Sea Sickness remedies

[MASH]

My regular crew suffers badly from seasickness. She is not impressed by statements like "Seasickness is 90% psychological" and is vegetarian so traditional remedies like swallowing bacon fat tied to a string are not appropriate. Sitting under trees is effective but buggers up the sailing.

Stugeron (which I had thought infallible, at least it was in every other human being I have seen use it) does not suit her - it does not seem to work and makes her drowsy.

Joking apart, does anyone have solutions to the mal de mer where the usually infallible Stugies have failed?

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[Cloven]

Try Sea Bands - they seem to work well

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[PIGLETSDREAM]

My partner is a veggy and falls a sleep on stugeron so we use the wrist bands and some herbal remidy avilable from any good organic shop. Planet Organic or herbal Chemist. Cant think of the name as it is on the boat, but about 28 letters long with lots of vowells and things.

<hr width=100% size=1>Must go, Matron is coming

 

[bruce]

ginger has been known to help, and can be had in home made gingersnap cookies, or real gingerale soft drinks.

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[Vara]

If stugeron in standard dose doesnt work without causing drowsiness use quarter tablet it still works,especially if taken 12 hours before sailing and then as directed ,I think it's every six hours.
I'm not a Pharmacist so treat advice with caution.
I found this out by my own trial and error.
I'm lucky that I'm only afflicted with sickness on first couple of trips a year.
Cannabis is also alleged to cure sickness(try explaining that to C&E as you're dragged off in chains)

<hr width=100% size=1>If it can't be fixed with a lump hammer dont fit it!<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by colmce on 21/06/2004 18:50 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[colvic987]

the swmbo also suffers badly from the dreaded seasickness when on an offshore passage to isle of man etc, she has tried strugeon tablets, and some pharmacy own brands, ginger sweets, ginger crystallised sweets and other ginger things from the health shops, sea bands and recently she has bought a sea relief watch, which zaps you with electric shock on the wrist, which varies from 1 to 5 , 5 being the worst, i tried it and would not put it past two, but this has not seemed to work either, it tends to wear off for her , when the going gets tough, (maybe have to get it wired in to the alternator to make some difference), i seem to have covered most of what the other forumites have covered, but nothing seems to help in choppy seas, but she is instantly ok, once we get to port, so it hasn't stopped her not wanting to sail....if you find a remedy, market it and get your dream boat.....

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[BrendanS]

there was a long thread some while back, I think on scuttlebutt on the subject. Some find small doses of marijuna does the job. You should be able to find it with a search.

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[sailorman]

i have 2 sets of wrist bands ( boxed) used but u wouldnt notice.
yours for a fiver +p&p

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[poter]

I do not know if you keep ice on board or are able to make it?

One of the best ways to stop the dreaded Mal... is to crush ice and drink with water or plain soda. It will anaesthetise the tum and should stop the problem long enough for stugeron to work. You can try all the other remedies, & some people swear by them! but the above is the only solution that helps my lad (& sometimes me) overcome the problem.

Obviously stay on deck and try to get some rest, also helps. Whatever happens if the problem persists you must get some fluids down.


poter


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[Rigger]

If your able to get prescription drugs SCOPADERM patches are the best cure I have come across.They fit behind the ear and last for 72 hrs.They contain a drug called hyoscine which leaves your mouth a bit dry,but are safe for most people(although if you take other medication,or have any medical condition you will need to check) A friendly GP can prescribe usually on a private prescription.

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[cliff]

Lots of good advice above and here is one more "trick", SHMO suffered terrible "mal de mer" and the stugeron made her drowsy, so drowsy she would go below and go to sleep. First remedy is to stay on deck / cockpit with lots of fresh air. Next try to avoid "lumpy days" and finally, what SHMO says helped her, is spend time on the boat - even tied up on a pontoon to gently get used to the rocking of the boat.

The ultimate is take her out in a force 8 or 9 for 8+ hours - after that everything seems calm and flat/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif but may put her off altogether!

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[Robin]

We had some American non-sailor friends on board and the wife wore Scopaderm patches which were very effective for her right up to the penultimate day. For some reason however she chose not to replace the patch on the last day when it was due, to avoid 'wasting' one, we had a F8 tailwind ride home from Cherbourg and now she says she will never sail again....

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1>Sermons from my pulpit are with tongue firmly in cheek and come with no warranty!</font size=1>

 

[kilkerr1]

Ginger in any form - chomping on a cube of the crystallised stuff is a good one, even ginger biscuits. Being on deck, in the air, actually doing something also works, I've found - especially helming, etc.



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://kilkerr.members.easyspace.com/santateresa_pics.htm>Santa Teresa and other t'ings</A>

 

[rebel_ajc]

I also found Stugeron made me very drowsy and possibly a bit nauseous. Boots Travelcalm on the other hand work really well and have no side effects on me. But I believe it may just be a question of trying different ones until you hit on one that is right for you as different people seem to have completely different reactions.

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[Spacewaist]

Sea relief watch was the solution for my SWMBP after trying all other remedies. Some success with Boots Travel Calm.

Personally, a cold fizzy drink settles my tummy - particularly a brand called "Old Speckled Hen"

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[StugeronSteve]

Don't let being a veggie put her off trying the bacon and string cure, the whole point of the string is to allow the bacon to be yanked back out again. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

There was a post last year recommending Boots own (Blue Label?) anti nausea pills.

The BBC "Fighter Pilot" fly on the wall series featured one young pilot who had to drop out from training due to air sickness. They whipped him off to the aviation medicine centre and de-sensitized him to motion. The basis of the cure seemed to be regular short sessions in a black box that revolved whilst moving through various angles of tilt etc. As soon as he felt the early signs of nausea ie. dizziness, body warming etc. he would press a panic button and stop the machine. The sessions in the box got longer and longer until there was no nausea. Could short spells below decks, in reasonable conditions, coming up for air as soon as there is a hint of discomfort work in a similar manner?

Or is bacon the better option?

It's a horrible problem and I do hope that you can help her through it.

ps. The ginger cookies do help my lot, either that or the greedy b******s just like scoffing them.

<hr width=100% size=1>Semper Bufo

 

[Beagle]

What we use are the so called 'Belgium Travel Pills'. No side effect, only dry mouth. The ingredients of those pills:
- scopolamine HBr 0,2 mg
- tripelennamine HCL 50 mg
- coffeine 100mg

I get them by mailorder from Dutch pharmancy, perhaps it is possible that your local pharmanvy can advise or even produce these pills. They really work for us (and a large group of others...)

Cheers, Rene.

<hr width=100% size=1>Never under estimate the strength of human stupidity

 

[ubuysa]

<font size=1>Personally, a cold fizzy drink settles my tummy - particularly a brand called "Old Speckled Hen" </font size=1>

I too have tried this rememdy, sadly I usually get headaches some time later /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

Tony C.

<hr width=100% size=1>There are 10 kinds of people, those who understand binary and those who don't.

 

[aitchw]

Is there not a risk that they will all start telling the truth about everything? Maybe better not to know what they really think.

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[Nick_Pam]

Hi
The wrist bands worked really well for Pam when she first started sailing with me. She tried the various drugs etc and nothing worked at all, until the wrist bands.
Mind you, having had her out for 5 hours in 42kts of wind during a Meltemi in Turkey last summer, with the resultant bouncing around that brought, her inner ear problem has completely gone away now!!!
Worth a fiver of anyone's money from Boots.
Nick

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