Sea Sickness Drugs ( Stugerone / Stunarone / Cinnarizine ) ... Use Caution

[speakeasy]

FDA approval the gold standard? roflmao FDA has been shown to be rife with corruption and pay-for-play issues for drugs when big $$ is involved. I was informed that FDA approval wasn't sought by Sturgeron manufacturer because it involved millions of dollars to go thru the approval process. Knowing J&J owns the drug thru a subsidiary, doesn't make me feel better about it. I have used it and it worked on mild seasickness. Deepak Chopra likens the use of pharmaceuticals on the complex subtle system of a human as taking a sledge hammer to swat a fly, coming as he does from the Aryuvedic tradition in India. I believe him but am not schooled in herbal medicine so occasionally I take a pharmaceutical, but usually only antibiotic or ibuprofen.

To each his own, but I don't see the issue here re sturgeron vs all the other drugs.

[Tday01]

Stugeron is not approved in the US because there are good alternatives and the manufacturers would not recoup the very high cost of FDA approval (especially as it is off patent).

If it had dangerous side effects it would not be approved in Europe. The EU is as, or more strict than the FDA.

[belizesailor]

Had a doc aboard as a charter guest recently and he left us a sample pack of Zofran. He said it is widely used in hospitals in the USA now.

Anyone have experience with this one?

[zeehag]

zofran was a good antiemetic when we used it in pacu in 1990...made the recipients a lil more sleepy and they didnt vomit as much when coming out of anesthesias..

[georgec]

Your FDA approval argument is not valid. The reason Stugeron is not sold in the US is because it was never submitted not because it failed to recieve FDA approval.

[Capt Phil]

Not certain of the basic formulation used in the manufacture of Marazine ( perhaps it is a spinoff of Cinnarizine?) but we found it was a miracle seasick drug that you could take even after you were experiencing the symptoms. Fortunately, I don't suffer from seasickness but my better half and many friends who we have sailed/cruised with have had various levels of mal de mer and Marazine has always worked well, even after onset of symptoms. Most of the other potions when taken after folks feel sick end up being tossed up over the side along with their last meal and what ever else was in their tummy. My wife describes it as 'settling' within a few minutes of taking the drug. Available over the counter in San Diego, LA and San Francisco. Not seen it in Mexico, or further south at least under that name. My heart goes out to those who suffer from seasickness. Phil

[Geoduck]

I suffered seasickness for 20+ years until one day when a new deck hand lit up a joint on the back deck. I told him if he didnt throw that **** overboard - he'd go with it! He told me it was the only thing that kept him from getting sick. I thought I might as well try it - I've tried everything else and the only thing that worked was to just be miserable for a couple of days. So I took a hit off his joint - no ****! It works! No more seasickness and I didnt have to smoke enough to get high - just a couple of drags!
Illegal or not - marijuana is in the medicine chest - just be ready to toss it!

[andrewsc]

I work in an ER and given that it is norovirus season here I have been an expert at treating nausea and vomiting. That said nausea and vomiting from gastroenteritis, chemotherapy, etc are very different from nausea and vomiting caused by motion sickness. Zofran is a great drug but expensive and it does not work for motion sickness.

There are 4 main classes of antiemetics: 5HT3 receptor antagonists (zofran), dopamine antagonists (phenergan, stugeron), antihistamines (bonine, meclizine, dramamine, phenergan, stugeron) and anticholinergics (scopolamine). Phenergan and stugeron are both dopamine antagonists and antihistamines.

5HT3 receptor antagonists are great drugs and have less side effects than the other classes but because of their mechanism of action only help with specific types of nausea- NO GOOD FOR MOTION SICKNESS.

For motion sickness the dopamine antagonists, anticholinergics and antihistamines are much more effective. One advantage of the dopamine antagonists is that they allow more rapid acclimation. The down side of all of these drugs is sedation and rarely movement disorders referenced above.

Nasa uses primarily scopolamine and even a combination that they refer to as scop-dex. This is 0.4 mg of scopolamine and 5 mg of dexedrine. Dexedrine is a stimulant and you will probably have a hard time explaining to your physician why you want a prescription for dextroamphetamine. The reality is though that this is very effective.

I think that phenergan and stugeron in low doses (12.5 mg) and bonine are safe and effective. They are sedating and you should try them out before using them offshore and check with your dr. to make sure that there are no interactions with other meds you are on.

All of the other stuff like avoid alcohol, minimize caffeine, avoid excessive fatigue, stay on deck or with a view of the horizon when awake, don't be over or under fed are important. Remedies like pressure point wrist bands and ginger are effective for many and safer than pharmaceuticals.

For BobandConnie THC is an excellent antiemetic but not so great for side effect profile. If you have nausea and vomiting and are sitting on the couch watching TV in Washington state it may be perfect....

[Geoduck]

Damn! Don't say that! All the Hop Heads will move to Washington!

[JPA Cate]

[B]HEY EVERYBODY, LOOK AT POST #23. IT IS A CLEAR, RATIONAL DISCUSSION OF STUGERON/CINNARIZINE HCL. YES!!!!! THANKS, DOC![B]

Ann Cate, asv Insatiable II, on the hard in Hobart, Tasmania

[thomm225]

Ginger Gum and the bracelets work for me. (and I haven't tried to see exactly which one is helping the most) That and the fact that I've now been on the boat a couple years almost every day.

There was a gap of a few years between boats before that and the other boats were catamarans on different type water. (as in less bumpy than the lower Chesapeake)

[advocate777]

GEODUCK-
The reason herb worked for you is the same reason that it is now legal as a medicine in certain states: it stops nausea and reduces pain from inflammation-
as for seasickness- it is the pot's powerful anti-nausea effect which did the trick for you and for anyone else who tries it-
as for me, I am about to do my ASA 101 (already did it) ASA 102 and ASA 104 at water sailing">Blue Water Sailing School in Ft. Lauderdale and I want to make sure I do not get seasick as I have in the past (moderate seasickness...not severe...just more 'I gotta sit down and veg here because I am woozy and feel like ****' kinda seasickness) so I am gonna try the scopalmine patch and also bring a wristband and plenty of ginger as a backup- I will probably also bring some OTC bonine. Without overdosing on trying all these meds, maybe I should just try your remedy- heck; even though I havent had any pot in 30 years maybe now is the time to start again - ha-ha
But yeah- i am not surprised that the marijuana works-
Thanks for the tip-

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by advocate777

GEODUCK-
... so I am gonna try the scopalmine patch and also bring a wristband and plenty of ginger as a backup- I will probably also bring some OTC bonine. Without overdosing on trying all these meds...

Given the variety of side effects, some worse than seas sickness, that individuals experience it is good that you are trying the meds ashore first. I've had many guests/students ask me the day they step aboard what they should take...that's not the right time to start a body chemistry experiment.

The problem with weed of course is that the USCG takes a very dim view of that aboard boats (as do most foreign authorities). While I don't personally have an issue with it, I have a "no illegal drugs aboard" policy because of the severe problems that can result if discovered by authorities. Hopefully, we will see more rational policies develop in the not too distant future.

[s/v Beth]

I think pot also cures you of the need to go sailing. I'll know this summer when I try to get anchor space at Port Townsend.....

[DeepFrz]

Whew, the spell checker lights up on this one.
Marazine:

Marazine is a piperazine-derivative antihistamine used as an antivertigo/antiemetic agent. Marazine is used in the prevention and treatment of nausea, vomiting, and dizziness associated with motion sickness. Additionally, it has been used in the management of vertigo in diseases affecting the vestibular apparatus. Although the mechanism by which cyclizine exerts its antiemetic and antivertigo effects has not been fully elucidated, its central anticholinergic properties are partially responsible. The drug depresses labyrinth excitability and vestibular stimulation, and it may affect the medullary chemoreceptor trigger zone. It also possesses anticholinergic, antihistaminic, central nervous system depressant, and local anesthetic effects.