Motion Sickness Concern - Cannot use Scopolamine Patch

[Dawg74]

Hi all

 

i have been away from the forum for a while but I was hoping to get a little advice.  My wife and I have been on 8 cruises over the years, my wife gets motion sick quite easily so she has always worn the patch behind her ear and it’s worked great.  Last year we took a cruise for 12 days, a couple days after disembarking my wife became very ill, nauseated, dizzy, headache, it was like she was sea sick on land.  Our doctor said she was likely having withdrawal side effects from the patch, he suggested she try something else in future.  My wife isn’t sure what to try, and she is nervous about being sea sick without the patch but also doesn’t want to get sick from wearing it.  Has anyone else gone through something like this?  We don’t want to give up cruising but my wife certainly doesn’t want to be sick on vacation nor does she want to deal with side effects after the trip.  

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Devin

Edited November 27, 2019 by Dawg74
Mistake

[helen haywood]

I use generic Bonine, aka Meclizine.  Non drowsy.  I take one the morning we embark.

[PTC DAWG]

I second Bonine...

[Nclgetawaymenhoney]

In 2016 in December, I had a way forward upper deck cabin, after 15 plus cruises on second and third day felt ill, then it passed after getting off the cruise though all those symptoms came back, nauseous, dizzy etc lasted two or more weeks, since then I've gotten sea bands, which you can get iat any local drug store, plus I'm now a firm believer that cabin location and sea sickness issues can make a big difference 

[Vagabond Knight]

I have used the patch onboard for cruises for years, and I too sometimes suffer from land sickness afterwards.  I had left the last patch on well past the number of days on our last cruise, so it theoretically should have been pretty useless for the last few days and therefore shouldn't have been an abrupt change when I removed it after disembarking, but WOW!  The morning after the cruise, I was a mess... nauseated, migrane-like headache, dizzy... and suddenly I realized what was going on.  Bonine to the rescue!  I think it took it for about 5 days after the cruise.

 

Laurie

Edited November 27, 2019 by SunsetPoint

[OnTheJourney]

I'm not a fan of Bonine or Dramamine...all that stuff just makes me drowsy. As "Igetaway" already suggested, get a pair of wrist (or sea) bands....I swear by them. Works by acupressure. No drugs, no prescriptions. Take 'em on and off real easily. I keep a set in my camera case, and then sometimes even while on an excursion if I'm bothered by motion on a bus or car, it works for that too. 

Edited November 27, 2019 by OnTheJourney

[Mr. Click]

They don't work for everyone but my wife swears by her sea bands.  She cannot use the patch because of other meds she takes and Bonnie etc just make her sleepy.  Cabin location also helps. We try to pick ones on decks 7 or 8 and stay midship.  On a Azamara cruise to Cuba last year we had dinner one night while underway and running hard. We were sitting at the very back of the dinning room by the huge picture windows and we both felt sick.  There was a lot of vibration that we don't feel on the bigger ships that run on azipods rather than propellor shafts.   That was the last meal we ate back there......so yes location can make a difference.

[WestLakeGirl]

There is an essential oil product called MotionEze that helps.  You put a drop behind each ear a couple of times a day.  Smells like peppermint and lavender.  You can buy it at Walmart and maybe larger chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, or can order it on line.  It helps with car sickness, too.  

[GastroGnome]

Another vote for Bands.  I can't use most conventional seasick meds either.  I have the "upgraded" version which not only applies pressure but also a TENS like pulse stimulation.  Effective within 15 - 20 mins max - usually only 3 or 4.  Non invasive.  It also works on Chemo sickness when I lent it to DM.

[awhfy]

Sea bands, ginger chews & green apples. I can’t take the patch or Bonine (due to other meds). I have the best luck with a combo of Sea bands & ginger chews. Good luck

[sabrefan]

I have had seasickness before. I used the patch on about 4 cruises but then started to develop an allergic reaction to the patch to my skin surface, almost like  some sort of skin burn. Anyway I then started using the sea bands on at least 10 cruises with no sea sickness or other problems. You can buy them from Walmart for about $10. By the way I only use the sea bands when the seas get rough.

[hancock]

If Bonine makes you sleepy, take it going to bed.  If you have never used it before, try it at home before sailing.  I always take it going to bed. Usually, one pill works24 hours for me.

[Marine7]

4 hours ago, WestLakeGirl said:

There is an essential oil product called MotionEze that helps.  You put a drop behind each ear a couple of times a day.  Smells like peppermint and lavender.  You can buy it at Walmart and maybe larger chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, or can order it on line.  It helps with car sickness, too.  

We too use MotionEze with no side effects. What a great product and it really works!

[Dawg74]

These are some great suggestions!! Thanks everyone for the input.  Good to know many of you prone motion sickness have found ways to mitigate the symptoms with out the patch. We are cruising next year so we will give some of these suggestions a try.

 

Devin

[Harrylinden]

My Husband gets seasick and we discovered Bio Bands.They are drug free.They work by compression on your Pressure point on your wrist.Just goggle Bio Bands and they will come up.These are different than the ones in the drugstore.These are adjustable! Works great.We don't leave home without them!

[sound_guy0918]

2 hours ago, hancock said:

If Bonine makes you sleepy, take it going to bed.  If you have never used it before, try it at home before sailing.  I always take it going to bed. Usually, one pill works24 hours for me.

DW swears by Bonine...tried it at home first to make sure it didn't make her drowsy...

[Iamthesea]

We are also big fans of over the counter Meclizine.  We get it from our pharmacist without a RX.

 

I suggest that your wife try taking a pill at home when she doesn't have much going on to see how she reacts to it.    Neither my husband and I get sleepy from it.  We take 1/2 pill (we started with a whole pill and it seemed too strong) the morning of the first day of our cruise.  I rarely have to take it again during the cruise.  My husband will take a booster if the seas are high.

[SeaHunt]

7 hours ago, WestLakeGirl said:

There is an essential oil product called MotionEze that helps.  You put a drop behind each ear a couple of times a day.  Smells like peppermint and lavender.  You can buy it at Walmart and maybe larger chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, or can order it on line.  It helps with car sickness, too.  

 

3 hours ago, Marine7 said:

We too use MotionEze with no side effects. What a great product and it really works!

 

Another vote for MotionEaze - all the charter fishing boats have it onboard down here. It's all natural, plus you can drink while using and it won't put you to sleep like some of the other remedies <hiccup> LOL

 

https://motioneaze.com/

[OnTheJourney]

8 hours ago, WestLakeGirl said:

There is an essential oil product called MotionEze that helps.  You put a drop behind each ear a couple of times a day.  Smells like peppermint and lavender.  You can buy it at Walmart and maybe larger chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, or can order it on line.  It helps with car sickness, too.  

 

I believe you're referring to a product that is very similar to one called "Divertigo" (perhaps IS the same with just a different name and packaging). Basically essential oils. I use it for Meniere's episodes - lightheadedness, slight dizziness, etc. 

Edited November 27, 2019 by OnTheJourney

[cruise kitty]

I"m one of the lucky ones who doesn't get sea sick, but I consistently get land sick after cruises or sailing...  lasts about 3 or 4 days, Bonine helps.  

[BellKat]

Please have her try a ReliefBand. Works wonders for me. It gives you an electrical impulse & the charge can be regulated. I was very sick for 2 hours on a small boat, a friend gave me her band to try and within 5 minutes I was fine and starving! I had thrown up everything I had eaten that day. You can find them on Amazon or at their own website which currently has a 20% off promotion (at least they did yesterday). Also ask her doctor to give her some anti-nausea medication - I took that after a concussion & after a severe reaction to a food that made me very sick. 

[NCHPcruiser]

TravelCalm was recommended by our Great Barrier Reef charter company, ABC Scuba (who were absolutely amazing ) last February in Australia pre-cruise.  I purchased it once in Port Douglas but it may be available on Amazon.  Drowsiness is not associated with this over-the-counter medication (at least in AU and why I’m sure it’s suggested for a snorkel/dive trip).  I had  no side effects from while I have had side effects from the scopolamine patch.  Since it worked so well on a small boat deep sea dive (on a very rough day I might add)  I later purchased more “just in case”.  

[NCHPcruiser]

I should have double checked before I posted above.  The medication which worked so well for me  is NOT TravelCalm but TRAVACALM.  It is available on Amazon.  It contains Dimenhydrate 50 mg, Hyoscine hydrobromidev0.2mg, Caffeine 20 mg. 

[cruznjan]

Bonnie. My son took it for car car sickness.

[mom says]

22 minutes ago, NCHPcruiser said:

I should have double checked before I posted above.  The medication which worked so well for me  is NOT TravelCalm but TRAVACALM.  It is available on Amazon.  It contains Dimenhydrate 50 mg, Hyoscine hydrobromidev0.2mg, Caffeine 20 mg. 

I suggest you look at the side effects of the active ingredients in Travacalm. Dimenhydrinate is the generic name of Gravol or Dramamine, both of which list drowsiness as the first side effect. Hyoscine is another name or form for Scopolomine, which is known for several bothersome side effects although in this case the dose is very low. I'm afraid this isn't as innocuous as you think it is.

Edited November 28, 2019 by mom says