JoeTPhilly
Contributor
Yeah, understood. However, in my experience those remedies don't work. The patch works well. I wouldn't risk a LOB or boat trip to home remedies.
How do I overcome seasickness on boat dives without medication?
- Thread starter BigAladdin
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In reality, several of the remedies suggested in this thread do work, at some extent.
Not the same for everyone, of course.
For me, driving the boat myself is the primary remedy: I never vomited while I was the driver...
goshdurnit
Registered
How does Meclizine compare to dramamine or scopolamine?
I usually take Dramamine consistently.
I was just on a 2 day trip and the first overnight nearly killed me. I was throwing up for 3 hours straight from 3 to 6 am. missed the whole first dive day.
Gotta try something else.
I usually take Dramamine consistently.
I was just on a 2 day trip and the first overnight nearly killed me. I was throwing up for 3 hours straight from 3 to 6 am. missed the whole first dive day.
Gotta try something else.
also_anon_dc
Contributor
Scopolamine is prescription strength and it's a patch you put on.
Dramamine didn't work for me but meclizine does and that's what I go with now.
Dramamine didn't work for me but meclizine does and that's what I go with now.
I totally agree with this! Why risk a dive trip getting sick by putting some nonsense on your wrist (or other such "home remedies") to stave off chumming the seas. We are in modern times and science has come a long way from the nasty stuff like Dramamine, etc..
When I first moved to Florida, like 35 years ago, there was an OTC "drug" called Triptone sold in dive shops and pharmacies for sea sickness prevention. Triptone were capsules containing 50 mcg of Scopolamine Hydrobromide which you should recognize as the active ingredient in the Scop patches. The difference is Triptone is taken orally about 45 minutes before getting to open water and lasts 3-4 hours. On long, rough dive trips, I occasionally take a second one.
Unfortunately, Triptone disappeared years ago, but if your doctor would write you a scrip, as mine has done for many years, any compounding pharmacy can fill it for you. Take note that the formulation is 50 mcg (micrograms), not 50mg!
IMO, this is a far better approach than the patches, not only from a cost point of view, but the patches are good for several days which is overkill is you are a 2 tank weekend diver.
If you go this route, try taking a capsule as "practice" at home before diving. In fact, take one and then another, 3-4 hours later. Just make sure you tolerate it before using it and being 80ft down. I personally tolerate it extremely well but I know some people can get disoriented, etc. with it (same as the patch side effects)
Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor or pharmacist. This is my personal opinion based on years of success with this. Do your own research and make your own decisions based on that research. Then talk to your doctor who obviously needs to agree to give you a scrip.
EDIT: @Zane mentioned KWELLS which, as I find out, is basically, the old "Triptone" except it is 6X the strength per dose. (300 mcg vs 50 mcg)!! Hyoscine Hydrobromide is the same thing as Scopolamine Hydrobromide. The key thing here is it is OTC!!! I would stress even more to try this out before diving. I am attaching some information from CoPilot (Microsoft's AI tool).
Hello
Another is close your eyes and sleep.
Therefore, I suspect that seasickness is caused by contradictory information regarding location, speed and ev. acceleration .
If you are steering your most important source of information are the eyes .
In this case, the eyes are prioritized .
If you close your eyes, however, there is no contradiction to the information provided by the equilibrium sensors. These are left ear, right ear and ev. also stomach and may even contradict each other.
To reduce the importance of the equilibrium information, one can fix its position relative to the ship.
To work in the nautical chart I sit down and rest the elbows on the chart.
Or to cook I stand so that my back is pressed against the engine room door. Then the ship can roll but that doesn't change my position to the stove.
If you have to fix gear on an diveboot sit down on the floor so that your back is leaning against something. If the stomach still starts to tense after some time, stop working, look at the horizon and breathe calmly . You will soon be able to continue the work .
People sometimes react very differently. . Experiment what is good for you .
When you stand on deck you can move with the ship, then the horizon moves. Or you stand vertically, then the horizon stands still and the ship moves under your feet .
Refex-like gagging or vomiting without vomiting.
Almost everyone knows that you feel better after vomiting.
But you demineralize and dehydrate noticeably.
To avoid this, you can preempt vomiting by hanging leeside with your head down and provoking vomiting by regurgitating or anything else .
If you stop in time, the diaphragm will still move as reflexively as with vomiting
and you will feel much better same as with vomiting . May be you have to do this two or three times .
If it was to late : What to do after vomiting ?
From an old sailor I got the advice: eat and drink immediately afterwards.
I tried this once with a crew member who vomited all day . As soon as we were in the harbor, he went to buy food for a good meal . That was because I had needed quite a lot for him during the day .
He was very surprised that he had recovered so quickly and thoroughly.
The second disadvantage was there was a lot to clean on the lee side of the ship.
Very good, this is a remedy that almost always works for almost everyone.
Another is close your eyes and sleep.
Therefore, I suspect that seasickness is caused by contradictory information regarding location, speed and ev. acceleration .
If you are steering your most important source of information are the eyes .
In this case, the eyes are prioritized .
If you close your eyes, however, there is no contradiction to the information provided by the equilibrium sensors. These are left ear, right ear and ev. also stomach and may even contradict each other.
To reduce the importance of the equilibrium information, one can fix its position relative to the ship.
To work in the nautical chart I sit down and rest the elbows on the chart.
Or to cook I stand so that my back is pressed against the engine room door. Then the ship can roll but that doesn't change my position to the stove.
If you have to fix gear on an diveboot sit down on the floor so that your back is leaning against something. If the stomach still starts to tense after some time, stop working, look at the horizon and breathe calmly . You will soon be able to continue the work .
People sometimes react very differently. . Experiment what is good for you .
When you stand on deck you can move with the ship, then the horizon moves. Or you stand vertically, then the horizon stands still and the ship moves under your feet .
Refex-like gagging or vomiting without vomiting.
Almost everyone knows that you feel better after vomiting.
But you demineralize and dehydrate noticeably.
To avoid this, you can preempt vomiting by hanging leeside with your head down and provoking vomiting by regurgitating or anything else .
If you stop in time, the diaphragm will still move as reflexively as with vomiting
and you will feel much better same as with vomiting . May be you have to do this two or three times .
If it was to late : What to do after vomiting ?
From an old sailor I got the advice: eat and drink immediately afterwards.
I tried this once with a crew member who vomited all day . As soon as we were in the harbor, he went to buy food for a good meal . That was because I had needed quite a lot for him during the day .
He was very surprised that he had recovered so quickly and thoroughly.
The second disadvantage was there was a lot to clean on the lee side of the ship.
I agree with eating before you get on the boat, and try to sit or stand facing toward the bow if possible, preferably with the wind hitting you in the face. Be careful about what you eat, avoiding greasy food if possible. When I was in USAF pilot training, a lot of guys who had problems with motion sickness, found eating a PBJ sandwich worked wonders if they ate it about an hour before takeoff.
Bookworm11
Registered
I am surprised no one mentioned this AT ALL! I used to get awful motion sickness on planes and boats. Then I found Sea Bands (and there are generic versions, too! They are in the drugstore right by the dramamine . They are knit bands with a plastic marble on the bottom side. You measure three fingers back from the top crease by your wrist, and place one band on each arm, positioning the marble smack between the tendons. It's one of those holistic things-it either helps or it doesn't. But it doesn't make you sleepy at all. These totally changed my life!!! I used them for years on all boats and flights. I found I gradually outgrew them -I now only get sick if I breath in the gasoline or diesel fumes! They cost maybe $9-$13! You have nothing to lose.
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