Seasickness While Single-Handing

[George Wade]

Originally Posted by LtBrett

Yes, you are correct. However, this does work with scopalomine. ..... no decrease in effectiveness of the scopalomine from 1/2 a patch, although it did start to wear off after about 48 hours. There was a noticeable reduction in side effects. ...

Not following dosing directions on the label is risky... Brett

The quote is one way of diminishing side effects for those of us who find half a patch to be sufficient. Another method is vitamin B's; an apple; multi-vitamins + extra B's; caffeine 'Wake-up' pills: at the same time as the patch.

You may need all of this for the newer 3D movies — on bigger screens

[George Wade]

How about a gimballed pod between catamaran hulls ? Does anyone have a better idea? Periscope display on a very wide screen to a submarine below the wave action? = 'Five Star Review'

[s/v Beth]

HS:
I find your argument against supplemental oxygen unconvincing. If your mechanism of action for ginger is indeed increased circulation and oxygen to the cells, then a very small amount (say 20%) increase in oxygen can make a major difference. I can store 120 cubic feet of oxygen in one of my steel scuba tanks (easily portable to my Valiant). If I release it at approximately what is needed for my metabolism (500ml/min) I have over 100 hours of oxygen in the single tank. In order to obtain a higher PaO2, I could use a mask or nasal canula. I guess I would experiment to see what works well. When I get sea sick, it is usually for just a few hours, but this might be lifesaving if I have to negotiate some difficult seas at this time. This system of supplementing oxygen is well outlined for pilots. I think I will try it in the future.
You also mentioned a working "rate" of only 33%. How is your success in measuring seasickness defined? Is it prevention of seasickness, or a cure to those who already have it, and then take the medication? I seem to have better than that rate just by getting sailors out of the cabin and on deck, and putting them to work. Medication seems to take care of another part of the population, with just a few getting bad, untreatable seasickness. Of course my sampling is unscientific and is nothing like spacesickness, which I understand can be much worse.
BTW- please do not cut medical patches in half and and or tape them. Better just to get the smaller dosage in a patch. The rate of drug absorbsion is partially determined by the surface area exposed to the skin, but that is just one factor that determines the blood concentration. Other factors include the metabolism of the drug, the protein binding, the concentration of the drug in the original paste, and the amount of time the drug stays on the skin. Cutaneous adminstration of medications is a messy business. I think I agree with HS about the sublingal (under the tongue) route, but I wouldn't use scope. Scopalomine is a drug I think has too many side effects for motion sickness. What would I use? I like the review in Practical Sailor a few months ago. It was pretty objective IMHO.
Math:
1 cubic foot=28.3 liters
120 cubic feet=3360 liters.
Met rate= approx 400ml/min (awake, sedate in activity)

[hellosailor]

"I find your argument against supplemental oxygen unconvincing."
Newt, it isn't my argument, or my numbers. I'm just passing on what the best of the best have claimed to document.
I know how much oxygen you can fit in a scuba tank--and, how heavy that tank is, how expensive it is to maintain, and that you'll also have to "oxygen clean" the tank and regulator before you can use it for high concentrations of O2 without the risk of fire and explosion.
Again, it isn't something fit for small craft. If you are wearing that rig, you aren't going to be hopping about the deck. At best, you'll be laid up in sick bay [sic] and that makes you useless compared to someone who is drugged and able to move about and work the boat.
But by all means, bring and use oxygen. Just because breathing a 100% oxygen atmosphere didn't work for NASA, doesn't mean it might not work for you. I'd have to guess the difference is between BREATHING it, and OPENING THE CAPILLARIES to get it spread around in the body, among other things. Don't buy that from me--ask NASA. I'm rashly and blindly trusting the results of their o-rings. Ergh, work.

"You also mentioned a working "rate" of only 33%. How is your success in measuring seasickness defined? " As I said, I'm rashly trusting NASA for their results. If that turns out to be 30% or 40%, I'm still remembering it as 1/3 as in "worked for one out of three crew" rather than "38 out of 100 crew on the mothership".

Alls I know is that when I'm on 'scop, I may become a blind psychotic axe murderer who succumbs to heart palpitations while asking "What's for lunch?" but everyone I know wholeheartedly agrees that's way better than puking up your stomache lining for 48 hours straight.

I think most of the NASA work was done in the 60's or earlier (70's at the very latest) and there's been nothing really new discovered, published, documented, or said since, except the electronic ReliefBand. Which also works, sometimes, for some.

[ColdFusion]

There are two stages of seasickness. The first is when you think you're going to die. The second is when you think you're never gonna die

[s/v Beth]

Fair enought HS, thank you for your clarifications. When I try this, I am going to have a long tube attached to a stationary tank. Varing the degrees of consciousness is my life's work as a Anesthesiologist- I have used Scope thousands of times for patients, and feel that is usefulness is limited in a Captain that has to make decisions. I was interested in Oxygen because as opposed to all the other cures, it actually increases Level of consciousness. I carry Oxygen anyway because of my level of training and ability give medical care at sea- I think I will give it a try next time we get a really seasick crew member ( or me). Thank you for your responses!

[Cherp]

Seasickness seems to be a random thing for me. I've been sailing most of my life and I'm the one who goes below to cook bacon and eggs and make coffee etc when it's rough and the others are sick. Generally doesn't bother me. However, on three or four occasions I've been quite seasick for a couple of days and hated it. I have great sympathy for, and empathy for, other who may be seasick. I try to do what I can for them, because having experienced it myself, I find it can be very debilitating. I agree with going to the helm on the first sign of seasickness.

[hellosailor]

Good luck with it, newt. Do let us know how it eventually works out.

[discostu]

Seems like it's something that's highly specific and different per person. I think individual people have to experiment and see what makes them tick.

I've found for myself the principal cause is food. Heavy foods before or during a sail and I run a high risk for getting seasick, even in relatively calm seas. Light, bland, food, and I might be a touch hungry but won't get sick at all.