Stugeron (cinnarzine), Phenergan (promethazine) for seasickness

[PamlicoTraveler]

We have a friend onboard who got very seasick yesterday, and he is trying to find his magic potion to keep him from being seasick when we set sail later today or tomorrow in high winds.. Yesterday he took 2 Sturgeron (cinnarzine) pills (15mg each) 30 minutes before we left. It was probably too close to sailing time and the seas were rough. He got sick within 30 minutes and may have thrown up a lot of the Stugeron. After being sick for a couple of hours he took a Phenergan 25mg (promethazine) suppository. He got sleepy and we thought he was going to be ok, but he got nauseas again.

Does anyone know of the interactions of using both Sturgeron and Phenergan? Are there any likely problems? He is thinking of taking the sSurgeron 1 hour before leaving and the Phenergan immediately before.

Any ideas?

[atoll]

valium! works great,most people don't get seasick when fast asleep.

had another guest who swore by ginger biscuits and johhny walker black label

[Teknav]

Do not take these two drugs together. Phenergan suppositories are prescribed to people who continuously throw up. It works on the stomach and its use should be discontinued; several hours of feeling awful. Motion sickness medications should be taken 24 hours before sailing, even though the label states 30 minutes; slow acting drugs, but with a long duration side effects. Stugeron causes blurred vision and drowsiness, among other side effects. It disables sensory connection between what you see and what the fluids in your inner ears are telling the brain; known as calcium channel deprivation. Get some rest below deck or sit-it out for the next 48 hours. In extreme situations, these drugs can cause paralysis, coma and even death. You really should be consulting a physician prior to taking prescription medications. Not all motion sickness medications work for everybody.

Mauritz

[Mimsy]

Phenergan is a wonderful drug to prevent dehydration but I would not use it to combat sea sickness! I would only use it if someone had severe vomiting for several days and was truly dehydrated. It will allow liquids to be kept down but its not something to take before hand- its a serious medication.

Has he tried some milder over the counter meds? I am big believer in trying to use the least amount of medication as possible. I know several people who have had bad reactions to Stugeron. Did his doc prescribe them?

[robert sailor]

Its always been my understanding that Sturgeron should be taken the day before sailing and the sailing day. I've seen that stuff work when nothing else would work but 30 minutes before sailing is not going to do the trick, imho

[deepblueln]

OTC antihistamines work for lots of people, that's all Dramamine is. Of course, they can make you very sleepy too, so maybe not so good if you need to be functional crew. The ear patches are another version, same type of drug.
Has he also tried the acupressure bands? They're hit or miss, great for some & don't work at all for others, but cheap so could be worth giving a try.

[rebel heart]

I took a Sturgeron pill (the whole pill, maybe 25mg or 50mg?) once on shore just to see what would happen. I'm glad I did. 15 minutes after taking it I got woozy, five minutes more I was out cold and woke up 12 hours later.

I still have the best results with Bonine and getting a good night's rest underway.

[JPA Cate]

Pamlico Traveler,

These awful stories about stugeron are among uncommon reactions. Jim and I have used it for years, and swear by it. If taken well in advance of leaving the anchorage, just an hour is all i need. But for people who have worse seasickness than myself, I know one guy who takes it 3 days in advance, and for your guest, he'd be well advised to take some the night before, and then keep up the minimum dose at the recommended intervals throughout the day.

However, now that he's had the phenergan, he really should take some time to clear that from his system, and re-hydrate him, if he threw up enough to be dehydrated. Once he's on his feet, so to speak, then he could try something else. Having given someone stugeron that revolutionized her sailing life, I'd suggest you continue with it. 30 min was not long enough for it to really get to working [it takes me about 45 min.], and it can't be efficacious if it's been got rid of. I do sometimes get drowsy about 1/2 hr. after taking it. I then take a nap for about 45 min.; after that I feel wide awake, symptom free, and able to do whatever's called for, even chart work.

If you are located where the scopalomine ear patches are available, that might be another option, but just as Rebel Heart did with the cinnarizine and found that it was the wrong drug for him, so should your guest, too, try one on land before using it at sea: side effects include dry mouth, loss of coordination, lurid dreams, and hallucinations. The latter two are relatively rare, and the former is nasty, but survivable.

Meclizine HCl (Bonine) almost works for me; also Marezine (I don't remember what its chemical name is). Dramamine makes us so drowsy it's not a player.

Jim and I have used Stugeron since about 1993, and it works very well for us.

Ann

PS I have been susceptible to motion sickness all my life; boy, was I glad to find something that worked so well for me!

[PamlicoTraveler]

Thanks all. He did great today in some rough conditions...2 Sturgerons 1 hour before sailing, and then the Phenergen immediately before leaving. He wasn't much help, as he was sleeping or resting comfortably, but he got through a rough sailing day and feels great now. It's all anecdotal, but it was his experience and it worked.

Thanks all....

[anathema]

Take 1 not 2. Take it the day before, then the morning before sailing. Havent been myself, but on long passages, I'm told same thing.

1 the day before, 1 the morning before sailing, and 1 a day for the first couple days of the passage. Apparently once you have your sea legs on a long passage (In calm weather) you can usually discontinue the drug after a few days.

I haven't seen a drug yet that has a high praise record like Stugeron. To the guy who took 50mg and passed out, no kidding. Your dose should be 15-25 mg if I remember correctly. Most take 15mg. Be careful because in mexico you can almost only get 75mg pills. These will knock you out like a hit on the head with a hammer. If you take two of these thing it would be like 'taking two' that others on the board have done(You taking two 75mg while others talking about taking two 15mg), you will probably start hallucinating and if you're lucky not be able to stay awake.