Sea sickness patch

[BRT]

The solution is oral scopolamine!!!
It comes in 3 microgram doses and I often take half or a quarter of the pill. It is chewable- I usually chew it a bit and put it under my tongue. I was introduced to it on a Mike Ball liveaboard in Australia and have never looked back- the patch doesn't control the dose, and I don't feel comfortable diving (I'm usually guiding or instructing) with how Dramamine makes me feel.
The oral scopolamine has made me feel better when I'm already sick.
It used to be available by prescription in the US, but big pharma has done away with that. It's available over the counter (and quite cheap) in the UK and Australia. Not sure about Canada or Europe.
Everyone with whom I share it has agreed- it's a miracle! If you get the chance, please try.

Hyoscine

 

[claymore]

Scopolamine/Hyocine is or was available as tablets on eBay. I have ordered it a couple of times out of England or Australia. I prefer them to the patch for several reasons. 1 you can take it an hour or two before your activity not 6-8 hours before, 2 you can control your dosage and how often you take or don't take the tablets, 3 they don't come off on the water.

They have the same side affects but give you more control of dosage. I still get the really dry mouth and feel a little weird, maybe, but that is better than feeding the fishes on a rough day on the water.

 

[JohnN]

Scopolamine/Hyocine is or was available as tablets on eBay. I have ordered it a couple of times out of England or Australia. I prefer them to the patch for several reasons. 1 you can take it an hour or two before your activity not 6-8 hours before, 2 you can control your dosage and how often you take or don't take the tablets, 3 they don't come off on the water.

They have the same side affects but give you more control of dosage. I still get the really dry mouth and feel a little weird, maybe, but that is better than feeding the fishes on a rough day on the water.

Agreed, brand name Kwells

Also much more economical than paying for a Transderm patch

 

[Nikole]

I would like to hear opinions on this medication versus standard pill-form sea-sickness meds. Thanks.

I've never used them, but I would see people. On cruise ships use them and had no problems (they did not get sick.)
For seasickness I like bonine. I went on a 2-tank boat dive last summer..we visited a reef on the first dive and a shipwreck in Pompano beach, FL and it was pretty rough out there... Forecast said 3ft waves but it looked more like 4 and 5ft when we actually got out there and I did fine the whole trip. It was a 4 hour trip I believe. We were on a boat with snorkelers and divers (I was the diver). I took 2 tablets 2 and a half hours ahead of time. People did get seasick but I was surprisingly fine, i didn't feel a thing! Just don't eat heavy before betting on a boat because just the food shaking around in your belly can make you sick too.
If you want to try the pills take them early. 1 hour before the trip actually isn't early enough.

 

[Nikole]

My opinion on pills is to take them early. Directions say to take them 1 hour before your activity, but based on my trial and error, 1 hour isn't enough time to get it into your system. Basically, if you take your pills, and you're not sleepy yet (lol), then it has not kicked in. Take it 2 hours ahead of time. Those Orange-flavored ones kick in faster but don't work as well in my opinion.

 

[BRT]

Take a Meclazine the night before and a Hyoscine an hour or 2 before getting on the boat. I don't notice that the Hyoscine makes me sleepy.

 

[scjoe]

I checked into oral scopalomine when I got the patch. My doc said he was disinclined to write the script, and that it isn't manufactured so it would have to be compounded at a compounding pharmacy. He wanted me to try the patch first.

I was under the impression that a patch provided better dose control than a pill. Any MD's or PharmD's that could weigh in on that?

I checked into oral scopalomine when I got the patch. My doc said he was disinclined to write the script, and that it isn't manufactured so it would have to be compounded at a compounding pharmacy. He wanted me to try the patch first.

I was under the impression that a patch provided better dose control than a pill. Any MD's or PharmD's that could weigh in on that?

Not an MD, but I think your doc's preference has more to do with marketing by the patch manufacturer and that he just isn't used to writing compounding scrips. As previously stated, scopolamine used to be available in pill form in the US. It was called Scopace. Back in those days few docs seemed to be aware that a pill form existed.

You have more control over dosing with the pills since they are in 6-8 hour dosages. The patch is something like 3 days. Patches fall off and create trouble if you get your fingers too close to your eyes. They are a really bad value if you are on a day boat. Kwells are maybe 50 cents a pill. A compound prescription might run you a buck or two a pill. The patch is usually over $20.

 

[Mouse51180]

I used the patch and it worked for me on my first dive. During my surface interval it washed off. I kept putting it back on, but couldn't get it to stay...needless to say...it was a fun trip out and not a fun trip coming back in to shore.

I found a local compounder that could still make the pill. Think it was about $1-$1.50 a pill and I got 20-30 of them in my prescription.

I take one as soon as I get to the dock so it has time to get into my system while I help load the boat and get my gear ready. Roughly 1hr-1.5hrs before getting to open water. Have not had any sea sickness issues since.

 

[Gareth J]

One of my old buddy's suffered badly from seasickness. His solution was to eat 'custard creams'. This was because he never got on with any of the recommended remedies, medical or other.
In the end he said eating the custard creams helped dry out his stomach, gave him something to throw up, and had the advantage that they tasted the same coming up as going down!