I had said ginger didn't work for me, but I just realized I have an anti-nausea gum called Sea band Ginger Gum that I had bought when I was feeling a bit ill one day, but it worked. It's actually supposed to be for motion sickness, so I'll bring that along too...just bring all of them, see which ones work, and write an article about it or something...

[Scrapnana]

Have you tried the Sea-Band? I bought them for my last cruise but forgot to take them. Turns out I didn't get seasick so I wasn't too upset I forgot them. I will remember to take them on my next cruise just in case.

 

Any one tried them?

[Salacia]

Thank you. Maybe I'll try that. It seems it's an oil you apply to the skin.

 

I had said ginger didn't work for me, but I just realized I have an anti-nausea gum called Sea band Ginger Gum that I had bought when I was feeling a bit ill one day, but it worked. It's actually supposed to be for motion sickness, so I'll bring that along too...just bring all of them, see which ones work, and write an article about it or something...

 

Leucothea, looking forward to reading your article :) I sip Ginger Ale whenever I start to feel queezy, and it works for me. Also, when the sea is acting up, fixing my eyes on the horizon also helps. When the sea gets really nasty, I go to the casino, determined not to lose more than $25 at roulette - it is a fun distraction. :D Regards, Salacia

[Salacia]

Have you tried the Sea-Band? I bought them for my last cruise but forgot to take them. Turns out I didn't get seasick so I wasn't too upset I forgot them. I will remember to take them on my next cruise just in case.

 

Any one tried them?

 

Scrapnana, no, I haven't tried them, but last December on QM2, I saw crew members in uniform purchasing Sea-bands in the shop. On a previous QM2, there was a large group of Chinese people, many of which were wearing Sea-bands. -S.

[SylviaB]

That may be partially true, but I believe it's not entirely true. Many herbs, etc are very medicinal, and some have worked for me in various capacities. For example, anti-fungals ( and anti-bacterial) like Peau d'Arco I have found to be very beneficial when I've overindulged in sugar or the like, resulting in the symptoms that ensue. Or Golden Seal is a good tonic and antibacterial for digestive problems. Dandelion Root is a good diuretic and liver cleanse. I'm a strong believer in homeopathic remedies, but they don't all work for everyone. Traditional medicines can often be very toxic, so one should be wary of those also. In my view, the less you take the better, take natural meds if possible, and medical drugs only when absolutely necessary.

 

When it comes to seasickness, it is not pleasant of course, so I wouldn't want to risk taking homeopathic seasickness meds unless I've heard from others that they work.

Many herbs and plants are indeed medicincal. Herbal medicine has been around for thousands of years and then scientists tested it all and those that have been found to work are now called "medicine". Alternative medicine has either not been proved to work or been proved not to work. Aspirin is derived from the willow tree, would you consider that traditional medicine or natural?

 

And true, a lot of traditional medicines can be toxic, but then, so are many many natural things like arsenic, many a mushroom, apple seeds, and even every day food items like potatoes, tomato plants and lima beans contain natural toxins which can be deadly in the right amounts. So nature does like to kill...

 

Homeopathy is not herbal medicine, it is water and sugar, please feel free to look into how homeopathic remedies are made and you will find that they contain "nothing". Not even the slightest trace of any herbs. Homeopathy is unsupported by any modern scientific research.

And in the words of Tim Minchin:

"And if anyone can show me one example in the history of the world of a single Homeopathic practitioner who has been able to prove under reasonable experimental conditions that solutions made up of infinitely tiny particles of good stuff dissolved repeatedly into relatively huge quantities of water have a consistently higher medicinal value than a similarly administered placebo

I will give you my piano

One of my legs

And my wife"

:)

 

And before you ask, but what's the harm in taking homeopathic remedies (you might not be able to overdose on it, but you could drown ;)) or herbal rememdies, check out this website

http://whatstheharm.net/homeopathy.html

http://whatstheharm.net/herbalremedies.html

 

 

And as for natural remedies against sea sickness, for me the green apple trick seems to work and avoiding an empty stomach.

[ovccruiser]

I had said ginger didn't work for me, but I just realized I have an anti-nausea gum called Sea band Ginger Gum that I had bought when I was feeling a bit ill one day, but it worked. It's actually supposed to be for motion sickness, so I'll bring that along too...just bring all of them, see which ones work, and write an article about it or something...

I have tried ginger as usually provided after dinner, don't really like the taste and it certainly didn't work for me. However, ginger ale/beer seemed to be more effective, and wondered if it was easier digested as a drink than a solid

[Leucothea]

Thanks for all your comments. Many good ideas.

 

And with regard to homeopathic meds, perhaps I should just refer to them as herbal or natural meds.

 

I think most of us can agree that they work some of the time, at least moderately. I believe pharmaceutical companies would tend to state that they do not work. Conflict of interest, inevitably.

[SylviaB]

Homeopathic medice is neither herbal nor natural, there is a distinction.

 

I prefer to take medicine that is evidence based and peer reviewed rather than some hocus pocus fairytale quack endorsed potion :rolleyes:

[Norfolk Brit]

Homeopathic medice is neither herbal nor natural, there is a distinction.

 

I prefer to take medicine that is evidence based and peer reviewed rather than some hocus pocus fairytale quack endorsed potion :rolleyes:

 

Wonderfully put, hear hear!:D

 

Mary

[Norfolk Brit]

I think most of us can agree that they work some of the time

 

I don't agree that they work any of the time, let alone some of the time. Sorry.

 

Mary:)

[Leucothea]

Homeopathic medice is neither herbal nor natural, there is a distinction.

 

I prefer to take medicine that is evidence based and peer reviewed rather than some hocus pocus fairytale quack endorsed potion :rolleyes:

 

 

I used homeopathic loosely to include herbal, etc. There are plenty of holistic practicioners (and holistic vets) who are well respected. It's just a matter of what people have experienced. You have a perfect right to not believe in it if you so choose.:)

 

It is quite a conventional alternative, in the US at least. I had no idea the subject would ruffle feathers.

[Thaxted]

Who would have thought that homeopathy would excite such interest here? But then, of all the alternatives to conventional medicine, homeopathy may be the most controversial. It is certainly one of the most difficult to evaluate because, at least in its classic form, its remedies are determined not only by the disease(e.g., seasickness), but by the individual's idiosyncratic symptoms. More puzzling still is the fact that in many cases, although not all, a homeopathic remedy does not contain a single molecule of the substance from which it was originally made. Yet supporters can cite evidence that seems to merit further investigation, and since properly prepared homeopathic medicines are safe and inexpensive, I wouldn't discourage someone from trying one if he or she so desires.

 

Those interested in delving into these murky waters will find the most balanced skeptical analysis here http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy. Links to scientific papers supporting homeopathy can be found, among other places, at these two sites: http://drnancymalik.wordpress.com/article/scientific-research-in-homeopathy/ and http://www.homeopathy-soh.org/research/evidence-base-for-homeopathy-2/evidence-base-for-homeopathy/

[Leucothea]

I don't agree that they work any of the time, let alone some of the time. Sorry.

 

Mary:)

 

Well, I said most of us, and perhaps I was overstating. They're much more popular in the US I think (and in France actually). I assume you must have tried many homeopathic, herbal and other holistic remedies and found they did not work for you. They don't all work for me either particularly, but it's a vast world and new discoveries are waiting to be made...:)

[Norfolk Brit]

I assume you must have tried many homeopathic, herbal and other holistic remedies and found they did not work for you. They don't all work for me either particularly, but it's a vast world and new discoveries are waiting to be made...:)

 

Not likely, and very much hope the homeopathic claim that water has a memory is wrong, having been brought up on the stuff from the Thames...

 

I was referring to homeopathic 'remedies', not herbal, some of which have some basis in science. Having said that, nothing wrong with the good old placebo effect I suppose; just don't like to see people profiting from it.

 

Mary

[Leucothea]

Not likely, and very much hope the homeopathic claim that water has a memory is wrong, having been brought up on the stuff from the Thames...

 

I was referring to homeopathic 'remedies', not herbal, some of which have some basis in science. Having said that, nothing wrong with the good old placebo effect I suppose; just don't like to see people profiting from it.

 

Mary

 

OK, my mistake. I have been confusing "homeopathic" with herbal and other holistic remedies. I'm using the term homeopathic, when I should be saying herbal, or natural remedies. And I don't like to see scams of any kind either, whether "natural remedy"/"homeopathic", or drug-related, or any kind. One should always be on the lookout for these, which is why I have found it is necessary to be proactive, don't believe everything you're told (no matter how "expert"), and judge from your own experience.