EU says no new seasickness pills in my liferaft - what shoukd I buy?

[Sandy]

Interesting that there are 'sick bags' a-plenty on all civil aircraft I've flown in these past 30 years, and on cross-channel ferries, but never on yachts.... except the ones I have.

It's not as if they're heavy, bulky or expensive.....

Problem is where do you put a used sick bag on a yacht?

I am keeping with the bucket or over the side...

 

[andygc]

Definitely hyoscine for this particular use. There has been plenty of research within the military on the usr of anti-emetics, and hyoscine has remained in its position as the drug of choice for liferafts, including those in aircraft of all types - and a one-man liferaft with the hood up is a very nauseogenic place to be. It can be strongly sedative in susceptible individuals, but the aim is to prevent dehydration, not to keep the survivor all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Buccastem = prochlorperazine can be effective, but is not as fast-acting or as universally effective. That is, in a large sample of people, more will get benefit from hyoscine than from prochlorperazine. Prochlorperazine also has a wider range of side effects.

PS. Hyoscine is a prescription only medicine with approval for pharmacy supply in specific forms without a prescription. Tablets for motion sickness are available over the counter and by mail order. Any company servicing liferafts should be able to set up a supply arrangement which meets any legal restrictions on supply - as simple an arrangement as getting them through the local chemist. It is nonsense for Seago to blame the EU for their organizational inadequacies. The regulations for the supply of hyoscine haven't changed just about in living memory.

PPS http://www.safety-marine.co.uk/life...mca-approved-anti-sea-sickness-tablets-60.htm

 

[Rhyddid]

One ear plug and one eye-patch.

http://www.saltyjohntheblog.com/2014/05/hello-world.html

Now that's just damn funny.....and topical ! Boom!

 

[GrahamM376]

Take some in your grab bag. The EU aren't saying you can't take them. Are they?

Our new 2014 raft has them on the contents list and I don't see a problem in replacing them in future as most service centres will include small "owner supplied" items when repacking.

 

[Burnham Bob]

"Hyoscine is a prescription only medicine with approval for pharmacy supply in specific forms without a prescription. " ............most likely Seago know they cannot supply tablets as they are not a pharmacy.........but I can see their point that buying from a local pharmacy to include in the liferaft is a bit of a hassle. off to get some Hyoscine to put in the grab bag

 

[Burnham Bob]

and for those of you interested in the practical side of this thread, rather than the EU debate, Hyoscine is the active ingredient in Kwells. £2.99 for 12!

 

[capnsensible]

We have found that our crews respond very well to Boots own brand travel calm.

These are now repackaged as 'Joyrides' which is always an interesting thing to ask for a couple of packets of in a chemists...

 

[andygc]

"Hyoscine is a prescription only medicine with approval for pharmacy supply in specific forms without a prescription. " ............most likely Seago know they cannot supply tablets as they are not a pharmacy.........but I can see their point that buying from a local pharmacy to include in the liferaft is a bit of a hassle. off to get some Hyoscine to put in the grab bag

There's no excuse for poor customer service. They don't have to go to the local chemist each time they want some, they just need to arrange for a pharmacist to supply the pills in a pack size suitable for the liferaft. The pills are dirt cheap and can be obtained in all manner of pack sizes. Anti-seasickness pills are an essential part of the equipment in a liferaft, and you shouldn't need to rely on a grab bag which could be left behind (explosion, fire, big hole from collision).

We have found that our crews respond very well to Boots own brand travel calm.

These are now repackaged as 'Joyrides' which is always an interesting thing to ask for a couple of packets of in a chemists...

Joyrides are hyoscine.

 

[st599]

Oh no, no - Scopolamine (Hyoscine) and some antihistamine tablets. Scopolamine is very fast acting

Could lead to an interesting chat in the liferaft too.

 

[alan_d]

To clarify: What we call hyoscine in the UK the Americans call scopolamine, just like paracetamol/acetaminophen and adrenaline/epinephrine. These are all "approved" pharmaceutical names, but the active agents are frequently sold under trade names (distinguished by the use of an initial capital letter), such as Kwells, Joyrides and Scopoderm in the case of hyoscine/scopolamine.

 

[richardabeattie]

Just hold an oak leaf in your left hand. Make sure it is still attached.

 

[Strikeliner]

There is no ban on the inclusion of seasickness tablets in liferaft emergency packs. There should be 6 per person. Tablets are commonly supplied in tubs of 60 so lucky users will have a larger supply.

The MHRA have recently imposed strict regulations on the supply of certain drugs that are contained in First Aid Kits. This has had an effect on the length of time that a Cat. C First Aid Kit can be dated but this has no impact at all on sea sickness tablets.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Hmmm, Bucastem is good but not a miracle cure - which is why I mentioned seasickness treatments all have to be taken as prevention rather than cure; when I have been really sick onland with CVS, Bucastem had no effect at all, then again nor do injections.

Hence my suggestions of plenty of mineral water if one gets to that stage - the type of bottle with a teat to suck, especially in a rocking liferaft - a bucket would also be handy, as would any sort of thermal blanket.

Stugeron dissolves and is absorbed very quickly through the mucous membrane of the mouth 'under the tongue'. I didn't realise just how effective a technique this was until few years ago. I don't get sick very often, and so don't usually take anti-seasickness tablets as a prophylactic. If I find myself feeling yuk, or actually throwing up, one Stugeron dissolving under the tongue is very effective. It gets round the 'should have taken them hours ago' routine.

 

[st599]

I'm surprised they allow you that many tablets. Scopolamine is pretty nasty in high doses. The Gestapo loved it.

 

[onesea]

Not putting sea sickness tablets in life rafts is stupid. Every one who I know has been in one(not in anger) needed them.

They are essentials...

Once every one is in its the first thing you should do...

As for the grab bag, I want that as small as possible. Why put extra in there when they can be ready in the raft..

 

[charles_reed]

Medic,

is that what's in Stugeron ?

That is the most effective thing I've seen tried, but as you say it can sedate some people to near unconscious level.

As for use in lifearfts, well I wonder if there's any point to pills at all, they have to be taken a long time in advance - prevention not a magic cure - and if being sick one can't keep pills down anyway; might as well just have plenty of drinking water ?

Cinnazarine - sold also as Stugeron - is one of the antihistamines.

I think the OP has been misinformed (and I'd be concerned by a service agent who got things that wrong), who's trying to escape his obligations.