Non drowsy sea sickness pills?

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Haddock

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My niece is going to sea next month and I was wondering if any of you can recommend sea sickness pills that work but most importantly don't have drowsy side- effects.

Many thanks.
 
I think you'll find (though I'll probably be corrected on here) that all the common over the counter anti nausea drugs will make you feel sleepy, many seem to include Cafein in the tablet to counteract this.

In practice I've found that the Scopoderm patches are the best, side effects are a very dry mouth.

The only tablets that seem to be effective ( for me) and also have the cafein are ones with the drug Dimenhidrinato ( 100mg every 3-4 hours), or as trade names Cinfamar and Biodramina C (the C for the added cafein), I bought mine in Spain but you might find similar ones here.
 
I find that ginger in any form that isn't highly processed (e.g. root, crystallised) can help. I t doesn't cause drowsiness. But I am fairly immune to sea sickness most of the time. My wife suffers worse but she too finds ginger helps. It doesn't work for everybody but could be worth a try.

Derek.
 
There's a prescription only one called Prochlorperazine which is taken three times a day. It is not the most specific medication for sea sickness, but does not really have any drowsy side effects and can work well. Beware scopolamine patches as they have very variable side effects with differnt people- dry mouth is the commonest, but they can also make you feel quite confised and disorientated. SOme people cut the patches in half to reduce the dosage.

The other way to do it, is to start taking something like Stugeron the day before you sail- you get the drowsy side effects on the initial dose, then they reduce and wear off with subsequent doses- the trick is to get it into your system before you go anywhere near a boat, then ensure you take regular top up doses.

Alex
 
[ QUOTE ]
My niece is <span style="color:red"> going to sea </span> next month and I was wondering if any of you can recommend sea sickness pills that work but most importantly don't have drowsy side- effects. Many thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]What do you mean by "going to sea" if with the forces then private/personal medication is frowned upon, if on a cruise ship then the ship's doctor will provide the necessary, if on something like a youth training ship where she is expected to deal with the problem herself then I would recommend Hyoscine Hydrobromide tablets.

As with all medications any contra indications will depend on the individual.

Best to avoid the problem by staying on deck or at least in the fresh air, eyes fixed on the horizon and avoid going below as much as possible.
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
 
I think its already been said that there is no "one size fits all" sea sick cure....I found Stugeron didn't work and made me very sleepy whereas Kwells give me a dry mouth and make me very slightly light headed but they do work for me so I put up with the minor side effects and after a day or so most people are acclimatised and can stop taking medication....Iain
 
Still got a prescription for prochlorperazine from my bout of labyrinthitis earlier in the year. Can't remember any side effects, but I was far too wobbly to notice any.

I think the info sheet mentioned that it was also used for treating hallucinations. Anything that carries a risk of putting boaty folk back in touch with reality could be too dangerous to contemplate.
 
Best advice

Also mentioned below.

Take the first dose early, at least 1 dose / cycle before casting off, and preferably start a whole day before.

Side effects will most likely subside with time.
 
Stugeron varies widely in its side effects. Many people (like myself) don't get the drowsiness at all, so it's worth a "dry run" ashore. It's effects take an hour or so to reach maximum if it is swallowed, but uptake is much faster if it is dissolved under the tongue.

Ginger is a very traditional remedy and is the main ingredient in some tablets. However, at least half of the clinical studies on it shows that it has no significant effect. As with so many drugs for non-life-threatening conditions, having confidence in the remedy has a huge effect.
 
Haddock doesnt mention neice's age as that is relevant if you are going down the medication route. Prochlorperazine may cause drowsiness particularly in the elderly (not a problem here then) but would be prescribed cautiously in the young.There are several interactions with medications that she might be taking so she should really discuss with her physician who knows her & her medical history, rather than take some she lays her hands on. Realistically why is she going to sea , as you put it, if this is a problem for her?
The list of potential side effect from prochlorperazine is long but if disabled with vertigo you'ld risk them, however if just worried that you might be sick, you might not. Does however come in a very useful buccal tablet that doesnt need swallowing to work so useful if you are actively being sick
 
The list of potential side effects for any medication is long, but as always it's weighing up risk v benefit. The huge list of side effects is there to cover the drug companies arse should anybody get a side effect that may not have been mentioned .You should always consult your own doctor before taking any prescription only medication. Prochlorperazine is a widely prescribed drug for vestibular disorders and nausea.

Good point about age- without specifics, this forum can only give guidance on any subject.
 
Until Haddock comes back with details as to why she is going to sea, with whom, on what size and type of boat and her age we are all pissing in the wind with our hands tied behind our backs. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
 
I tried Scopoderm & fortunately I applied them the morning before at work. By 10-30 AM I was feeling so sea sick ( At my desk) that I had to leave the office & go & lay in my car for a while. I carried on with them for that day & the following morning I was OK but in the night I found it had dropped off. The good news was that on the trip I was not sick. As a seriously seasick sufferer who sails single handed I was worth the lousy feeling the day before to have a seasick free trip. I suggest anyone using any form of cure tries them out on dry land a couple of days before to get the after effects sorted. One problem with scopoderm is they fall off if one sweats a lot. I find starting to take Stugeron the day before I leave helps but I still not have found cure except sheer fear. That normally shakes me out of it for a while!!!!
 
My results from using Scopederm last weekend here - http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/840295/an/0/page/1#840295

Interesting Alex mentioned cutting them in half as that was also mentioned on my thread. Also new to me is taking pills 24 hours before to get the drowsiness out of the way - my comments on falling asleep standing up are true. I've nodded off on the boom when acting as a human preventer one time too.
 
Thanks to those who have offered helpful advice - will look into it further. My niece is going to sea on a charter yacht. She and her family have sailed with me many times - but she does feel a bit queezy at first - like a lot of sailors.

I am lucky and don't suffer mal de mer, so I am not really up with the medications apart from dramamine which I used to dish out to crew - but it always put them to sleep - useful sometimes - other times not so useful.


Neice is 25 & healthy. She wants to cover herself for those first 3 days until she gets her sea-legs but she doesn't want to be sleeping the whole time as she has a job to do. She will be talking to her Dr next week, but since you guys are mostly on the front line I thought I would ask here for the most practical advice!
 
She might like to try the 'wristwatch' cure as advertised in most swindleries. My Jen has one which works perfectly for her and has transformed our sailing...
Its a good alternative to drugs of any kind, and although not cheap still stacks up with the price of patches over the course of a season. Don't ask me how or why it works, but who cares as long as it does!
 
My wife uses the elasticated wrist bands with a bead that presses on the inner side of the wrist. About £6 from boots.

Don't know if it is medical, acupuncture or mental, but they work a treat. The only side effects are aesthetic.

Cheers

W
 
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