Hi CheddarChick,
Although many diving medicine experts opine that scopolamine (e.g., Transderm Scop, Scopace) is often the best first line drug against mal de mer, it is a prescription medication and can have side effects problematic for scuba (e.g., drowsiness). Divers desiring an inexpensive, natural remedy frequently try ginger and report good benefit.
Truth is many of the guidelines for the use of ginger in preventing nausea, vomiting and seasickness come from herbal lore, although one apparently solid study found 1 gram/1,000 mg of powdered ginger to do the trick. I found sources that variously recommend anywhere from 1/2 gram/500 mg to as much as 4 grams/4,000 mg, but as with any drug or supplement one is generally better off using the smallest effective dose. This may involve some trial & error.
Ginger in powdered, root or crystallized form is the easiest to control in terms of the amount of active ingredient ingested. Eating ginger snaps, or drinking ginger soda or tea, makes getting adequate quantity and control much more difficult. And be aware that some products contain only ginger flavoring not real ginger--read the labels.
As for timing of the first dose, estimates range from many hours to 20 minutes prior to departing, depending on the source. The matter really hasn't been studied sufficiently to say with any precision. The same issue pertains to frequency of dosage. The limited studies involving repeated doses used intervals of 4-6 hours.
A daily starting dose might involve one gram/1,000 mg powdered ginger root capsule about 4-6 hours before, then another capsule about 1 hour before, boarding the dive boat.
Ginger at recommended doses generally does not have side effects. At high doses or in sensitive persons, heartburn and diarrhea can occur.
This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.
Regards,
DocVikingo
