Sea sickness patch

[lbussell]

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

 

[KevinNM]

I have used scopolamine patches pretty successfully on multiple trips. I had a cold on my last short live-aboard and I suspect the decongestants and scopolamine interacted, so I felt pretty bad the whole trip. But still made 5 of 7 dives. So it's worth trying in my opinion. Just use an alcohol wipe on your skin first to clean it, press the patch into place thoroughly, and do not touch your eyes after you open the package until you thoroughly wash your hands.

 

[Damselfish]

my husband can get by on planes and such with Dramamine, but the scop patch is the only thing that really works for him on boats. This is over 20+ years of diving a wide variety of boats and conditions. (I don't know how much this is due to the specific drug and how much is the delivery system. I believe it's possible some places to get scopolamine in pill form but he hasn't tried that.)

 

[KDAD]

For people that the transderm scop patch works it works well BUT for a small minority they have very bad after effects almost like withdrawl. I recommend not taking it on this basis as they can be very unpleasant for a few weeks after taking the patch off. Do a Google search for scop patch withdrawal and also reviews of it and then decide if the risk is worth it.

My wife took it for a cruise. In addition to some weird side effects such as persistent dry mouth and blurred vision that many users get, she ended up with severe vertigo and headaches for two weeks after stopping and slept for most of the first week.

Others stories are much worse.

Your one week vacation can easily turn into two or more.

Transderm-Scop Reviews & Ratings at Drugs.com

 

[SMAE]

The scopolamine patch saved my diving addiction as none of the over-the-counter medications worked for me. Fortunately my insurance covers 100% of the prescription as it's considered 'preventive'.

 

[KDAD]

It's unfortunate that this drug has such extremes. For some it works very well and might be the only one that works. For others it is the worst thing that they ever took and the side effects are worse than what the patch is trying to prevent.

My advice is to try alternatives and only take this as a last resort

 

[agilis]

I'm lucky in that I've never been seasick in my life. I credit an addiction to roller coasters when I was a kid. I have used scopolamine patches for extremely severe attacks of tinnitus. It was a horrible experience, one that I'll never repeat. The drug is called 'Devil's Breath' for a reason. Some people can take the stuff, and some absolutely cannot.

 

[Damselfish]

My husband finds that a whole patch is too much for him and caused some side effects. Now he uses 1/2-2/3, and I know of others that do the same. (Even though I think they tell you not to cut them, he hasn't been able to learn of any good reason why, and it would seem to make sense the same dosage of a drug is not right for everyone. I also see people that need and use the whole patch without issue.)

 

[BRT]

my husband can get by on planes and such with Dramamine, but the scop patch is the only thing that really works for him on boats. This is over 20+ years of diving a wide variety of boats and conditions. (I don't know how much this is due to the specific drug and how much is the delivery system. I believe it's possible some places to get scopolamine in pill form but he hasn't tried that.)

I have not tried the patch but use the Hyoscine pill and it absolutely cures seasickness for me. Nothing else I have tried does.

 

[KathyV]

I tried the patch and lost my near vision. One of the possible side-effects is narrow-angle glaucoma. I couldn't see my gauges underwater or even read a menu on dry land. It was very scary. My near vision came back in a day or two after I removed the patch but I will never use it again. Be careful, some folks don't have side-effects, but when you do they can be nasty.