Seasickness

[hellosailor]

Yes, stay on shore or read the existing threads. There's been nothing new about seasick remedies in the last ten years.

[Janelletb1]

Many thanks! I think I have had Stugeron from an English skipper, don't think we can get it in Australia, but will see my Dr about it.

[neelie]

You can't get Stugeron over the counter in Oz. Not even sure it's available there at all. However, any of the online pharmacies (Google is your friend) can mail it to you, usually it will come from the UK where you can buy it over the counter at any pharmacy.

[Captain Ludd]

Originally Posted by Janelletb1

Many thanks! I think I have had Stugeron from an English skipper, don't think we can get it in Australia, but will see my Dr about it.

Best to check is it may well be sold there but under a different brand name.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Captain Ludd

Best to check is it may well be sold there but under a different brand name.

Stugeron is actually cinnarizine, banned in the USA and Canada, prescription only in Australia, available over the counter in the UK and European countries ( go figure ! )

In my experience, it's the most effective anti motion sickness drug available , avoid the " forte" version , it's too strong

Dave

[rakedfront1]

There is one more remedy I did not see in any of the posts here about seasickness. Do NOTHING!.....Let your body (ears) adjust and eventually it will heal itself. Let me explain!
I do not get sea sick but my wife did. We started sailing 2 years ago and she could not even sail in 1 foot seas without being incapacitated because of seasickness......So SHE DID NOTHING!....We are strong believers of our body to heal itself with just proper care and natural remedies... We frown upon most practices of modern medicine and especially pharmaceutical industry and she did not take any medicine. Two years later she is healed. Notice that I said healed. When I was in school of pharmacy the word of the day was TREATMENT. But that is another story and I am sure I will get pounded here shortly by those of you in the medical field.
Bottom line, she does not get seasick anymore. Last month we went for a sail in 3 to 5 feet seas. She even went in the cabin to cook lunch when we hove to. Last summer we slept in the ocean by the coast and again she did not get sick.
Will it work for everybody? Probably not! If at the first sign of medical trouble you run for the pill it will not work. It takes time, patience and it will suck because you will be sick. But you will be sick less and less, and eventually HEALED ( a word that most big fish in the pharmaceutical industry hate)......Cheers

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by rakedfront1

There is one more remedy I did not see in any of the posts here about seasickness. Do NOTHING!.....Let your body (ears) adjust and eventually it will heal itself. Let me explain!
I do not get sea sick but my wife did. We started sailing 2 years ago and she could not even sail in 1 foot seas without being incapacitated because of seasickness......So SHE DID NOTHING!....We are strong believers of our body to heal itself with just proper care and natural remedies... We frown upon most practices of modern medicine and especially pharmaceutical industry and she did not take any medicine. Two years later she is healed. Notice that I said healed. When I was in school of pharmacy the word of the day was TREATMENT. But that is another story and I am sure I will get pounded here shortly by those of you in the medical field.
Bottom line, she does not get seasick anymore. Last month we went for a sail in 3 to 5 feet seas. She even went in the cabin to cook lunch when we hove to. Last summer we slept in the ocean by the coast and again she did not get sick.
Will it work for everybody? Probably not! If at the first sign of medical trouble you run for the pill it will not work. It takes time, patience and it will suck because you will be sick. But you will be sick less and less, and eventually HEALED ( a word that most big fish in the pharmaceutical industry hate)......Cheers

I'm sorry this is patient nonsense. There are many people that suffer initial motion sickness but over time find they can cope or that the symptoms go away. Most sailors probably suffer some sickness at the start of a journey, especially if they have been away from the boat for a while. Then they acclimatise and no further effects are evident. However severe conditions or funny smells may re-induce nausea.

Your wife didn't HEAL cause sea sickness is Incorrectly labelled, she merely acclimatised.

However, some people never acclimatise. Bad seasickness can ultimately cause DEATH , so the most foolish remark you made is the " do nothing " really really bad advice.

For people that suffer from serious seasickness. Medication to dampen the inner ear is the only solution ( or natural forms of same, like ginger ). Some people never cope.

Dave

[rakedfront1]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I'm sorry this is patient nonsense. There are many people that suffer initial motion sickness but over time find they can cope or that the symptoms go away. Most sailors probably suffer some sickness at the start of a journey, especially if they have been away from the boat for a while. Then they acclimatise and no further effects are evident. However severe conditions or funny smells may re-induce nausea.

Your wife didn't HEAL cause sea sickness is Incorrectly labelled, she merely acclimatised.

However, some people never acclimatise. Bad seasickness can ultimately cause DEATH , so the most foolish remark you made is the " do nothing " really really bad advice.

For people that suffer from serious seasickness. Medication to dampen the inner ear is the only solution ( or natural forms of same, like ginger ). Some people never cope.

Dave

Here we go. I knew this will come to this. I respectfully disagree sir. My wife is healed from seasickness. I cannot put it any other way. You can call it acclimatised if you like.

I did make the remarque that this approach will not work for anybody. I also did not say or imply that a person that suffers from seasickness should leave their pills at home when they are getting ready to cross an ocean and endanger their life.

OK let me give you another example and try to explain this Do Nothing approach I was suggesting earlier. When I went to the dentist a few years back the dentist told me I need to go to the doctor because of my high blood pressure and I will probably end up on medication. I did not follow his advise. Instead a I reviewed my life habits, made a few changes changes and 4 years later I am still here with 120/80 blood pressure.....you see I call this do nothing approach. Screw the traditional medical bs of dealing with "disease" by running to the doctor and to the medicine cabinet.

I have so many more examples like the one above. In the western world if you do not go for regular medical check ups, get vaccinated for flu every fall or wash you hands with sanitizer every time you touch something people look at you funny.

Disclaimer: all the above comes from an ex medical field renegade..... Moi....... (nursing and pharmacy). I am not stating that all medical practices are bad nor that everybody in the pharmaceutical field are a bunch of crooks.......so take it with a grain of salt, I was not giving medical advise. This is how my wife got healed from seasickness.

......now lets get back to sailing .........

[BandB]

Seasickness lessens or disappears for many because their body acclimates. It doesn't do that better or poorer because they choose to use medical means to alleviate seasickness initially. And the medical means make it more tolerable while waiting to acclimate. There is no need to suffer needlessly.

Now as to the treatments, I do believe in taking the mildest method that works. Concentrate on what is eaten, where located on the boat and what to do. Different things work for different people. Bands do work for some. Medications help some, especially early going. The reason to hope ultimately they can be reduced or eliminated is that they all do have side effects.

But the healing one's on body and not medications has one severe risk to it. That may not happen or may take too long and the person in question may decide boating isn't for them because of it. We encourage all first time guests to use patches. Then the second time or third after having actually experienced a sickness free journey, they don't and our guests have used that method and found it to work. But by making the likelihood of their first times sickness free greater, we then make the chances of them acclimating and, as you called it, healing, greater.

Talking about much of it being in the mind is true, but it's true from a medical, chemical perspective. Seasickness treatments do address this. They address an imbalance of natural substances. Over time most find that the imbalance no longer occurs so the medication is no longer needed or they find it only occurs in the worst conditions.

Personally I have never been seasick. However, if suddenly I found myself in the worst conditions of my life I would probably take something just because that is the one time I could not risk being incapacitated. It's actually surprising in a way that I've never been seasick because as a child I did get carsick. Oh, and I took medications for that until I figured out how to avoid it by what I ate and where I sat in the car and what I did in the car.

[robert sailor]

As a friend once told me when he was extremely sea sick, "for awhile I thought I was going to die but then I began to worry that I may not"! Get something that works, its not a fun experience.

[forsailbyowner]

Ive found if you acclimatize slowly theres much less chance of becoming sick. If im going on a longer trip with someone who is prone to seasickness it helps to anchor in a relatively sheltered place for a day or two, then one with more exposure for a night or two, then head out. Jumping right out offshore into rough weather from land life will bring out the seasickness worst

[Bill_E]

True, there have been lots of threads about seasickness. But, I think it's a subject worth revisiting from time to time. Check here for references:
sea sickness - Cruisers & Sailing Forums - Discussions about Sea Sickness

I've used several different things with varying success. I find meclizine works well for me and doesn't make me significantly drowsy. I tried Stugeron once in Mexico and it seemed to work about as well as meclizine. I have an electric wristband and it will alleviate symptoms but not entirely clear them up. The scopolamine patch worked like a champ and lasts 3 days so it's pretty easy to use, and you can put it on after getting seasick, though I don't have any experience doing so. But it's a little expensive and harder to come by.

IMO, the best advice is that different things work for different people. Differing sea states will affect you differently. I have an acquaintance who sailed across the Pacific and only got seasick about 2 days out of New Zealand, to the point where she was vomiting blood. Also, the best advice is to try the drug on land a few days before you leave, mostly to see if it has adverse side affects, like sleepiness or lack of concentration.

Bill

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Bill_E

True, there have been lots of threads about seasickness. But, I think it's a subject worth revisiting from time to time. Check here for references:
sea sickness - Cruisers & Sailing Forums - Discussions about Sea Sickness

I've used several different things with varying success. I find meclizine works well for me and doesn't make me significantly drowsy. I tried Stugeron once in Mexico and it seemed to work about as well as meclizine. I have an electric wristband and it will alleviate symptoms but not entirely clear them up. The scopolamine patch worked like a champ and lasts 3 days so it's pretty easy to use, and you can put it on after getting seasick, though I don't have any experience doing so. But it's a little expensive and harder to come by.

IMO, the best advice is that different things work for different people. Differing sea states will affect you differently. I have an acquaintance who sailed across the Pacific and only got seasick about 2 days out of New Zealand, to the point where she was vomiting blood. Also, the best advice is to try the drug on land a few days before you leave, mostly to see if it has adverse side affects, like sleepiness or lack of concentration.

Bill

One needs to be very careful buying Sturgeron outside of Europe. It is used in much higher dosages for other purposes and need to make sure you aren't given the higher dosage.

[dmchose]

Things that one does not suggest for Sea Sickness.
# 1. Take your mind off the mal and lets make our own rhythm to the swells.
# 2. Ask where the shaving lotion is.
# 3. Suggest that maybe getting off the cabin sole and getting some omelets going would help get your mind off it ...
------------------
All tried with same results..

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by rakedfront1

I did not follow his advise. Instead a I reviewed my life habits, made a few changes changes and 4 years later I am still here with 120/80 blood pressure.....you see I call this do nothing approach.

How do you reconcile the blue with the red?

Either you changed something or you didn't.

Sometimes acclimatizing can work. Not for everyone, but it is a real OPTION.

Thanks for reminding us of it.