Dramamine

[friscuba]

Every dive operator I've worked for has recommended Bonine (non-drowsy dramamine is the same thing), one prior to bed the night before then one the morning before the dive. Never have seen it fail if taken in this manner.

 

[simonk999]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, the active ingredient in Bonine and non-drowsy Dramamine is Meclizine Hydrochloride (sometimes just listed as Meclizine, sometimes as Meclizine HCL). Useful to know because you may not find the brand-name outside the US (in my experience, usually one can find only "normal" dramamine), but you can often find it if you know the chemical.

 

[RP Diver]

My wife uses Bonine, one tablet each morning as soon as she gets up. It works for her both for land based resorts trips and for liveaboards (and she has had some rough ones). She is sufficiently motion sensitive that, without medication, she can get sick on winding mountain roads. Yet we have been on some nasty boat trips, and the Bonine always seems to do the trick for her.

Like what some others have said here, Dramamine just makes her sleepy, and doesn't do anything much for her seasickness.

One other point... she has also found that when we do a liveaboard trip, she needs to continue to take the Bonine for a couple of days after the end of the dive trip, as the switch back to land has a similar effect on her motion sensors.

 

[scubapolly]

Well... this is no joke but.... I take ginger pills and eat ginger cookies. (which I love) Can't say it will work for everyone, but it sure works for me.

When doing a live aboard I take a half of dramine (the non-drowsy kind) the day i am getting on the boat and the other half the day I am getting off of the boat (I get land sick much worse than sea sick), and gingersaps on the days inbetween when i am diving. I don't like to use any meds on the day of a dive.

When doing a day trip I check the weather conditions- or look into the location I am diving. Unless it is REALLY rough I just rely on the old "look at the horizon method", and watch what I eat for breakfast.

Polly

 

[BlueBlur]

DOn't mean to perpetuate this topic but last night I was talking to my father in law about seat sickness medication. He has been diving for a few years now and uses nitrox too. He says that his SCUBA book says not to take any of that stuff. He also says that he has been on boats where the dive master asked if anyone took any seasickness medicine. Anyway, my FIL told us NOT to take the medication. I told my husband that I am going to take it anyway. If I want to have a good dive I better take it. I also told my husband that he better take it as well. He gets motion sickness a lot easier than I do. he can get sick in a car. Anyway, just wondering if anyone of you have run into that sort of thing.

 

[jonnythan]

DOn't mean to perpetuate this topic but last night I was talking to my father in law about seat sickness medication. He has been diving for a few years now and uses nitrox too. He says that his SCUBA book says not to take any of that stuff. He also says that he has been on boats where the dive master asked if anyone took any seasickness medicine. Anyway, my FIL told us NOT to take the medication. I told my husband that I am going to take it anyway. If I want to have a good dive I better take it. I also told my husband that he better take it as well. He gets motion sickness a lot easier than I do. he can get sick in a car. Anyway, just wondering if anyone of you have run into that sort of thing.

Did they...... give you any reasons or anything? Don't you love when people tell you not to do stuff, but don't tell you why? Generally it's because they really don't know.

I wouldn't take regular Dramamine when diving because it makes me so groggy and drowsy.. that's probably where their blanket recommendation comes from. Bonine, and non-drowsy Dramamine (which I beleive are the same drug), work great for me.

 

[WellBelowH2O]

Did they...... give you any reasons or anything? Don't you love when people tell you not to do stuff, but don't tell you why? Generally it's because they really don't know..

Yes... it always irritates me when someone starts spouting advice that has no basis in reality. The first time I was on a boat deep sea fishing I told a friend that I was getting a bit sea-sick and if there was anything I should do to get better. He told me "whatever you do, DON'T look at the horizon" but couldn't give me a reason why. Don't try to act like an expert if you have nothing to back up your statements.

I wouldn't take regular Dramamine when diving because it makes me so groggy and drowsy.. that's probably where their blanket recommendation comes from. Bonine, and non-drowsy Dramamine (which I beleive are the same drug), work great for me.

Agreed... Bonine works for me as well. Even DAN does not say you shouldn't use it. They basically say that you should test it for side-effects before your dive to see if it causes problems, and if it does, to realize that those may be worse under water.

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=60

DAN is a great source for this type of info.

 

[BlueBlur]

Did they...... give you any reasons or anything? Don't you love when people tell you not to do stuff, but don't tell you why? Generally it's because they really don't know.

I wouldn't take regular Dramamine when diving because it makes me so groggy and drowsy.. that's probably where their blanket recommendation comes from. Bonine, and non-drowsy Dramamine (which I beleive are the same drug), work great for me.

I asked what the reason the book and the dive master gave for not taking seasickness pills was and he said he didn't know. I am a chemist and I don't work well with "don't do it just cause I said". I have to have a good reason so until I hear one, Bonine here I come. When I get a second, I may research it......

 

[Ishie]

Though I haven't had wildly good effectiveness because I get SO seasick (got a bit seasick ab diving while carrying one IN THE WATER over to my float), I have dived under the influence of the patch (best so far, though I'll still get seasick, but manageable), dramamine, and bonin. No ill effects from the medication. I have found the latter two completely ineffective (as have many others) if taken while nauseated though as a last resort, the dry bitter nasty dramamine can be melted under your tongue while seasick. If swallowed as a pill, you will eventually ralph up a tiny, unabsorbed, undigested pill. I prefer the chewable stuff not only because it's more pleasant, but because it dissolves better.

I've heard of different meds affecting people different ways. The ONLY side effect I get from the patch is dry mouth, but I know some other people have gotten really wacky on it. Dramamine doesn't really make me that sleepy, but I certainly don't let seasickness stop me from diving, and there's no WAY I would get on a boat without some form of protection.

I believe diving causes medication to be cycled through your body quicker, so they may recommend avoiding it because the effects will wear off sooner, but I've usually only heard that argument against taking allergy medicine because if it wears off at depth, you can get a reverse squeeze on the way up.

 

[friscuba]

I have found the latter two completely ineffective (as have many others) if taken while nauseated though as a last resort, the dry bitter nasty dramamine can be melted under your tongue while seasick. If swallowed as a pill, you will eventually ralph up a tiny, unabsorbed, undigested pill.

Just curious if you've tried taking bonine the night before, then again the next morning - at least 2 hours prior to getting on a boat. If you are throwing up a pill, you probably didn't take it soon enough to do any good. It needs to be in your system to work.

We get so many divers who show up to the boat and ask if we have anything that's going to work. All we can do is hope seabands and ginger help, 'cause bonine will work great the following day if taken correctly, not right away.