Anti Seasick Pills

[capnsensible]

For lots of years, we have been recommending Boots Travelcalm. I do get to sail with lots of people and this one seems to do the trick for most.

However, it appears that Boots are no longer selling them. I have heard unqualified rumours that there is a lack of the 'stuff' it was made from.

In its place, they are now selling the somewhat interestingly named 'Joy-Rides'.

Is it me, or is there something a tad strange about going into a Chemist and asking for 'A large packet of Joy Rides, please......

 

[windlipper]

Bit like when I saw "Ribs for Pleasure", I thought it was an advert for Zodiac inflatables!

Fortunately not had the need for them myself but my dearly beloved has tried all the so called remedies for mal de mer and for her "Sea Legs" have been the most effective.

 

[Vallich]

For lots of years, we have been recommending Boots Travelcalm. I do get to sail with lots of people and this one seems to do the trick for most.

However, it appears that Boots are no longer selling them. I have heard unqualified rumours that there is a lack of the 'stuff' it was made from.

In its place, they are now selling the somewhat interestingly named 'Joy-Rides'.

Is it me, or is there something a tad strange about going into a Chemist and asking for 'A large packet of Joy Rides, please......

Why not try asking for a small packet, otherwise Stugeron seems to be efficacious for some folk I know. Personally keeping active in order not to die or bump into summat I didn't want to hit seems to keep mal de mer away pour moi...

 

[LadyInBed]

Looks like you need to look for a remedy that contains Hyoscine
See http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Motion-Sickness.htm

 

[snooks]

Looks like you need to look for a remedy that contains Hyoscine
See http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Motion-Sickness.htm

Kwells in a shiny blue packet, contain Hyoscine in tablet form, make your mouth dry so drink plenty of (nonalcoholic) fluids

 

[Evadne]

For lots of years, we have been recommending Boots Travelcalm. I do get to sail with lots of people and this one seems to do the trick for most.

However, it appears that Boots are no longer selling them. I have heard unqualified rumours that there is a lack of the 'stuff' it was made from.

In its place, they are now selling the somewhat interestingly named 'Joy-Rides'.

Is it me, or is there something a tad strange about going into a Chemist and asking for 'A large packet of Joy Rides, please......

I've just had to do a day in a rather rough conditions in a workboat, after a bit of a long layoff. My american colleague offered ee dramamine, and I took one. It worked, no sleepiness or trippiness, mild but effective, I can recommend it.

 

[capnsensible]

Looks like you need to look for a remedy that contains Hyoscine
See http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Motion-Sickness.htm

Joy Rides are hyoscine hydrobromide. No sign of thin rubber at all!

 

[Pearldiver]

I've just had to do a day in a rather rough conditions in a workboat, after a bit of a long layoff. My american colleague offered ee dramamine, and I took one. It worked, no sleepiness or trippiness, mild but effective, I can recommend it.

I would second that, having tried most other things with only marginal improvement over the years. You can get Dramamine on prescription in the UK, or via Amazon.uk, delivered from the US.

 

[Angele]

For lots of years, we have been recommending Boots Travelcalm. I do get to sail with lots of people and this one seems to do the trick for most.

However, it appears that Boots are no longer selling them. I have heard unqualified rumours that there is a lack of the 'stuff' it was made from.

In its place, they are now selling the somewhat interestingly named 'Joy-Rides'.

Is it me, or is there something a tad strange about going into a Chemist and asking for 'A large packet of Joy Rides, please......

I may be wrong, but I think Joy Rides contains the same active ingredient as Boots Travelcalm, but is half the strength - hence why the former is sold as being suitable for children over three.

I have a pack of Travelcalm at home, so I will check. If this is the case then your "unqualified rumours" are undeniably false.

Edit: Just checked here http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/19795/SPC/Joy-rides+Tablets/ and here http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/11164/spc and my understanding is correct. Joy Rides are half strength Boots Travelcalm (with an orange flavouring added, IIRC).

 

[rosewood]

The boots own brand in my opinion have been the best. You can still get them if they have any old stock but the woman at boots told me the new ones are the same as the old

 

[Sgeir]

Is it me, or is there something a tad strange about going into a Chemist and asking for 'A large packet of Joy Rides, please......

Haircut for the weekend, Sir?

 

[Hambler Rambler]

I would second that, having tried most other things with only marginal improvement over the years. You can get Dramamine on prescription in the UK, or via Amazon.uk, delivered from the US.

I have a friend who finds Stugeron very drowsy so sounds like Dramamine might be worth a shot

Any opinions about the Original/Less Drowsy/Chewable formulas?

Reading their website it seems that the Original and Chewable types need to be re-dosed every 4-6 hours but the 'Less Drowsy' ones seem to last for 24 hrs?? Seems quite advantageous?

 

[Seajet]

A friend is a terrible sufferer, and he swears by the Boots stuff; maybe he'll need to double his dose with the new JoyRides.

Stugeron always worked well for my parents - luckily I don't suffer - but I know someone who took it and it rendered him near unconscious, he's a good sailor and was then a fit 18yr old but if he'd been in charge of a boat things might have gone badly - so one needs to try it first to ascertain ones' reaction.

If someone is being sick a lot the bottles of mineral water with a teat to suck are really useful - lots of them or decanted from a bigger bottle to allow for ' wasteage ', and when recovering Dioralyte oral electrolyte is very good for replacing the lost minerals etc, one empties a sachet of pleasant mild blackcurrant flavoured powder into a tumbler of water; available at chemists if one asks, about £4.50 for 4 sachets.

 

[prv]

Anyone else tried Buccastem (aka prochlorperazine) ? I've seen it work really well for one guy on Stavros - going from vomiting every few minutes to sitting down in an enclosed messroom and asking for seconds of lunch, within an hour or so. Impressed by this, I carry it on board, but I've never actually used it.

The benefit of the Buccastem brand in particular is that it comes as a small patch you stick onto your gum, inside the top lip, where it slowly dissolves into the bloodstream. This means you don't throw it up like normal pills, a benefit it shares with suppositories, and I know which of those routes I prefer!

Pete

 

[Sailfree]

I have a friend who finds Stugeron very drowsy so sounds like Dramamine might be worth a shot

If you are in France seek out their remedies - they have one that combines caffine to counter the drowsiness effect. Sorry can remember the trade name.

 

[Angele]

A friend is a terrible sufferer, and he swears by the Boots stuff; maybe he'll need to double his dose with the new JoyRides.

JoyRides aren't new. They have been around for years. Boots used to sell both their "full strength" TravelCalm and JoyRides side by side.

I tried to persuade SWMBO that JoyRides were not worth buying, since they were just half strength TravelCalm (and not half the price, naturally), but she wouldn't believe me. She was adamant that, because they are specifically described as suitable for adults AND CHILDREN, that we needed to buy them. To be fair, the boys prefer to chew something with a bit of flavour.

As it happens, I passed an independent chemist on my way to buy a sandwich just now, and popped in to see what they stocked. Sturgeron and a family version of Kwells (also hyoscine hydrobromide). The pharmacist happened to mention that there were supply problems with hyoscine hydrobromide, so I take back my comment in post #9.

 

[prv]

when recovering Dioralyte oral electrolyte is very good for replacing the lost minerals etc, one empties a sachet of pleasant mild blackcurrant flavoured powder into a tumbler of water; available at chemists if one asks, about £4.50 for 4 sachets.

Agree - based on a suggestion on these forums I added Dioralyte to my medical kit last year.

Available much cheaper than that, though. E.g. Amazon currently showing £2.75 for 6 (if bought with any other item to cover the handling and postage costs).

Pete

 

[Sybarite]

For lots of years, we have been recommending Boots Travelcalm. I do get to sail with lots of people and this one seems to do the trick for most.

However, it appears that Boots are no longer selling them. I have heard unqualified rumours that there is a lack of the 'stuff' it was made from.

In its place, they are now selling the somewhat interestingly named 'Joy-Rides'.

Is it me, or is there something a tad strange about going into a Chemist and asking for 'A large packet of Joy Rides, please......

What would be really interesting is if people would post the active ingredients of each of the remedies. IIRC for example the French Mercalm contains the same active ingredients as Stugeron (cannot swear to that though).

SWMBo swears by the Scopoderm patches, the only remedy that works for her.

 

[Angele]

IIRC for example the French Mercalm contains the same active ingredients as Stugeron (cannot swear to that though).

I don't think so, but I'm no pharmacist. (I did do chemistry at university for a couple of years, but was never any good at organic... ) Stugeron is Cinnarizine. According to http://www.drugs.com/international/mercalm.html Mercalm contains Dimenhydrinate. I'm pretty sure they are not the same.

SWMBo swears by the Scopoderm patches, the only remedy that works for her.

The active ingredient in Scopoderm is scopalamine. From http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel-health/medicines/kwells.html:

Hyoscine hydrobromide is sometimes known as scopolamine.

So, scopoderm, kwells, travelcalm and JoyRides all use the same active ingredient (but with a different way of administering it, in the case of the patches).

What would be really interesting is if people would post the active ingredients of each of the remedies.

Here goes for starters. Others can add/amend as I'm no pharmacist and this is just from internet research. (I therefore disclaim all liability... blah, blah...)

Scopoderm, Kwells, Travelcalm and JoyRides: Hyoscine hydrobromide (aka scopolamine).
Stugeron: Cinnarizine
Mercalm, Dramamine: Dimenhydrinate

 

[robertt]

Buccastem is handy if actually vomiting rather than just nauseated, in other words if tablets can't be kept down. But it is a reduced dose compared to standard anti-sickness treatment dose (3mg as opposed to 5mg for this particular drug, prochlorperazine). If tabs can be kept down I would recommend Cinnarizine (Stugeron) 30mg initially then 15mg every 8 hrs or so therafter.