Sea Sickness
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With apologies for being late to this thread:
I've tried just about everything. The "natural" and non-drug approaches (ginger, ginseng, wrist bands, etc) do not help me at all. Bonine helps a little bit, but not much. The best thing I've found is scopolamine, and I'll still get sick if the seas are too rough. Six-foot seas would be way too rough for me, even with scopolamine.
The reason I'm posting this is to relate my experiences with scopolamine:
I've used the patch, and the tablet form of this drug.
The problem with the patch is that, at least for me, I get too high a dosage the first day and not enough the third day. With too high a dose (day 1) I get a very dry throat, which becomes a severe sore throat in dry weather, though it's tolerable in very humid weather, and I become very dizzy. Curiously, the dizziness caused by the scopolamine does not make me feel seasick, though as mentioned, severe motion will still make me sick. By the third day, the dosage is too low and even mild motion will make me sick. The patch, of course, is designed to be worn for three days, and then replaced if you are still on the boat.
The tablet form is the same drug. It used to be sold in the U.S. as Scopace, but that's no longer available as far as I know, but can be purchased over the counter in Australia as Kwells. Same drug. Kwells contains a lower dosage than Scopace did.
The disadvantage of the tablet form is that it only lasts about 8 hours and then must be repeated. The advantage is that you have control over the dosage, as you can split the tablets or take two. For day trips the 8-hour duration is an advantage. You can buy Kwells by mail from Australia. I now use it for long car or plane trips (if I'm not driving) instead of Bonine.
I hope this helps. Seasickness is one of the worst experiences I've ever had.
I've tried just about everything. The "natural" and non-drug approaches (ginger, ginseng, wrist bands, etc) do not help me at all. Bonine helps a little bit, but not much. The best thing I've found is scopolamine, and I'll still get sick if the seas are too rough. Six-foot seas would be way too rough for me, even with scopolamine.
The reason I'm posting this is to relate my experiences with scopolamine:
I've used the patch, and the tablet form of this drug.
The problem with the patch is that, at least for me, I get too high a dosage the first day and not enough the third day. With too high a dose (day 1) I get a very dry throat, which becomes a severe sore throat in dry weather, though it's tolerable in very humid weather, and I become very dizzy. Curiously, the dizziness caused by the scopolamine does not make me feel seasick, though as mentioned, severe motion will still make me sick. By the third day, the dosage is too low and even mild motion will make me sick. The patch, of course, is designed to be worn for three days, and then replaced if you are still on the boat.
The tablet form is the same drug. It used to be sold in the U.S. as Scopace, but that's no longer available as far as I know, but can be purchased over the counter in Australia as Kwells. Same drug. Kwells contains a lower dosage than Scopace did.
The disadvantage of the tablet form is that it only lasts about 8 hours and then must be repeated. The advantage is that you have control over the dosage, as you can split the tablets or take two. For day trips the 8-hour duration is an advantage. You can buy Kwells by mail from Australia. I now use it for long car or plane trips (if I'm not driving) instead of Bonine.
I hope this helps. Seasickness is one of the worst experiences I've ever had.
Kevrumbo
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Try this kinesthetic exercise to help you understand biomechanically & psychosomatically what's going on in motion/sea sickness: Stand straight-up with your eyes closed, and have your friend just push/nudge you from randomly different directions and at different interval frequencies, for several minutes. I guarantee you will quickly get nauseous (motion sick)!
Now take some time to recover and try again with eyes closed --this time have your friend nudge you five times in five seconds from the left side, the same from the right side, and the same from behind you-- and repeat this constant frequency pattern & direction for several minutes. RESIST AND ANTICIPATE & "SEE" THE MOTION IN YOUR MIND'S EYE AND THAT IS THE KEY! YOU WILL NOT GET SICK BECAUSE OF THE PREDICTABILITY OF THE MOTION AND BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHERE & WHEN THE IMPULSES WILL OCCUR. . .!
Now apply this concept to being on a boat with easy rhythmic swells to begin with --feel and see the motion impulses and begin to predict the pattern. It will work just the same! When you get good at it, you will be able to perform this technique in the stormiest & most chaotic seas, and still be able to keep the nausea to a tolerable level without medication or augmented with meds as needed (but you must concentrate solely on this visualization method, and not be reading or concentrating on any other tasks). . .
Now take some time to recover and try again with eyes closed --this time have your friend nudge you five times in five seconds from the left side, the same from the right side, and the same from behind you-- and repeat this constant frequency pattern & direction for several minutes. RESIST AND ANTICIPATE & "SEE" THE MOTION IN YOUR MIND'S EYE AND THAT IS THE KEY! YOU WILL NOT GET SICK BECAUSE OF THE PREDICTABILITY OF THE MOTION AND BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHERE & WHEN THE IMPULSES WILL OCCUR. . .!
Now apply this concept to being on a boat with easy rhythmic swells to begin with --feel and see the motion impulses and begin to predict the pattern. It will work just the same! When you get good at it, you will be able to perform this technique in the stormiest & most chaotic seas, and still be able to keep the nausea to a tolerable level without medication or augmented with meds as needed (but you must concentrate solely on this visualization method, and not be reading or concentrating on any other tasks). . .
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Hi Daniel,
Indeed, "Scopace®" tablets were discontinued a number of years ago.
However, in the USA such a scopolamine preparation still can be obtained at:
Steven's Pharmacy
Scopolamine
Regards,
DocVikingo
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