Seasickness

[colemj]

Originally Posted by RikHall

When I totally ran out I took the Kwells box to a pharmacist and she read the box and told me that the ingredients were the same as Bonine and in fact was the same as their "house brand".
Rik

The active ingredient in Kwells is Hyoscine Hydrobromide.

The active ingredient in Bonine is Meclizine Hydrochloride.

They are not the same. Interesting about Kwells though - I hadn't heard of them before.

Mark

[RikHall]

Mark

Mark

Excellent. I do know that both Kwells (whenI was in DownUnder in Aus) and Bonine (here) work 100% for me.

Cheers

Rik

Rik

[CarlF]

This is the best wisdom I've seen on seasickness from John Neal.

Mahina Expedition - Offshore Cruising Instruction

As he mentions, Stugeron seems to work a little better for more people with fewer side effects than the other over the counter drugs. It's easy to find in Europe and Mexico. Easy to mail order in the US from Canada (no prescription). It's a very personal thing and you have to experiment.

Scopalimine is also now available as a pill. The pill is easier to use in a smaller dose than with the patches to reduce the side effects.

Carl

[Bash]

don't get the expensive gourmet ginger cookies. you have to use original Nabisco ginger snaps.

and you have to have faith in them.

but they really work.

really.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by Janice

I saw a post a while back about a bracelett that was digital and a bit pricey but very effective at reducing seasickness. I would like more info if anyone can remember the details.

thanks
Janice

ReliefBand® - I think it works pretty good I have yet to test it offshore wore it for a very long weekend in an insanely rocky harbor and fared well enough. My girlfriend said it made her nervous because I became a shock junky and couldn't put the thing down. It hurts but it feels good, you know?

Sturgeron is great to but I don't think the fda has approved it yet.

[sailtotrail.com]

Originally Posted by AndyB

Re. ginger - could I just chew fresh ginger?

Fresh ginger, candied ginger, ginger gum, ginger tea, ginger cookies... All have been reported to work for some. There are enough ways to use ginger that if it works for you, you could eat pretty well on the all ginger diet.

[DaveOnCudjoe]

I have always suffered the dreaded mal de mer but finally found a remedy that still allowed me to single hand the boat. Papaya Enzyme that I eat like Tic/Tacs and a Ginger tea bag in my water bottle. I usually get 2 bottles worth from 1 tea bag. No brewing just steeped at room (cockpit) temperature. Dave

[bewitched]

Lie down under a tree

[Vic de Beer]

always eat something sweet..... takes away the nasty tastes when you call for huey...

[zeehag]

goood book--heave ho.. the little green book of seasickness---look for it online---is no longer in print ....was a goood book ....

[countrybimm]

Originally Posted by bewitched

Lie down under a tree

words of wisdom haha

[Vasco]

The only true cure is time at sea. After a couple of years you'll be fine. I am not being facetious, that's how long it took me. At first I was sick every time it blew a bit, then only sick the first few days out if it was blowing, then not sick at all. It's terrible to be sick, keep busy and don't have a greasy pork chop for dinner. We did have drugs aboard but they were never dispensed as it was viewed as "unmanly". Real sailors got over it, or so they told me.

[SusanneAmes]

Well, I've been four years at sea and still get queasy the first few days out. Sturgeron is my friend - got some in Mexico before we left. Found it again in Portugal and Vanuatu, not in New Zealand. Here is what works for me.

Before leaving:

Try not to get too stressed or overworked those last days on land (ha, ha, it’s still a goal). That includes a good night’s sleep before leaving, and no big parties (hangovers promote seasickness). Go easy on the caffeine too.

Take the Sturgeron or your other medication a couple hours before you encounter wave action. It is less/not effective once you start feeling bad.

Prepare for those first 3 days as much as you can, especially food. Some people cook up a storm. I just cook up a bunch of rice and put that in the cooler. If I’m feeling good, I can whip up a stir fry or something for dinner. If David’s feeling good but I’m feeling lousy, he can heat up some canned chili or other stewy thing to have with the rice, and I can snack on plain rice if I feel up to it. My goal is to have to do as little as possible for the first 24-48 hours. A pot of lentil soup on the cooker is another option.

First days underway:

Do as little as possible, while staying mindful of the boat and fellow crew and what they need. Try to catch problems of any kind before they become crises.
Be careful about reading & staring at screens. Podcasts, talking books and music on the Ipod are marvellous. Try out the HF broadcasts of the BBC etc if you need to stay connected to the land based world.

Drink lots of water – dehydration promotes seasickness.

Be careful with the sun, use sunscreen, hats, etc- sunburn promotes seasickness.

Keep your body temperature comfortable.

Pay attention to other things that make your comfortable or not (eg staying outside in the fresh air, where the horizon is visible), and adjust accordingly.

Do what you can to sleep comfortably off watch. I usually take a “bird bath” with a washcloth 1x night to clean off the salt. In the temperate zones, a good old hot water bottle is a fabulous thing for getting cosy.

Getting acclimated

If it isn’t rough, I phase out the Sturgeron on the second day. Sometimes I have to take it again for a little while if we hit a rough patch. Waves, especially a weird cross sea, are way more of a problem than wind.

I love a good cup of coffee (I got spoiled in the Pacific NW) but can no longer indulge underway. I get a really sour stomach. So that’s now an at anchor treat.
I think that one thing which aggravates seasickness upon departure, is that there are multiple wave directions near land (like when you make waves in the bathtub). So your poor inner ear is really confused. Once away from land, there is usually a longer primary swell which is easier to cope with both for your body, as well as for moving around on the boat.

I am prone to migraines, and found that for me seasickness can cause a different form of migraine which begins with a horribly stiff neck. So now I watch for that too and take my migraine pill as soon as I notice that.

Cheers!

Susanne Ames
s/v Cheshire
Whangarei, NZ

[gbanker]

Cinnarizine (Stugeron) is also an anti-histaminic drug but is more specific in stopping transmission between the motion sensors in the ear and the brain. Not FDA approved but available OTC outside USA (we got ours in the BVI). As mentioned above, available out of Canada via online drug stores. Best med I have found for seasickness. Susanne Ames hit it on the head.

[Zednotzee]

You may want to read over In-Depth Discussion of Seasickness|Offshore Sailboat Voyaging|Attainable Adventure Cruising
They have been having a "hurl-off" evaluation of different seasickness remedies including the relief band.