UhOh! bad reaction to the seasickness patch!

[marshpastor]

We've been on 7 cruises and my wife, who gets motion sickness if the scene on TV moves to fast, has always done well with the scopolamine patch... at least until this last cruise. She was fine on the cruise but when the patch wore off she was nauseated and unable to eat well for a week. This could be the end of cruising if I can't find a valid alternative!!!! Please help. Dramamine and Bonine won't do the trick. Is there an alternative?

[reallyitsmema]

We've been on 7 cruises and my wife, who gets motion sickness if the scene on TV moves to fast, has always done well with the scopolamine patch... at least until this last cruise. She was fine on the cruise but when the patch wore off she was nauseated and unable to eat well for a week. This could be the end of cruising if I can't find a valid alternative!!!! Please help. Dramamine and Bonine won't do the trick. Is there an alternative?

 

Speak to whoever prescribed the patch. Sounds like she could have had withdrawal symptoms from no patch. Pretty sure I have read people use half a patch or a different dosage after their cruise.

 

She needs to talk to her doctor about what happened. Good luck.

[ObstructedView2]

A call to the doctor is certainly warranted.

 

Transderm Scop Patch info:

https://www.transdermscop.com

 

Some people may have certain symptoms 24 hours or more after removing Transderm Scop patch. These symptoms may include: dizziness; nausea; vomiting; headache; problems with balance and walking; decrease in blood pressure; muscle weakness; and decrease in heart rate.

 

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of Transderm Scop patch.

 

Info located @:

https://www.transdermscop.com

 

Again, a call to the doctor is warranted.

 

 

 

:)

[DrD]

Actually not being able to eat well for a week after the cruise sounds good to me. Help lose that weight.

[marshpastor]

You would think!

 

But she didn't see it that way.:D

:D

[natraf]

I just got it RX'd for me as well, however my pharmacist told me that it didnt work for him. It actually caused him to hallucinate while on the cruise. Since I am a first time cruiser I will try meclizine first and see if it works and have the patch as backup. This patch sounds pretty awful to me actually. :( I am curious to see if others have alternatives!

[AnnaDarel]

If ya'll use dramamine, make sure you use ORIGINAL FORMULA and not non-drowsy. That's the key.

 

It works wonders for me.

[parrott06]

If ya'll use dramamine, make sure you use ORIGINAL FORMULA and not non-drowsy. That's the key.

 

It works wonders for me.

This is good to know! Thank you!

[bulldogmommy]

I sound very similar to your wife as far as motion sickness... it's really bad for me... No back seat in a car, no reading, no swinging on swings, or even laying out on a raft in a pool... yeah, that bad. With that said, I have 23 cruises done... since wearing the patch I have never had a bad one.

 

Now, here is what I will caution. That dose is set for an average sized male (as most medical prescriptions are)... I cut my patch in half. While on the patch I always drink lots and lots of water and I make sure to eat periodically as it works better with something in your belly.

 

I always keep my last patch on usually a 1.5 to 2 days after the cruise to help get my sea legs back and let the medicine slowly leave my system.... this tip I learned the hard way the first time using and ripping that sucker off the minute I got on land. It lead to dizziness.

 

Anyway, everyone is different, but I thought I would share my journey. Motion sickness is terrible and I so sympathize with your wife.

 

 

Best Wishes

[natraf]

Hi Bulldog Mommy!

Thanks for your advice in cutting it in half! I think I am going to try it even though the package warns again that. Can you use the "other half" for another three days or is it wasted since it is open? I will make sure to leave patch on for an extra day and a half. We are going for our first time and I get a lot of motion sickness so I am very worried. Thanks for the tips!

[marshpastor]

I sound very similar to your wife as far as motion sickness... it's really bad for me... No back seat in a car, no reading, no swinging on swings, or even laying out on a raft in a pool... yeah, that bad. With that said, I have 23 cruises done... since wearing the patch I have never had a bad one.

 

Now, here is what I will caution. That dose is set for an average sized male (as most medical prescriptions are)... I cut my patch in half. While on the patch I always drink lots and lots of water and I make sure to eat periodically as it works better with something in your belly.

 

I always keep my last patch on usually a 1.5 to 2 days after the cruise to help get my sea legs back and let the medicine slowly leave my system.... this tip I learned the hard way the first time using and ripping that sucker off the minute I got on land. It lead to dizziness.

 

Anyway, everyone is different, but I thought I would share my journey. Motion sickness is terrible and I so sympathize with your wife.

 

 

Best Wishes

 

Awesome response!

 

On previous cruises, my wife has always cut the patch in half and been fine. She wore full patches this time because we've been away from cruising for a while and she probably forgot.

 

Now, we'll have to schedule another cruise to test your hypothesis.

[Hypo]

Hopefully a medical expert will read this. I believe that it is not advised to cut the patches in half. The medicine is a liquid that is encapsulated between two membranes. The side that goes on the skin is semi-permeable and allows a measured amount of the medicine to slowly enter the body over time. If you cut it in half, I think you run the risk of it leaking out faster, and either over dosing or under dosing you.

 

 

We use generic Bonine (meclizine) and have had excellent results. I start on it at least 24 hours before flying to the port and then stay on it through the cruise and a day or two back at home. I have also found that if the seas are smooth, I can start cutting the tablets in half and it works well.

[awestover89]

Maybe try ginger root capsules? We get ours from a health food store, but Amazon started selling them as well. https://amzn.to/2uhIYDC We used to bring a bag of crystalized ginger with, but found the capsules seem to work a lot better.

 

My husband tried the behind the ear patch once and it made him lose his sense of smell. Really weird side effect, I haven't heard of anybody else reporting it. We use dramamine with good results. We always have the original and non-drowsy. I get really bad motion sickness pretty much anywhere (car, cruise, plane, roller coaster, IMAX movies), but original formula Dramamine works wonders for me and I don't even get drowsy with it, so that's all I take.

 

My husband gets bad seasickness, but doesn't get motion sickness in cars, planes, etc. He takes less drowsy Dramamine and a ginger capsule with breakfast, a ginger capsule with lunch (and a third with dinner if the seas are rough, but he's usually good with just two), and then an original formula Dramamine before bed. That seems to do the trick for him.

[MandiesPharm]

Hopefully a medical expert will read this. I believe that it is not advised to cut the patches in half. The medicine is a liquid that is encapsulated between two membranes. The side that goes on the skin is semi-permeable and allows a measured amount of the medicine to slowly enter the body over time. If you cut it in half, I think you run the risk of it leaking out faster, and either over dosing or under dosing you.

 

 

 

.

 

 

This is true. You cannot cut those in half. Straight out of the package insert and on the box. Transderm patches are not to be cut.

 

 

 

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[chengkp75]

Hopefully a medical expert will read this. I believe that it is not advised to cut the patches in half. The medicine is a liquid that is encapsulated between two membranes. The side that goes on the skin is semi-permeable and allows a measured amount of the medicine to slowly enter the body over time. If you cut it in half, I think you run the risk of it leaking out faster, and either over dosing or under dosing you.

 

 

We use generic Bonine (meclizine) and have had excellent results. I start on it at least 24 hours before flying to the port and then stay on it through the cruise and a day or two back at home. I have also found that if the seas are smooth, I can start cutting the tablets in half and it works well.

 

Not a medical expert, but someone who has dealt with seasickness for over 40 years (not me, though). Do not cut the patch in half, as this will overdose as noted above. The proper way to reduce dosage is to use a round bandaid placed behind the ear. You then place the patch part on the bandaid, and part on your skin. Only the portion against your skin will transfer the medication to you. If you find you are still experiencing sea sickness, move the patch further off the bandaid and more onto your skin. If you are suffering side effects (dry mouth, dizziness, hallucinations) but not sea sickness, move the patch more onto the bandaid, to reduce the dosage.

[natraf]

It seems as everyone has their own routine of what works for them. I just talked with my cousin who is a M.D and she said that in no way can the patches be cut in half. They will not work at all. It must be a placebo for the people who say they work for them. Which is OK...whatever works right? I think I am going to bring it all with me on the cruise just to be safe. Patch, Drowsy, Non- Drowsy..Ginger caps...I dont want my honeymoon being ruined!!

[DrD]

You can’t just cut it willy-nilly but there is a way to prepare fractional dose that is used for kiddos:

 

http://www.vnhcsb.org/media/data/papers/pdf/461_20.19.3.pdf

[chengkp75]

You can’t just cut it willy-nilly but there is a way to prepare fractional dose that is used for kiddos:

 

http://www.vnhcsb.org/media/data/papers/pdf/461_20.19.3.pdf

 

You can't cut it at all, but only cutting away a part of the protective coating as in the link, does the same thing as using a bandaid.

[B&J_Pgh]

Have your health care provider prescribe a higher dose. We just got back from Bermuda and I read the trip home (Baltimore) can get rough. He used the 1 mg dose at the beginning and changed to the higher one home.

[cruisinfanatic]

We've been on 7 cruises and my wife, who gets motion sickness if the scene on TV moves to fast, has always done well with the scopolamine patch... at least until this last cruise. She was fine on the cruise but when the patch wore off she was nauseated and unable to eat well for a week. This could be the end of cruising if I can't find a valid alternative!!!! Please help. Dramamine and Bonine won't do the trick. Is there an alternative?

How do you know this had anything to do with the patch?

[SeaHunt]

I always tell everyone on the boards to give Motioneaze a try :D

 

I can suffer from terrible motion sickness and always used Bonine in the past, but now just use Motioneaze.

 

It's all natural, just put a drop behind each ear and you're good to go. No side effects (does not make your drowsy, etc.) Great for kids too (no pill to swallow).

 

The only "con" I've found is that you smell kind of like lavender for a few minutes, but that passes.

 

https://motioneaze.com/stop-seasickness-with-motioneaze/

 

(No, I don't work for them - just trying to help others who have the same problem! It's the bomb!)

[lgl525]

Absolutely don't cut -- but some people do only expose half the patch.

[Colorado Babe]

Go to Whole Foods they have a natural motion sickness pills you put under your tongue and they are the best.

 

 

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[CPT Trips]

There's always promethazine aka phenergan. Although it's more appropriate for an acute episode than as a preventative.

[reallyitsmema]

I always tell everyone on the boards to give Motioneaze a try :D

 

I can suffer from terrible motion sickness and always used Bonine in the past, but now just use Motioneaze.

 

It's all natural, just put a drop behind each ear and you're good to go. No side effects (does not make your drowsy, etc.) Great for kids too (no pill to swallow).

 

The only "con" I've found is that you smell kind of like lavender for a few minutes, but that passes.

 

https://motioneaze.com/stop-seasickness-with-motioneaze/

 

(No, I don't work for them - just trying to help others who have the same problem! It's the bomb!)

 

Here are the ingredients for those who are interested:

 

Motioneaze is all natural. It is made from a proprietary Botanical Oil Blend [Lavender, Peppermint, Frankincense, Chamomile, Myrrh and Ylang-Ylang].

 

While it might not have the side effects that the patch has, I know I would break out in hives if I ever tried this stuff.