Kwells for seasickness - Availability?

[daniel1948]

I get very seasick, very easily. (I also get carsick and airsick, and I get motion sick on rocking chairs and porch swings.) I've tried all the "natural" remedies and they do nothing for me. Original Dramamine never did anything for me. Meclazine (Bonine, Dramamine II, etc.) helps a little, but not very much. The only thing that works for me is scopolamine. But the patch is too strong and the side-effects are severe, and it takes hours to take effect. For day trips, an oral tablet is ideal. The Scopace tablet is no longer available. Kwells tablets are available in Australia and the UK. The active ingredient is listed as hyoscine hydrobromide, which is just another name for scopolamine.

The last time I bought Kwells by mail from Australia they allowed the purchase of up to 6 boxes of 10 without a prescription. But now they only allow the purchase of two boxes of 12 without a prescription, and the shipping cost is high. Basically it costs the same to ship two boxes as six. As far as I know, the only reason it's not available here is lack of demand.

And since they use a different name for it there, my doctor is reluctant to write me a prescription for something that's not listed in his U.S. medical references.

Any ideas would be welcome.

 

[JohnN]

I get very seasick, very easily. (I also get carsick and airsick, and I get motion sick on rocking chairs and porch swings.) I've tried all the "natural" remedies and they do nothing for me. Original Dramamine never did anything for me. Meclazine (Bonine, Dramamine II, etc.) helps a little, but not very much. The only thing that works for me is scopolamine. But the patch is too strong and the side-effects are severe, and it takes hours to take effect. For day trips, an oral tablet is ideal. The Scopace tablet is no longer available. Kwells tablets are available in Australia and the UK. The active ingredient is listed as hyoscine hydrobromide, which is just another name for scopolamine.

The last time I bought Kwells by mail from Australia they allowed the purchase of up to 6 boxes of 10 without a prescription. But now they only allow the purchase of two boxes of 12 without a prescription, and the shipping cost is high. Basically it costs the same to ship two boxes as six. As far as I know, the only reason it's not available here is lack of demand.

And since they use a different name for it there, my doctor is reluctant to write me a prescription for something that's not listed in his U.S. medical references.

Any ideas would be welcome.

I buy mine through eBay. They come out to ~$1.00/pill. If the cost bothers you, price out a Tansderm Scop patch (prescription only)

Oddly enough, the oral form of the drug is OTC, but is just not marketed in the US (and Canada too I believe)

 

[BRT]

Your significant other can also buy some. And you can buy some Travacalm Original on the same order

 

[gr8jab]

I can't find the name of it right now, but there was a video program that demonstrated maneuvers and training regime that induced minor motion sickness at home. It desensitizes the body over time, and can greatly reduce the symptoms of real motion sickness. USAF uses it on pilots.

Also, you could have a problem with your ears, read about the Eply Maneuver.

 

[daniel1948]

Thanks for all the replies! When I used Google to find retail pharmacies on line in the UK and Australia, they all wanted a prescription for anything over 2 boxes. But when I went on eBay, as JohnN suggested, there didn't seem to be any requirement for a prescription. I'll wait and see if they ship, or if they ask for a prescription first.

I used to use the patch. It does not work well for me. It's supposed to be good for three days, but the first day it's so strong that the side-effects overwhelm me: severe dizziness and a really bad sore/dry throat; and the third day it's too weak to prevent seasickness. The tablets work better for me, and are more suitable for day trips: Take it an hour before, and it's good for six hours on the water, give or take an hour. I used Scopace while it was available, then they discontinued it. Kwells works even better for me than Scopace because the lower dosage of Kwells (0.3 mg) is effective and has less side-effect than the stronger Scopace did.

Anyway, if the store on eBay does not write back and demand a written prescription, I'm all set. I'll post again when they confirm that they've shipped my order.

 

[scjoe]

You could get your doctor to write a compounding prescription to be filled at a local compounding pharmacy. It will probably cost a bit more than Kwells online, but it might be more convenient in the long run.

 

[daniel1948]

You could get your doctor to write a compounding prescription to be filled at a local compounding pharmacy. It will probably cost a bit more than Kwells online, but it might be more convenient in the long run.

I don't think that's possible, since the active ingredient is not likely available in the U.S. But that won't be necessary if the place ships the Kwells without a prescription. And if they do, that's more convenient than trying to find a compounding pharmacy. (I didn't think there was such a thing anymore.)