Sea Sickenss - The Holy Grail of Pills.....

[SaltyMetals]

A64, not that i have tried it but i am also told that pineapple is a good solution bec that also tastes the same coming up as it did going down!

For S/S everyone is different but i find that Stugeron is a good solution. In extremis the Scop patch behind the ear works when others do not work but the advice is not to get the patch wet bec then you are likely to have hallucinations.
Andrew

[Skipper John]

Years ago cruisers were extolling Sturgeron as the definitive seasick medicine. Not available in Canada so I got some from Mexico at the time.
I don't know the strength off hand, it's on the boat, but was told to only take 1/4 pill. Fortunately I don't get mal de mer easily so never used it until a 2018 Atlantic crossing. First night out of Cadiz it blew up and we were pounding into 4 m seas. None of us had taken seasick meds and all got sick amid the chaos of not having sailproofed our cabin gear adequately.
So I took a 1/4 pill of my pretty old Sturgeron and was fine. Only took 1/4 pill leaving port each time after that. No more issues.
The pills are blister packed so don't degrade obviously. And they are packaged in such large quantities that at this dosage would last me a couple of lifetimes! Couldn't convince the rest of the crew to try it. They kept fiddling with other stuff with mixed results.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Adiona

Note to Captains and keepers of the Medical kit onboard.
As I read these comments I would urge caution. I saw someone recommend Compazine. I am allergic to Compaxine, which requires an urgent trip to the Er to treat....

I believe Stugeron should not be taken by those who have Glaucoma. People need to read the instructions for the drugs to check on possible affects with other drugs and/or health conditions.

Later,
Dan

[summer love]

i have had success using sugar coated ginger.....works on children and adults....

[dannc]

Originally Posted by summer love

i have had success using sugar coated ginger.....works on children and adults....

If one is near a Costco, they sometimes sell a big 24 oz bag of dried ginger aka ginger "dried" with sugar. Our Costco usually has the ginger but sometimes we can't find it. We use it for making teas, especially when people are sick.

Later,
Dan

[EngNate]

A very effective pill is sold in Mexico by the name Bonazin. It was previously called Bonadoxina. Its made by Pfizer and contains meclazine and piroxidine. Little or no side effects and is the only thing I've observed to help people when they've already become sick.

[SteveC68]

Has anyone tried meclizine? It's over the counter in the US and doesn't cause drowsiness. Moreover if you are already sea sick you can take a dose and it has always stopped the sickness.

[skenn_ie]

I suffer from seasickness, but have only thrown up a few times. I have recently become aware the my balance mechanism is poor, and thinking back, I believe it always was. It presents itself when I am walking in poor light, or along a line of kerb-stones. I depend a lot on visual references, and I think the problem is getting worse as my reflexes slow in late-middle-age.
I often wonder if other people who are susceptable to seasickness could also have an impaired balance mechanism. We probably don't realise that there is anything deficient if we have always been that way.

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by alansmith

Usually scopolamine works well for me. But last trip down to Mexico’s Sea of Cortez I found the side affects terrible. I was so dizzy I felt like I was whirling around even as I laid in my bunk. Also I had very pronounced cotton mouth. I will give sturgeon a try.

Are you referring to oral scopolomine or transdermal? What dose? What is your age and sex? It is pretty well known that older males are more prone to the adverse neurologic effects of this drug.

I have used the scopolamine patches with excellent effect and zero noticeable side effects - and am a male in my 60's.

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by EngNate

A very effective pill is sold in Mexico by the name Bonazin. It was previously called Bonadoxina. Its made by Pfizer and contains meclazine and piroxidine. Little or no side effects and is the only thing I've observed to help people when they've already become sick.

I wonder if this is a combination drug targeted to hyperemesis gravidum (morning sickness of pregnancy). The addition of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) makes me wonder if this is what they are trying to treat. That is not to say it might not be quite useful in mal de mer - as the poster seems to have experienced. Meclizine can on its own can be quite effective. B6, in reasonable doses, is as unlikely to harm as help, but I think the evidence for an antinausea effect of B6 alone is weak.

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by SaltyMetals

In extremis the Scop patch behind the ear works when others do not work but the advice is not to get the patch wet bec then you are likely to have hallucinations.
Andrew

The patch can be quite effective but do be aware that it can take up to 4 hours to kick in. So it is not nearly as good a solution for when you are already nauseous as it is to prevent you from getting nauseous. Oral scopolamine has much faster onset, but is highly prone to generate the adverse effects. This is because it is rapidly metabolized - so if you take a pill, it gets into your blood quickly, your levels go up pretty high, and while that can good for quick symptom relief, it is that fast ramp up to a high level that is also the cause of the side effects (which can be pretty nasty). The patch uses absorption through the skin to slow down and even out the blood levels. It is like a little reservoir that sits there and slowly oozes the medicine into you. That means that your blood levels stay quite even for up to 3 days. But again, no quick relief.
You have to be careful with the patch - if you get your finger on the medicine side of the patch and then touch your eye you will have a very strong side effect in that eye.
And really, do talk with your doc about it before you use it - there are some conditions and other medicines that make for a bad combination.

[Forfar Petrie]

I have taken many people out.to sea and there are very few that don't get sick in a variety of sea conditions. Even after extensive cruising my wife is one of them. We have tried various meds and Travacalm Original is by far the best available in Australia. . No one has been sick on my vessels if they take them as recommended. Travacalm contains 3 ingredients, 2 with antemetic properties, and caffeine to counter drowsiness.

[lhuff35204]

I have never been sea sick, but many of my companions have. Scopolamine patches (Transderm Scop) are the best way to prevent nausea associated with motion sickness. They require a prescription, but they're preferred over popular over-the-counter alternatives. Scopolamine patches are more effective than the motion sickness antihistamine meclizine (Antivert or Bonine). I also carry Donnatal (phenobarbital, hyoscyamine sulfate, atropine sulfate, and scopolamine hydrobromide) as an "off label" treatment when every thing else fails. One Donnatal will cure the worst sea sickness very quickly.

[skenn_ie]

My brother, a commercial fisherman on coastal trawlers, used to get seasick for 2 or 3 days when he moved to a different boat. I have used Stugeron (as opposed to sturgeon) and found them effective though not so good if you are on watch.

[SpringHollow]

I have tried the bead bands, the electric zapping bands, Dramamine, and Dramamine II with only slightly positive results. Stugeron works so well for me that I am even able to read while on the boat. Amazing stuff for me.