Sea Sickenss - The Holy Grail of Pills.....

[JPA Cate]

Hello, Scotty Kiwi,

When I tried the patches, it was many years ago, and it was like a bandaid: you peeled it off the backing and stuck it on. (Jim became sensitized to the stickum.)

How on earth did your good lady get it to stick to her, if it wasn't peeled off? Maybe they changed their design?

Thanks for answering.

Ann

[s/v Jedi]

Before leaving bacon and eggs, then while underway plenty hot coffee, soups and stews

[Toys_with_time]

Originally Posted by UFO

I have been undertaking a few experiments on some lab rats (read friends) in regards to Sea Sickness tablets, as my wife suffers a form of vertigo/sea sickness when she gets out of still waters - Basically she has to lie down as everything spins around her - although she is not sick.

I hope that helps anyone looking for a seasickness remedy

I have found ET's to be very successful for many who have sailed with me and they don't have the sleep side effect (contain caffeine). They were developed for a well known Australian (ET) who started doing a TV fishing show but suffered badly from sea sickness - he wanted a pill that would solve the sea sickness without putting him to sleep. They can be made up by a compounding chemist - Google for the make up.

TwT

[Scotty Kiwi]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Hello, Scotty Kiwi,

When I tried the patches, it was many years ago, and it was like a bandaid: you peeled it off the backing and stuck it on. (Jim became sensitized to the stickum.)

How on earth did your good lady get it to stick to her, if it wasn't peeled off? Maybe they changed their design?

Thanks for answering.

Ann

Oh I told her to cover it on her neck with a normal plaster.

For the reason that if she accidentally touched it, uncovered, I think the stuff gets on the fingers, and once that caused me to have pupil dilation.

Good question - I had not thought of how her mistake (or improvement) was possible.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

We once knew a guy who started the Stugeron 3 days before leaving, and was good for the passages, but believed he needed the 3 day start up.

I take mine in the morning after I wake up and before we leave, but they are the lowest dose. Sometimes, i get sleepy about 1/2 hr. after taking them. If i go have a snooze, I'm fine again in about 45 min.

My favourite strategy against sea sickness is stugeron, and I've tried almost everything else, before it.

Ann

It's pointless taking it more than 8 hours before leaving (unless you grossly overdose )



It's got a plasma half life of 4 hours.

After 4 hours you're effectively on a 1/2 dose, after 8 hours, a 1/4 dose, after 12 hours, a 1/8th dose etc.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by StuM

It's pointless taking it more than 8 hours before leaving (unless you grossly overdose )



It's got a plasma half life of 4 hours.

After 4 hours you're effectively on a 1/2 dose, after 8 hours, a 1/4 dose, after 12 hours, a 1/8th dose etc.

Hi, Stu,

What he told us was that he took it according to the package instructions, starting 3 days in advance, and then stopped when he left. He had arrived at the plan by trial and error when he couldn't tolerate the sea sickness. Perhaps it was a placebo effect that finally made it work for him. He was not putting us on when he told us. There's no way I can really know what happened there. But I would try it, if desperate, because it worked for him. And, if desperate, the placebo effect might take place, because of all of the hope put into it. Mind/brain interaction is wonderful! Even if the Australian psychologists don't believe there is a separation. ....And perhaps they're right!

I wouldn't waste the medicine, so I never tried it his way. What if I don't leave on the planned day? No way. So, I do mine in the morning when I wake up. And I take 2 to start, then one thereafter, but only if I'm having trouble. There are many things I can do to alleviate it if s/s sneaks up on me, and I am willing to tolerate it for a while, if we will soon have the hook down. [Keeping the ears horizontal with the horizon helps a lot; and for me, taking the helm and actively piloting helps; also, consciously making my stomach muscles relax. Little skills my body has taught me over the years.] I was once seasick for about 19 days in a row. Since that event, or series of events, however you want to look at it, it became really important to me to find something I could rely on.

Marezine and meclizine HCl work for me, but I don't feel good. The scop patches work; but I hate the dry mouth side effect. Stugeron works and is almost side effect free, for me. Others mmv.

Ann

[conchaway]

Sounds pretty much like Dramamine.

[Singularity]

Originally Posted by StuM

It's pointless taking it more than 8 hours before leaving (unless you grossly overdose )

It's got a plasma half life of 4 hours.

After 4 hours you're effectively on a 1/2 dose, after 8 hours, a 1/4 dose, after 12 hours, a 1/8th dose etc.

You're describing what's called pharmacokinetics, which is what the body does to the drug.
Pharmacodynamics is what the drug does to the body, which should not per se be assumed to merely to coincide with the half-live of the drug (even though for practical purposes it may here, I don't know).

Let's use an example of two friends who are going to visit a mold-filled boat tomorrow. Neither currently has allergy symptoms, but both know that they're allergic to mold.
Friend #1's current allergy system may be deep asleep
Friend #2's current allergy system is boiling beneath the surface, has a hair trigger, but no symptoms

Both of them could wait until 2 hours before entering the boat to take their allergy pill, but experience tells us that if friend #2 starts an allergy pill a day before (and the day of), in sum he'll experience more allergy-free time in the boat than if he only took the day of.

Point being, under the surface it's a little more complicated. I have zero experience with sturgeon, but generally people highly prone to motion sickness...those who get dizzy thinking about a boat...generally do better dosing early.

Theory otherwise being that it's not the immune system that's the issue, but that such peoples' balance system is barely keeping tabs of balance in the first place...by giving it a rest early (with an earlier dose)...then maybe...it'll help reduce risk of symptoms. This is otherwise the reason that people with BPPV (routine older-age dizzy thing) often get prescribed anti-dizzy medication to continue even after symptoms are resolved. Some drowsiness is a result of the brain working over-time to keep us dizzy-free, not because of the medication.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by conchaway

Sounds pretty much like Dramamine.

Ahh Good old Dramamine - I used to hand that out when I was a dive instructor - If you kept the dosage low and figured it by body weight it was good, but too much and it would blow people away! I think Stugeron does not quite have the same side effects.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by Scrimshaw4

I highly recommend using a product called Relief Band. Unlike pills it imparts no side affects. It is battery operated and worn on the wrist. I have used it on a number of different crew members that normally get VERY seasick and have witnessed great results. It's so safe that the USFDA has approved it for use by pregnant women to combat morning seasickness and by the FAA for commercial pilots to use to address motion sickness. Purchase the model that has replaceable batteries. JMHO

That sounds interesting - Anyone else have any real world examples of how good this is?

[Symphony]

My wife, highly susceptible to motion sickness, has good results with the relief band. as was said, no side effects. I have old original models that allowed you to change the batteries and I'm hoping they continue ok as the new models have a built-in battery that cannot be changed... yet still as expensive as the originals!

My wife also has used Scopalamine patch for long rough offshore sections. one or two patches to start the trip and she's good for a week. Warning - you must try Scop before sailing, some people are very prone to dry mouth, a bother, but some others are prone to hallucinations. Hallucinations can kill you on a boat. More than one person is suspected of walking off their boat during their night watch while hallucinating. Many doctors will be wary of prescribing Scopalamine because of this. Great drug for the right person.

[Sirago]

Motion Ease works for me. A little dab behind the ears and it kicks in quickly, in 5 to 10 minutes.

[s/v Jedi]

I highly recommend the boarding ring. This too has no side effects and contrary to the wrist bands, this actually works

This sea sickness prevention device has been tested to be 95% effective and is completely safe to use, even by women. Even when pregnant.

Sailors also highly recommend it for the lookout up in the crows nest as they will be able to see as far as the horizon, even in dense fog, amazing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgZJvcfLj-s

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I highly recommend the boarding ring. This too has no side effects and contrary to the wrist bands, this actually works

This sea sickness prevention device has been tested to be 95% effective and is completely safe to use, even by women. Even when pregnant.

Sailors also highly recommend it for the lookout up in the crows nest as they will be able to see as far as the horizon, even in dense fog, amazing!

jeez...these may be effective (?) but i think i'd rather be S/S ! imagine the wisecracks from the crew suppose it'd be ok solo, but even then i think i'd give myself a hard time !

cheers,

[Tetepare]

I do wonder how much is placebo.

Ann, im surprised with so many sea miles you get seasick. If you go with no pills or other devices, how long does it take to not be seasick?

We’ve never been seasick, nor have the kids who’ve grown up on the boat. We can be bouncing and hammering through rollers and they’re in the V berth watching a movie.

I’ve been on boats with world cruisers when skipper and mate were seasick. And I’ve held the belts of landlubbers to keep them in the boat while they puked for hours (people really do turn green) and soiled themselves.

I do wonder how much is psychological. That’s not meant as being critical. having never been seasick, yet following (and buying) cures for decades, it’s both fascinating and frustrating. If I got seasick I could evaluate; but I’m just a bystander experimenting on occasional passengers.