Sea sickness on Mythbusters!

[ytd]

Only time I have been seasick were sailing with a hangover and after getting a mouthful of diesel BUT I have tried numerous techniqes for partners, children and friends.

Tablets seem to work about half the time, especially for those who get their sea legs after a couple of days. Kwells are the least drowsiness inducing we have tried.

Ginger is a good placebo but the smell can have stampede effect once the first sufferer succumbs.

Watching the horizon sometimes works but so does going below and lying down which seems to switch off the sensory problems in many people.

Staying away from big swells is the only sure fire solution.

 

[Tommyrot]

or maybe listen to 'Pure Morning', 'change your taste in men' and other hits by the band whose name escapes me.

 

[Tin Tin]

Lots of controversy here. As a medical researcher, I did a search through the literature on ginger as a seasickness remedy. More than half of the published studies failed to show a significant effect, and effects were marginal in all studies.

It's all in the mind - if you think it will work, it will most likely work.

My wife used the wrist thingies for a while and said they worked brilliantly. Then she met a friend who claimed they did nothing for her. And all of a sudden the wrist band stopped working for my wife too.

 

[Ricd]

It's all in the mind - if you think it will work, it will most likely work.

It is all in the mind...I once had it described as "because your eyes are confused by the close background moving, your body is fooled into thinking its been poisoned and naturally wants to get the poison substance out hence heave!!!

 

[Mrs Sea Mist II]

I'm so lucky, never, ever felt seasick!

 

[Ubergeekian]

Both Stugeron and hyoscine as in Scopoderm are pretty effective but I understand that hyoscine use delays the tendency to improve with passing days and so, while a good product for short trips, as at D-day, would be less useful to people on longer voyages.

I´m a huge Scopoderm fan. I only ever need to use one patch - my body adjusts nicely when I´m drugged and I´m then good for as long as I´m sailing - even with the odd day or two ashore.

 

[Ubergeekian]

I'm so lucky, never, ever felt seasick!

I was like that for years. Then, about 15 years after I started, I got spectacularly sick on a trip from Plymouth to Falmouth. Being sick is bad enough - trying to vomit when your stomach hit empty half an hour before is vile. I ended up hypothermic, tucked in a bunk ... and it´s quite true. The bad bit isn´t when you think you´ll die - it´s when you are afraid you won´t.

The next day I discovered Scopoderm and - doubtless for psychological reasons - I can sail without it. Gave up for five years when it was off the market.

 

[ianj99]

I wish I'd tried the ginger nuts a few years ago when I barfed up all over the Invergordon Lifeboat. (Not inside thankfully).

We were on a 3 hour sea trial in lumpy December seas off the Northumberland coast, having fitted new props.

I was fine until I had to go below into the engine room while the yard's engineer checked the engine rpm with an optical tacho.
Twin 1050 bhp Cats flat out are noisy - even with ear defenders and at 24knots the rough ride, noise and heat meant I was outside the hatch within a few seconds of leaving the engine room.

Incidentally, the engines face in oppposite directions so they in effect are counter rotating (like the props) to cancel out torque reaction. Typical RNLI attention to detail. Like the time I was scolded for using Philips screws, and not lining up the slots on the slotted ones. (Only slotted screws are allowed)

Happy days until the RNLI took the refit contract off the yard...

I

 

[cimo]

Like the time I was scolded for using Philips screws, and not lining up the slots on the slotted ones. (Only slotted screws are allowed)

I

off subject apologies -

any idea why only slotted ian? could never get a satisfactory answer to this one.

 

[Ubergeekian]

off subject apologies -

any idea why only slotted ian? could never get a satisfactory answer to this one.

They are easier to clean out and less likely to fill with stuff in the first place. The same goes for Allen heads, in spades -the NCB had serious problems with maintaining a batch of underground locomotivs after the maker changed to allen heads: they filled with coal dust.

 

[ianj99]

off subject apologies -

any idea why only slotted ian? could never get a satisfactory answer to this one.

The answer is typical RNLI pragmatism:

Only need to carry slotted screwdrivers so no chance anyone will grab the wrong type. The same reasoning is why you cannot introduce new equipment or ideas on an ad hoc basis.

For example, as a marine electrical engineer it was obvious to me that an alarm could easily be fitted to alert the crew to open the shaft sea cocks when the engines were started. This is because one RNLI engineer forgot to do this and the shaft bearings melted within a few hundred yards of base. This was a very costly mistake and could have cost lives because the boat was then out of commission when it was supposed to be on a 'shout'.
When I suggested this, I was politely informed that although the idea was good and easy to implement, it would have to be done on all the boats and then only after approval by the top brass.

The philosophy is based on the need for a crew to know what to expect on the class of boat they are used to because boats may be used to relieve others when refits are under way. Ie all Trents should be identical, so there is nothing unfamiliar to catch out a different crew.

You know it makes sense Rodders..

I

 

[Monique]

I'm so lucky, never, ever felt seasick!

I'm with you...

I give the pill medication and back them up with a threat to insert the backup suppositories myself should the pills not work.

So far, never had to put on the rubber gloves

 

[ianj99]

They are easier to clean out and less likely to fill with stuff in the first place. The same goes for Allen heads, in spades -the NCB had serious problems with maintaining a batch of underground locomotivs after the maker changed to allen heads: they filled with coal dust.

That's true but not the reason the RNLI supervisor gave.
It was about making every boat the same and switching to Philips head or any other would mean changing every screw on every lifeboat in the fleet.

Now as for lining up the slots so they all point the same direction - may sound like them being pedantic but again, in poor light, it helps if you know the slots will all be pointing fore & aft... I was impressed by this level of attention to detail.

I

 

[cimo]

Not just RNLI though - from what I seen, slotted heads appear to be (or use to be?) the prefered choice for fitting out. Whenever I see a star head on a boat & I automactically assume a later addition.

the anti-dirt bit makes sense as does uniformity in a regulated environment. they are an awful pain to work with in confined spaces though.

hmm

cheers
c

 

[Kelpie]

But does lining up the screw/bolt heads mean that each one is done up to the correct tightness? You would think not, unless there's something clever going on.

 

[kesh]

i'd be curious to know if anyone has suffered while single handed. because when you can't afford to be ill, quite often you aren't

 

[Samakand]

Seasickness

I have worked as a Ships Doctor during a storm in the Southern Ocean, well below New Zealand. 34 passengers from UK, Australia, USA. Russian crew. 72m ship. Storm sufficient to put a large dent in the bow and the stern. Cannot say the wind strength because the instruments blew off early. Just about everybody unwell, including very experienced crew. Just about every agent being used, including ginger, and I had time during the storm to change the agents people used. I found overall cyclizine worked best (other than sitting on a beach) and least sedating, ginger helpful as adjunct to most things ( I give out a ginger lozenger usually given to chemotherapy patients) and all the other agents have their advocates and disasters. Sealegs was the least effective medication. Accupressure bracelet people were the first to change. Don't use two hyosine patches at once, but you can combine agents. Drowsiness from medication is still more pleasant, less exhausting, and safer than prolonged seasickness.

 

[Ubergeekian]

That's true but not the reason the RNLI supervisor gave.
It was about making every boat the same and switching to Philips head or any other would mean changing every screw on every lifeboat in the fleet.

That sounds like a rather odd bit of reasoning. Do they insist on only one size of slotted screw for everything, from instrument covers to hatch seals? How often do they need to wield a screwdriver at sea? And what's so difficult about carrying two types?

An aside ... almost everything on my DS is done with M7 threads and 11mm AF heads, except for a couple of connections under the car which have very odd and completely unique heads (cones with flats). Why? Because they want you to make a very conscious decision to loosen them ... as doing so instantly drops a ton and a half of car to its lowest suspension setting ...

So I suppose there may be something to be said for not carrying screwdrivers to fit things you shouldn't undo!

Now as for lining up the slots so they all point the same direction - may sound like them being pedantic but again, in poor light, it helps if you know the slots will all be pointing fore & aft... I was impressed by this level of attention to detail.

Fine, if a bit anal, for machine screws and bolts with nuts on the back, but potentially poor practice for screws into tapped things, wood screws or self tappers, which should be done up to the right tightness, not to the right prettiness... Go one, tell me the RNLI doesn't use screws into tapped things, wood screws or self tappers!

 

[mattonthesea]

I have worked as a Ships Doctor during a storm in the Southern Ocean, well below New Zealand. 34 passengers from UK, Australia, USA. Russian crew. 72m ship. Storm sufficient to put a large dent in the bow and the stern. Cannot say the wind strength because the instruments blew off early. Just about everybody unwell, including very experienced crew. Just about every agent being used, including ginger, and I had time during the storm to change the agents people used. I found overall cyclizine worked best (other than sitting on a beach) and least sedating, ginger helpful as adjunct to most things ( I give out a ginger lozenger usually given to chemotherapy patients) and all the other agents have their advocates and disasters. Sealegs was the least effective medication. Accupressure bracelet people were the first to change. Don't use two hyosine patches at once, but you can combine agents. Drowsiness from medication is still more pleasant, less exhausting, and safer than prolonged seasickness.

Samakand

that's useful to know. do you know where cyclizine is on the spectrum. IE is it stronger than Stemetil? can you buy it over the counter?

The other question here really is whether some drugs work better than others as a sort of prophylactic approach. Any thoughts on this?

 

[exfinnsailor]

Wrist Bands

Few years ago we were away with a group sailing at Easter

The Skipper when asked about Sea Sickness said ..

He had known of a young guy on one of his sailing courses who always wore one of the wrist bands to stop him feeling .. ..

Anyway on one of their trips a Medical Professor was onboard and during the voyage the young guy and the Prof had a heart to heart about such daft things as Sea Sickness and Wrist Bands ..

The Young Man had a lecture about Sea Sickness etc .. QUACK Remedies etc ..

The Wrist Band has not worked since .....

Wonder Why ..