Seasickness and medications

[NigerHadiza]

Hello everyone. I have noticed that there are quite a few threads on this matter, but I have a question about a medication that I have recently discovered. Ever since my return from the Peace Corps (Niger, West Africa) I have had motion sickness. I went on many trips through the bush in bouncing vehicles.

A part of me thinks that most of this is just in my head, but I take something just incase. I have found a medicine called Trip Ease. It is made in New Zealand and can be bought online. It claims to be a homeopathic drug. One pill contains Borax, Cocculus Indicus, Gelsemium, Kreosotum, Rhus Toxicodendron, and Tabacum (if those terms mean anything to you...)

I have taken it on airplane trips and some trips via vehicles. I have never used it on a boat which is constantly pitching...but it has worked in an airplane that had turbulance for almost 30 minutes straight. (That was a horrible trip back to Japan from Australia...right after breakfast!)

I was wondering if anyone has ever taken this medication while on a boat. I have taken Dramamine before but it made me so grouchy and tired that I would rather die than feel like that again. But, I would rather feel that way instead of puking and being dehydrated for my whole experience which I am paying quite a price for!

I have read where different meds work for different people ...umm..'differently'. I guess I am a little paranoid..okay..a LOT paranoid. And since this is my first time, I don't want it to be ruined by feeling like crap and not going on a dive or two because of it.

I am going to Australia in late July. Will it be really windy????

Please help this newbie!

Sincerely,

Anna W.

 

[lackingcreativity]

What about scopalomine (SP?). It comes in both a patch and pill form to serve all of you sea sickness needs.

 

[JodiBB]

You could also try Bonine...it's like Dramamine, but without the drowsiness effect. I take it at night before the dive and then a 2nd dose in the morning as I'm getting ready to leave the house...it works like a charm...

 

[friscuba]

You could also try Bonine...it's like Dramamine, but without the drowsiness effect. I take it at night before the dive and then a 2nd dose in the morning as I'm getting ready to leave the house...it works like a charm...

Bonine (or any meclicine hydrochloride medication), taken on the schedule you recommend, is definitely the most recommended motion sickness medication by dive boat personnel I've worked with. I've never seen it fail in the 6 years I've worked on boats. So many people think one pill an hour before the dive will do the job, and when it doesn't they say the stuff doesn't work - that one pill the night before makes all the difference in the world.

 

[Spoon]

we call em bonamine in the philippines. defintely will solve all your sea sickness problems

 

[miketsp]

You could also try Bonine...it's like Dramamine, but without the drowsiness effect.
..snip..

That is a generalisation not necessarily applicable to everybody take care.

"Meclizine (Bonine, Antivert) has a slower onset and longer duration (12 to 24 hours) of action than the other antihistamines. The slower onset may be why it also has a lower efficacy rating. Side effects include drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, and dizziness."
from
http://www.motionsickness.net/aboutms.html

..snip..
I take it at night before the dive and then a 2nd dose in the morning as I'm getting ready to leave the house...it works like a charm...

One of the problems with Bonine is its long duration. This makes it complicated if you are driving to and from the dive site.

 

[scubaguy655]

Bonine and Dramamine do not work for my wife....no matter what she does/how she schedules taking the medication. The one thing that has worked for her is the transdermal (sp?) patch, although it does have negative side effects such as dry mouth and blurred vision.

I personally think that what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. The key is finding what works best for you, and all of the medications described in this and other threads have been shown to work for some.

 

[RedCash02]

I have actually used the brand Trip Ease for my AOW classes in the keys last fall. For some reason I feel fine on the boat until just after I dive, but this product stopped me from feeding the fishes. I did not feel drowsy and was able to complete all of the tasks in the class without any complications from the medicine.