Sea Sickness - Best Preventions

[hellosailor]

"My wife is a pharmacist. She does not recommend scopalomine"
An arguably valid opinion. Has she ever been seasick? Or more to the point, sesick to the point where she is not capable of following instructions, making decisions, or moving beyond the fetal position?
I would submit that anyone who merely has an "educated" or "professional" opinion of the risk of scopolamine, has never actually experienced the incredible benefits it can have for a large number of people.
Do I like the risks? Hell no. Do I appreciate them? Hell yes. Every time I've taken scop I've warned the entire crew aboard that I'm on scop, and I may become a psychotic ax murderer, or have a heart attack, at any moment. And we all generally agree those are acceptable risks compared to becoming a totally comatose source of puke in the boat. (And once you're down to plain clear bile because there's no food left in the stomache, it doesn't hurt or smell any better.)


Be glad to hear when she's found, and tested, something better. For now, I'll vote with NASA in that there's nothing better to be found for someone who's really motion sick.


But you might ask her, why the UK dose of scop is .3mg "per body" and the US dose was .4mg "per body" with no adjustment for body mass or anything else. (Except, in the UK they call it 30 micrograms instead of 0.3 milligrams.)

[SariTimur]

We had a friend and his daughter join us during the Borneo races. He is sometimes prone to seasickness and he said his daughter is worse. He bought an electronic wristband in the UK and let his daughter where it all week. It must work as she was reading below decks while we were racing. I don't think it was cheap but he was astounded that she felt so good. I don't know ant other details other then it had various settings on it, and she was dialed in at about average.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Be glad to hear when she's found, and tested, something better. For now, I'll vote with NASA in that there's nothing better to be found for someone who's really motion sick.

I use generic Gravol. I use it for a day or two. After that all is well - within one exception: mid Pacific reviewing assessments with students for a couple of hours below. There was also a change in sea state.

I have tried scopalomine; I could not take the dry mouth. trying to find clean dry skin on a passage can be challenging as well.

[hellosailor]

" He bought an electronic wristband in the UK and let his daughter where it all week."
That's the ReliefBand, or a clone of it. I think the US maker was Woodside Biomedical.


Cost is around $75 to $90, very roughly, depending on whether you get the model that takes battery changes, or the model for pregnancy, which is sealed and meant to be thrown out when used up. (It still only needs a little access and two new lithium coin cells.)


Relief Band;motion sickness relief band,relief band,motion,sickness,relief band bracelet, reliefband remedy, motion sickness cure, patch, motion sickness remedy,drug free One source for $74.99.


Note that you do also need the "gel" to make good conductivity to the skin, but that's also a generic medical product for all sorts of electrodes.


I put "puffy paint", a plastic that bonds tenaciously but peels off cleanly, over the battery flap to ensure it is sealed down well. And IIRC I threw out the battery "sled", which held two 2025 coin cells, and put in two 2032 coin cells (a little thicker, longer lasting) instead, when it was time for batteries.

[HankOnthewater]

Although this thread is a year old, and the questions of the poster probably answered, there has been some suggestions not to use medication and some to do just that:

1. One suggestion was promethazine (a brand name is Phenergan). It was previously stated to take 25 mg tablets. Phenergan 25 mg tablets - X-PIL
See here for more dosage information. My experience is that one 10 mg dose the night before and another 10mg before departing is beneficial. Is available OTC (over the counter) in Australia.
2. The second medication is cinnarizine (Stugeron). More sedative side effects and for more information see here Boots Motion Sickness Tablets - X-PIL
Check this also on Wikipedia, good write-up as far as I can see.
Not available in Australia.
3. Hyosine comes in tablets (Buscopan) and as patches (Scopoderm). I guess what previous posters refer to as "Scopolamine". I have no experience with the medication as use on a boat. See here for info: Scopoderm 1.5 mg Patch - Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) - (eMC)
In Australia on prescription only.
4. Ondansetron (Zofran) is available on prescription only. I use it daily (administration to others in a health care setting). I think not really aimed for use on boats for sea sickness, although it may help. See here for info: Ondansetron 4 mg film-coated tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) - (eMC)

Note: once nausea or vomiting start, no oral medication will be absorbed properly, not even the Zofran wafers. Those placed under the tongue are not absorbed by mucous membranes in the cheek, but dissolved in saliva that is swallowed, and often vomited out again. All above except for cinnarizine is available for intra-venous administration as well, but then again, not really suitable for the general boating community.
Some general info on sea sickness and medication is here:
Preventing motion sickness in children - Australian Prescriber

Proper hydration maybe not prevent nausea, but will certainly reduce symptoms once nausea vomiting starts, and will reduce or delay the debilitating effects of serious sea sickness.

I have seen others use armbands: sometimes they seem to help.
I have used ginger, and that too seems beneficial ie: in cooking/salads with ginger, biscuits with ginger, and ginger beer (non-alcoholic).
As stated by others: alcohol will make seasickness worse!!

Anyway, another 2 cents.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Cost is around $75 to $90, very roughly, depending on whether you get the model that takes battery changes, or the model for pregnancy, which is sealed and meant to be thrown out when used up. (It still only needs a little access and two new lithium coin cells.)

The mechanism associated with nausea and pregnancy is totally different than the nausea associated with motion seasickness.

The band is a placebo.

[hellosailor]

'Hyosine ...posters refer to as "Scopolamine"."
Yes, on the US market that is what it is called. xx hydrobromide, I think, is the full name.
It is extensively used for motion sickness, tested by the US military and NASA among others.
Zofran is Zofran in the US, but used as an anti-emetic to prevent just the nausea, in hospital settings. Not for motion sickness per se.

[hellosailor]

Well, Jack, as a placebo it is way more effective than Bonine, Marezine, Dramamine I or II, or Stugeron.
And as a placebo, it seems to only work when the contact gel is used, and the device is located fairly precisely on the wrist.
The "button bands" (ne kwan bands) are an entirely different thing.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by HankOnthewater

……...
4. Ondansetron (Zofran) is available on prescription only. I use it daily (administration to others in a health care setting). I think not really aimed for use on boats for sea sickness, although it may help. See here for info: Ondansetron 4 mg film-coated tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) - (eMC)

Note: once nausea or vomiting start, no oral medication will be absorbed properly, not even the Zofran wafers. Those placed under the tongue are not absorbed by mucous membranes in the cheek, but dissolved in saliva that is swallowed, and often vomited out again. All above except for cinnarizine is available for intra-venous administration as well, but then again, not really suitable for the general boating community.
Some general info on sea sickness and medication is here:
Preventing motion sickness in children - Australian Prescriber
……..

Thanks for this info.

I have a friend who has just been prescribed Zofran Zydi (4mg) for sea-sickness and as I was unaware of it until today, I went looking for some reference to it in CF .

Presumably it is more commonly prescribed for nausea in a clinical setting or some such.

Any more info would be welcome...

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

But you might ask her, why the UK dose of scop is .3mg "per body" and the US dose was .4mg "per body" with no adjustment for body mass or anything else. (Except, in the UK they call it 30 micrograms instead of 0.3 milligrams.)

She is not sure why. Got the "Google it" response. So I did

Usual Adult Dose for Motion Sickness
Apply one scopolamine 1.5 mg transdermal disc behind the ear at least 4 hours prior to exposure every 3 days as needed.

Scopolamine Dosage Guide with Precautions - Drugs.com

BTW

30µg= 0.03000000mg

Micrograms to Milligrams conversion

[hellosailor]

Jack, that's why I'm not allowed to practice math across state borders. Whatever the correct unit...they both say "not more than" I think it is 3 pills per 24 hours, but our dose is 4:3 compared to theirs.


On oral meds being useless once there's heaving puking, yes. IIRC Compazine suppositories are the normal US answer to that. They must be kept cool, they melt easily, but they'll go in and stay in and work even if you are puking. A good reason to keep them in the med kit, or the bottom of the ice box.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

IIRC Compazine suppositories are the normal US answer to that.

Tried them. They tasted foul and for all the good they did me, I might as well have stuck them up my a**e!

[HankOnthewater]

Originally Posted by StuM

Tried them. They tasted foul and for all the good they did me, I might as well have stuck them up my a**e!

Big laugh! Have never seen the medication you refer too, but if they are shaped like a small torpedo..... they do not go into your mouth.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by jackdale

The mechanism associated with nausea and pregnancy is totally different than the nausea associated with motion seasickness.

The band is a placebo.

Placebo or ńot it's damn effective for my Wfe. And if it works, we love it.

[MYTraveler]

I have tried everything without consistent success. In the southern hemisphere, ginger has never let me down, but it doesn't work worth a squat in the northern. Scopalamine is good, but not fool proof. I have barfed from the sight of undulating eel grass while scuba diving 60' down. Regulator cleared no problem and tons of fish came out of nowhere. Looking at the horizon does nothing for me. Similarly, the food I eat, whether greasy or full of sugar or otherwise, seems to have no effect. Sleep doesn't matter. Beer doesn't diminish the risk, but with the proper dosage, it doesn't bother me as much, I recover more quickly, and have diminished memories of the suffering.