Wife and Seasickness

[terrymack]

There is a certain "herb" native to Jamaica that prevents sea sickness, stimulates your appetite, and makes your sailboat appear to be going really fast. I've only heard of it - just sayin'....
;-)
BYW, hello all....I just joined.

[sarafina]

There is lots of sound advice here... but I gotta say; I LOVE my scoplamine patch. Works like a charm in whatever seas I wind up in...

I can even go below when I am wearing it, otherwise, no way even when practically becalmed...

[Brazil]

I don't know why but the Jamaican herb makes my boat appear to be going really slow

[howejw]

Call your Doc and get a prescritption for Scalpomine (the patch) clean behind ear really good right before adhesion (this helps to eleminate skin irritation from sun tan oil or lotion, etc...). they work great for 3 days - then replace with a new one on the opposite side. apply 4-6 hours before boarding. Some side effects may include slurred speech - or maybe that was the Liquid Pain Killers... Ahoy..!

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Rou-Coo

You don't mention if she gets motion sickness in other situations. If not I suspect that a lot of her illness is really an expression of fear. Get her used to sailing a little at a time in situations that will not frighten her. Sailing in a dinghy or other small vessel at first may also help. Of course, keep her above decks when she goes sailing for the first few times.

If all else fails just remember that Admiral Nelson was always disablingly ill for the first two weeks of any voyage - but somehow he managed!

I doubt it's fear. I raced small catamarans for years with no problem. Fished in the upper Chesapeake Bay as a kid, no problem except when working on the engine. Bought a Bristol 27 and sailed it in lower bay and ocean, major seasickness...........from total chunk blow to dry heaves. Had problem with furler in 18 plus winds and had to go fix while being seasick. No fun.

Soon as I hit the creek, I was ready for a beer. I was fine but put the boat up for sale as soon as I got home anyway. Next morning I realized that I do have internet and could do some research on seasickness. Btw, I used to throw up on the ferris wheel.

Long story short. I bought the ginger gum and acupressure wrist bands from amazon.com and have had no problems since. I even finished eating and old sub I had in the icebox last Sunday while the boat was on an angle of about 30 degrees going upwind under autopilot. I was down below eating!!

The ginger gum is better for me than ginger pills. Whenever I even feel a touch bad or have any type of gas, I usually reajust and press the bracelets again to the P6 area of my wrists. (and maybe another piece of gum which tastes pretty darn good)

Total cost for these cures/preventatives was maybe $25.00

(And) the best thing about these fixes is that no drugs are involved. There's no sleepiness etc. It's all natural. I would also suggest having her watch horizon more or steer. Which causes your brain to not get confused. It sees that there is movement to match the motion unlike if you are reading or working on an engine down below while sailing. (or roller furling while riding the bow)

Tom

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by howejw

Call your Doc and get a prescritption for Scalpomine (the patch) clean behind ear really good right before adhesion (this helps to eleminate skin irritation from sun tan oil or lotion, etc...). they work great for 3 days - then replace with a new one on the opposite side. apply 4-6 hours before boarding. Some side effects may include slurred speech - or maybe that was the Liquid Pain Killers... Ahoy..!

My wife, a pharmacist, does not recommend Scopolamine as it affects cognitive ability.

Like any of the seasickness "cures", the side effects vary from person to person. Try it on land before going to sea.

[Rakuflames]

"
Originally Posted by Rou-Coo
You don't mention if she gets motion sickness in other situations. If not I suspect that a lot of her illness is really an expression of fear. Get her used to sailing a little at a time in situations that will not frighten her. Sailing in a dinghy or other small vessel at first may also help. Of course, keep her above decks when she goes sailing for the first few times.

If all else fails just remember that Admiral Nelson was always disablingly ill for the first two weeks of any voyage - but somehow he managed!"


'Tain't necessarily so. I get carsick very easily and only seasick once in my life, and I take my boat out (and go out on others' boats) a lot.

[rtbates]

we have an older version of this electronic band that works for my wife EVERY TIME...Relief Band Voyager: Sea Sickness Relief Band Device

[rtbates]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

multihull, multihull ...

Been sailing for 35 years and the absolutely worse ride I've ever encountered was on a huge cat sailing across the Mona channel with the 8 foot swells hitting us from our stern quarter maybe 30 off dead astern. Horrible cork screw motion caused (I assumed) because the darn thing was 25-30' WIDE...Something about LEVERAGE!!! IT SUCKED!!

Closest I've ever come to getting seasick....My wife had her band on and wasn't bothered in the least... I wanted to jump over board..

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by rtbates

we have an older version of this electronic band that works for my wife EVERY TIME...Relief Band Voyager: Sea Sickness Relief Band Device

They stopped making those Relief Bands. You can get something similar but the battery cannot be replaced. (Reletex) I tried to order the Relief Band after I had already ordered my $15.00 PSI Acupressure Bands thinking the Relief Bands had to work since they cost like $160.00. (the ones with the replaceable battery)

Anyway, either my PSI Acupressure Bands are doing the job or the ginger gum, and I'm not worried about figuring out which one is doing the job at this time.

[Greenhand]

I want to second those who say to experiment a bit. Ginger just does not help me. I thought it would be a good idea to use and stocked up our first time out, but was miserable - I was cognitively impaired from the sensation for an hour or two before I finally vomited. I could barely remember what to do on the helm and couldn't take a dip to cool off once we finally got anchored because I was so miserable I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get up the swim ladder.

I don't have any side effects from Bonine, so that is my standby. Now that the weather is cooling off, I hope to try to do without to see how I fare when it isn't compounded with excessive heat. The summer sun plus vomiting puts the body in a critical state real quick. But I am a scaredy cat - sea sickness sucks.

[Kenomac]

Try to first determine that you're treating the correct problem. I used to think I had a sea sickness problem on extended passages... it turned out instead to be a migraine issue which isn't easily solved. Similar symptoms.

Now, extended passages are not possible.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Greenhand

I want to second those who say to experiment a bit. Ginger just does not help me. I thought it would be a good idea to use and stocked up our first time out, but was miserable - I was cognitively impaired from the sensation for an hour or two before I finally vomited. I could barely remember what to do on the helm and couldn't take a dip to cool off once we finally got anchored because I was so miserable I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get up the swim ladder.

I don't have any side effects from Bonine, so that is my standby. Now that the weather is cooling off, I hope to try to do without to see how I fare when it isn't compounded with excessive heat. The summer sun plus vomiting puts the body in a critical state real quick. But I am a scaredy cat - sea sickness sucks.

Bonine works very well for me also. One thing I like about it is that you can take it the night before -- it's good for 24 hours. I don't have to try to remember it while I'm busy getting ready to go out, or move on, etc.

[rebel heart]

Bonine is my go-to. I always pop a pill before I go offshore. No negative effects that I can notice and with the exception of a few seconds of woosy-ness from time to time when things really slam or drop out I don't have any type of seasickness anymore.

Cheap, effective, small. My wife is pregnant so she's needed Zorfran to take (maybe that's not the spelling) since *every* other type of nausea medication isn't safe for pregnant women.

If you have kids, consider that angle as well. Not everything is in child size doses or cleared for little people.

[terra57]

Sturgeon is an effective anti sea seasickness pill that has no side effects on most people. Also you can take it AFTER you start to get sick. If I feel queasy on a passage I take half a pill. Can't remember ever needing more. BTW cannot buy in USA. Over the counter in Mexico and Europe.