Try nibbling on some fresh ginger, it works
Need some good tricks for dealing with sea sickness.
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I must be one of those-salt in the veins types because I just don't get seasick. My wife however does and she mentioned to me that being distracted /busy helped her
oceanbound
Contributor
I don't like the feeling that the medication leaves with me, makes me sleepy so i've learned for myself that
1. i make sure I eat a decent meal first. (I actually learned this on a cruise ship- was told that part of the sea sickness comes from having an empty stomach)
2. I wear the braclets. some say they don't work, but I know that this with a meal, putting the braclets on at least 15 minutes before stepping on the boat works for me. I haven't been sea sick again.
3. if I feel bad, then I look at the horizon, not the waves, and think about how lucky I am to be able to be diving, not the "oh no I'm stuck on a boat and am going to be sick" thoughts.
hope you find something that helps
1. i make sure I eat a decent meal first. (I actually learned this on a cruise ship- was told that part of the sea sickness comes from having an empty stomach)
2. I wear the braclets. some say they don't work, but I know that this with a meal, putting the braclets on at least 15 minutes before stepping on the boat works for me. I haven't been sea sick again.
3. if I feel bad, then I look at the horizon, not the waves, and think about how lucky I am to be able to be diving, not the "oh no I'm stuck on a boat and am going to be sick" thoughts.
hope you find something that helps
DazedAndConfuzed
Contributor
I've had situations where there were big swells and we got on the boat but had to wait for everybody to come back before we start moving. Lots of people got sick. So on the next dive, when we finished the dive, we just hung out on the surface and looked down into the water. There is no more sea sickness and you get to kill time until they drag you out of the water. Maybe if you are just hanging out on the boat for SI, you can just jump into the water with your mask and snorkel.
AbyssalPlains
Contributor
I would not be surprised if taking Dramamine that much in advance was precisely the reason why it didn't work. i normally am not prone to sea sickness, but every once in a while, it really gets me. The one time I took Dramamine was the day following a dive trip that left me miserable enough to consider canceling next day's trip. Someone talked me into chewing a pill, and two hours later, I was sitting below the deck, reading a book in 5-foot swells, happy as can be.
You're supposed to take this stuff an hour before the trip, not four days before the trip. As far as I understand, nobody really knows how it works exactly, but people seem to believe it inhibits a neurotransmitter that wreaks havoc with your sense of balance. If that is true, I could very well imagine a scenario where your body habituates to the drug if taken so far in advance.
I would give Dramamine another shot and take it as directed. From talking to medical professionals, I learned that no scientific data exist to support the effectiveness of ginger (it certainly didn't do anything for me), and the wrist bands supposedly only work if you are superstitious enough to believe they do.
You're supposed to take this stuff an hour before the trip, not four days before the trip. As far as I understand, nobody really knows how it works exactly, but people seem to believe it inhibits a neurotransmitter that wreaks havoc with your sense of balance. If that is true, I could very well imagine a scenario where your body habituates to the drug if taken so far in advance.
I would give Dramamine another shot and take it as directed. From talking to medical professionals, I learned that no scientific data exist to support the effectiveness of ginger (it certainly didn't do anything for me), and the wrist bands supposedly only work if you are superstitious enough to believe they do.
I get very seasick very easily. I get sick in cars, planes, and boats. I get sick in rocking chairs and porch swings. I get just a wee bit queasy in elevators.
Having any food in my stomach makes it worse. I cannot eat before going on a boat or while on it. Ginger does nothing for me, nor do the bracelets, either the ones that apply pressure by means of a little bead, nor the ones that give a slight electrical shock.
Original Dramamine does nothing for me.
Meclazine helps a little. That's the ingredient in "non-drowsy" Dramamine and in Bonine.
Scopolamine helps the most. I'll still get a little queasy in moderate seas, but not enough to spoil the fun. In severe seas I'll get sick, but less sick than without it.
The scopolamine patch (Transderm Scop) seems to deliver too much scopolamine the first day, increasing side-effects, which can be severe, and for me consist of a sore throat and some dizziness, and delivers too little the third day (it's supposed to last 3 days) so that I get sick. Maybe the seawater affects the delivery of the medicine.
So I've switched to the scopolamine tablets (Scopace) which have to be taken every 8 hours, but can be split in half and taken in dosages from half a tablet to two tablets, and repeated at intervals from 6 hours to 10 hours, allowing you to fine-tune your dosage. This seems to work best for me.
Scopolamine should not be taken if you have narrow-angle glaucoma or even if you have narrow angles that have not quite become glaucoma. It can decrease the angles and cause an episode of over-pressure in the eyes. (There is a procedure involving a laser that can reduce eye angles, so narrow angle glaucoma is not a lifetime prohibition against scopolamine.) For men, scopolamine should not be taken if you have enlarged prostate. There may be other counter-indications as well. This is why it's a prescription drug. Taking someone else's prescription, or giving some of yours to someone else can have serious medical consequences, including permanent eye damage in the case of glaucoma.
As many people have said already, it also helps to stay hydrated (though it can be difficult once you are already sick), to stand amidships, and to watch the horizon or a point on land, if visible. Standing and holding onto the boat allows you to move as the ship rolls, thus reducing the total actual movement of your upper body. That is, you want to move contrary to the boat's motion, thus minimizing the motion of your upper body.
I hope this helps.
Having any food in my stomach makes it worse. I cannot eat before going on a boat or while on it. Ginger does nothing for me, nor do the bracelets, either the ones that apply pressure by means of a little bead, nor the ones that give a slight electrical shock.
Original Dramamine does nothing for me.
Meclazine helps a little. That's the ingredient in "non-drowsy" Dramamine and in Bonine.
Scopolamine helps the most. I'll still get a little queasy in moderate seas, but not enough to spoil the fun. In severe seas I'll get sick, but less sick than without it.
The scopolamine patch (Transderm Scop) seems to deliver too much scopolamine the first day, increasing side-effects, which can be severe, and for me consist of a sore throat and some dizziness, and delivers too little the third day (it's supposed to last 3 days) so that I get sick. Maybe the seawater affects the delivery of the medicine.
So I've switched to the scopolamine tablets (Scopace) which have to be taken every 8 hours, but can be split in half and taken in dosages from half a tablet to two tablets, and repeated at intervals from 6 hours to 10 hours, allowing you to fine-tune your dosage. This seems to work best for me.
Scopolamine should not be taken if you have narrow-angle glaucoma or even if you have narrow angles that have not quite become glaucoma. It can decrease the angles and cause an episode of over-pressure in the eyes. (There is a procedure involving a laser that can reduce eye angles, so narrow angle glaucoma is not a lifetime prohibition against scopolamine.) For men, scopolamine should not be taken if you have enlarged prostate. There may be other counter-indications as well. This is why it's a prescription drug. Taking someone else's prescription, or giving some of yours to someone else can have serious medical consequences, including permanent eye damage in the case of glaucoma.
As many people have said already, it also helps to stay hydrated (though it can be difficult once you are already sick), to stand amidships, and to watch the horizon or a point on land, if visible. Standing and holding onto the boat allows you to move as the ship rolls, thus reducing the total actual movement of your upper body. That is, you want to move contrary to the boat's motion, thus minimizing the motion of your upper body.
I hope this helps.
Rocketmahn
Contributor
I have lived aboard many boats, and I have a 100% sure fire method of getting rid of sea-sickness.
Go and sit underneath a Palm tree - works every time!!!!
If that is not an option then I take Draminine before I go to bed the night prior to the trip, and then in the morning about an hour (or more) before getting on the boat.
On small live aboard's (40-50') I use the transdermscop patch for 3 days and then nothing.
Go and sit underneath a Palm tree - works every time!!!!
If that is not an option then I take Draminine before I go to bed the night prior to the trip, and then in the morning about an hour (or more) before getting on the boat.
On small live aboard's (40-50') I use the transdermscop patch for 3 days and then nothing.
divndoc
Registered
I am a physician and suggest you look into a class of prescription medications known as 5HT3 receptor antagonists. These medications initially were used by physicians to prevent and treat nausea in chemotherapy patients. Initially they were very expensive (think over $300 for a single pill). Now they are available in generic for a few bucks. There are 3 commonly available in the USA. All require a prescription. Kytril, Zofran and Anzemet. I have no experience with the Anzemet but I personally have used the Zofran (4mg and 8mg tablets) and Kytril (1mg tablets) and have given these meds to my friends to use and the results have been amazing. People who get seasick in 2 foot seas are able to go out in rough conditions with no problems. The medications are very well tolerated and safe for adults and children. I recommend the medication be taken an hour before getting on the boat but I have even given these medications to people after they have become seasick and have had excellent results. If your physician is not familiar with these medications, he/she may have some reluctance to prescribe because these medications are "used for cancer patients." The reality is that these are some of the safest anti-nausea medications made. The side effect profile is very low and adverse reactions are extremely rare.
Use to get sea sick when I was young, it stopped as I got older...When patches came out and as people have said they were strong and had side effects....Got around that by cutting it in 1/2, putting it behind my ear before going to bed and putting the other 1/2 behind other ear before getting on the boat....Have a friend who still does the same thing and puts a hard lemon or ginger drop candy in his mouth during the trip even while diving.....Hope you find what works......
A few people have mentioned the "look at horizon" trick but didn't mention the other thing you have to do....but Daniel1948 did and I think that is secret that works for me.
Whenever possible either sitting or standing I try to minimize the movement of my upper body by imagining I am part of a big gimbal and let the ship move "around" me in pitch roll and yaw. I also minimize the vertical movements by staying away from the bow. Find that sweet pivot spot on the boat and stay near it.
And think positive, like Yogi Berra said "Ninety percent of this game is half mental."
Whenever possible either sitting or standing I try to minimize the movement of my upper body by imagining I am part of a big gimbal and let the ship move "around" me in pitch roll and yaw. I also minimize the vertical movements by staying away from the bow. Find that sweet pivot spot on the boat and stay near it.
And think positive, like Yogi Berra said "Ninety percent of this game is half mental."
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