Any tips for sea sickness?

[Snoweman]

There is no magic pill. As @rick00001967 is trying to impart in his post is that it takes work. And once your stomach is full of acid and screwed-up, there is no fixing that. A seasick person needs to FORCE themselves to eat small portions of some food that does not upset their stomach further! There is no magic medication that will fix that; the side affects from those meds create their own problems. One of our guests ended up in a psych ward for a week because of scopolamine combined with a rough passage. The scopolamine gave him hallucinations.

For short trips, my wife swears on peppermint beads and ginger, taken well before stepping on the boat.

 

[chillyinCanada]

absolutely true. some boats are horrible near the stern for fumes.

my comment was meant to point out that there is usually the least amount of movement near the back of the boat.

i would suggest being high on the bridge would be the worst option. but thats just me.

+1

 

[Divin'Papaw]

I will add a +1 to the smoke fumes being bad, very BAD, for sea sickness. The one and only time I hurled on a boat was due to a combination of a boat with very bad exhaust fumes and a captain who was a chain smoker. It was an awful combination. I just stopped fighting it and I hurled. It had to be a near record distance. Once I decided I needed to let it fly I wasn't messing around! It was helpful to just get it over with. I was also able to get in both dives.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

For short trips, my wife swears on peppermint beads and ginger, taken well before stepping on the boat.

Peppermint beads?

 

[Snoweman]

Peppermint beads?

Yes. You put them under your tongue.

https://www.amazon.com/doTERRA-Pepp...ywords=peppermint+beads&qid=1625845083&sr=8-3

 

[Bazzathemammoth]

Hi Snoweman,

There is no magic pill. As @rick00001967 is trying to impart in his post is that it takes work. And once your stomach is full of acid and screwed-up, there is no fixing that. A seasick person needs to FORCE themselves to eat small portions of some food that does not upset their stomach further! There is no magic medication that will fix that; the side affects from those meds create their own problems. One of our guests ended up in a psych ward for a week because of scopolamine combined with a rough passage. The scopolamine gave him hallucinations.

The people who don't get over seasickness are the ones who won't work at it while they feel like crap. Do you know how lousy I felt in the galley making my tuna sandwiches at O-Dark-30 after I had puked-up a ½ nectarine pie? Or how about the time I ate all of the beef tenderloin that the galley chef piled on my plate? Yeah, again at Zero-Dark-30 I was in the galley making my tuna sandwiches and five hours later I was eating a full breakfast and feeling quite well, even though we were still taking 12 foot seas (not swells) on the beam. Even some of us pros have problems now and then.

The people who shut-down at the first sign of seasickness and expect a magic solution will probably never get over it. Sorry! It takes work and a "gut-check" Grit your teeth and carry-on.



Have you tried eating small quantities of food after you up-chucked? Have you tried making yourself busy after your "Ralph" experience (with that breakfast burrito in one hand)? Wallowing in your seasickness problem doesn't fix it. Eat and get busy.

Once you learn how to deal with your seasickness issue, it becomes easier. You know, "been there, done that!"

"The best cure for seasickness is more time at sea." @Scraps

Scraps is right-on! For some people it takes more time at sea than others.

cheers,
m

Sorry but you are wrong here. I've done more sea miles than most recreational boaters (our current mfd shows 5k NM over the last few years).

I still go out in all conditions and work very hard to ensure i don't throw up. There is some good advice in this thread about that. For me the best thing is to get on the helm and look forward. Once i throw up its game over unless i get to a stable place.

I can force myself to do things after i have thrown up, but that always ends with me throwing up more until my stomach is empty and I'm just dry retching every minute or so.

Dont assume that everyone is the same.

 

[markmud]

Sorry but you are wrong here. I've done more sea miles than most recreational boaters (our current mfd shows 5k NM over the last few years).

I still go out in all conditions and work very hard to ensure i don't throw up. There is some good advice in this thread about that. For me the best thing is to get on the helm and look forward. Once i throw up its game over unless i get to a stable place.

I can force myself to do things after i have thrown up, but that always ends with me throwing up more until my stomach is empty and I'm just dry retching every minute or so.

Dont assume that everyone is the same.

Who is assuming?

We did 7500 NM on one voyage. Alaska no less. We are all different. I aint no yachtie! I forgot what the sumlog read after a voyage through the Caribbean and up to Seattle.

I am sorry that seasickness is an ongoing problem for you.

Have you tried eating your way out of it, or do you wallow in your misery?

Cheers,
m

 

[Bazzathemammoth]

Ive tried everything. If i eat or drink it comes straight back up, not matter what it is or how much i consume.

A love for the sea keeps me going out and a good sleep fixes me. I know enough tricks that i only get incapacitated a few times a year so its just the price of boating for me.

I have always wondered about doing a bluewater passage as i have heard that most people come right after a day or 2. For now ill stick to my coastal racing/cruising.

 

[Regulatrix]

My wife loves to dive but has a lot of problems with sea sickness. It seems to be getting worse. I feel bad for her as she gets really disappointed because it prevents her from doing what she loves. She has tried Dramamine and Bonine and it helps a little but not all the time. Was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks that might help her. Thank you!

Ugh, I feel for her. That's no fun.

Best pharmaceutical help I've found so far has been scopolamine transdermal patches, as some have previously mentioned. I been instructed to wear mine behind the ear, and to apply the patch well before diving begins. It's too strong for some, in the sense that they experience unpleasant side effects. I have no complaints on that score so far, but YMMV.

Dramamine works fairly well for me with local freshwater diving (I take it at least an hour before splash time) but someone on this thread suggested taking it the night before as well as the on the morning of diving. I think I might start trying that. Dramamine has never been enough for me so far for ocean diving.

The other thing is I would suggest is to take a global approach. For example, yes, take whatever pharmaceutical seems to work best for you, but also do the things like experimenting with your pre-dive eating, seek out fresh air and the less bouncy parts of the vessel, look at the horizon, have peppermints or peppermint oil on hand, etc.

 

[BRT]

Nobody has worse seasick problems than I do. Now I take meclazine the night before, hyoscine an hour before I get on the boat and have no problems unless the weather is so bad the local fishermen I am with are queasy. Even then it is not terrible. Nothing else worked effectively for 40 years. This does.