Sea Sickness remedies

[Cantata]

I think Hyoscine is the ingredient in Boots' own brand called 'Travel Calm' tablets which I have found totally effective, as against Stugeron which knocks me sideways and doesn't always stop my sickness anyway. Travel Calm is effective in 15 minutes, and a dose is advertised to last 6 hours which I have also found to be accurate.

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[drawp]

A skipper off another boat was telling me recently about the new Sea Legs tablets which are now available. He described them as being different from the old pill in that the dosage is only one tablet every 24 hours. Both he and his wife were raving about them. Might be worth a try. Good luck.

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[William_H]

Just one additional suggestion is that you get her to hand stear the boat from the begining. I think the activity, fresh air and the feeling of being the one to make it roll all help. regards olewill

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[MASH]

Great input everyone, thanks a lot!

What are these wrist bands - I dont know them? How do they work - like patches?





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[StephenW]

Used to suffer badley - here's my experience:

helm if you can - the fresh air, constant horizon and activity of concentration help.

De-sensitise yourself - like the pilot thing above- I travel on the back seat downstairs of busses facing the wrong way and read (the worst way to travel if car-sick). Strangely this has de-sensitised me to a large extent

Alcohol - a small quantity of lager (1/2 to one pint) can help say half-hour to an hour before a big trip. Don't sail on a hangover and avoid heavy consumption the night before....unless you want a close-up of the guardrail!

Liquid intake - small sips of plain water much better than a good drink of beverage - the slushing around in your stomach makes it much worse and seems to set me off. Water absorbs in about 5 mins - anything with other stuff in it can take around 1/2 hour.

Nibbles - keep very plain and light. Things that seem to help are plain hoola hoops, rich tea biscuits - ie absorbent, easily digested and not strongly flavoured. Bananas also useful and Marmite (rich in stress-busting B vitamins) after the trip is useful

Following seas and barrel-rolling passages completely do me in - bashing to windward is usually a doddle.

There you have it - selected experience from many years of double tasting!

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[Cobra]

Wrist Bands

She Who Likes To Think She Is Obeyed suffers from the mal de mer, and on the recommendation of a friend who swears by them gave them a try last season...for once pleasant sailing for all parties!

The principle is (I think) acu-pressure on the wrists. The bands are elasticated with a small nylon ball attached. The ball has to be placed in the centre of the inner wrist about two fingers width in from the palm (does that make sense?). The bands hold the ball in position on the pressure point, and contents of stomach seem to remain where they should!

Good luck!

<hr width=100% size=1>When God invented time he didn't give me enough of it. ND!

 

[VictorII]

I use them all the time, I usually get seasick while down below (SWMBO does not!) but with the Belgian pills (originally from a pharmacist in Antwerp) I can hang upside down in the engine room for hours on end.
But after all the remarks about the wrist bands, I'm thinking of giving them a try because pills are after all chemical and I prefer a different way if available.

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[andyorr]

I've heard about patches from the Docs and will be investigating at my local GPs. What I heard was very good - my son suffers badly - he's 13 and spends most weekends lying down in the cockpit - even when motoring!

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[Cobra]

As a matter of interest...

" I can hang upside down in the engine room for hours on end."

Why do you choose to do this??? Surely this is the cause of your sea sickness??!!


<hr width=100% size=1>When God invented time he didn't give me enough of it. ND!

 

[Beagle]

Very true. Only we had to transfer to the Belgium Pills after trying the wrist thingies. It is all very depending on the person, but the wrist thingies only seems to work for the inner waters of Holland, not the North Sea.

I have heard good results from offshore sailors and since the costs are very low, I would recommend wrist bands any time for a first try.

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

 

[MASH]

Great info everyone. I'll follow up a couple of these leads and let you know if I get a result in due course.

When I was learning to fly we had a lad on my course who got airsick and they worked the desensitization thing on him. Some poor instructor was detailed to take him up for trip after trip of aeros with a box of barf bags. After several hours, 3 or 4 if memory serves, he got over it ( brave bastard) but how we pitied the poor beefer... sadly my crew has not signed up for 12 years, or I'd try similar in a F8 channel breeze!

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[Melody]

Ginger biscuits and taking the helm. Just like in a car - the driver is rarely sick.

<hr width=100% size=1>Melody McKay Burton
Yacht Valentine, Greece

 

[MacMan]

SeaLegs are fantastic - you can take them even after you've already started to feel ill and they still work!

SWMBO also uses herbal ginger pills (by Blackamores?)

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[VictorII]

Re: As a matter of interest...

Ever had to replace a part (no matter how small) of the engine while at sea? Then you know what I mean. And indeed, I do get seasick while down below at F4 or over. Luckily, after three days at sea I'm allright without pills, provided I get enough sleep.

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[Piers]

I agree with another post - Boots Travel Calm worked for my wife when Stugeron caused sleepiness and was not very effective. Travel Calm seems to be 'it'.

<hr width=100% size=1>Piers du Pré
http://www.dupre.co.uk

 

[wiggy]

Ive used "Joy Rides" sounds very dodgy, from Tesco very cheep, no sleepyness and woked well.

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[charles_reed]

Re: Sea Sickness Palliatives

I have to confess to frequent bouts of seasickness and am afraid there is no remedy except being on land.

Prevention being better than cure, here are the things I do to try and avoid too many repetitions:-

1. Avoid getting tired or cold and having an empty stomach
2. Don't look down, stand up and watch the horizon.
3. Fizzy drinks, especially colas can help - the eructation fools the inner ear into thinking it's persuaded you to empty the stomach.
4. If you're going to take Stuperon you need to start about 180-90 minutes before starting the trip - personally I find it of limited value - it merely delays the evil hour and also delays the acclimitisation to movement.
5. I've found wrist bands of more value - you have to ensure they're tight enough and stay on the pressure point. It's probably more psychological then physical tho;.
6. Avoid coffee and smoking.
7. Hyoscine patches work reasonably well but, for me, have major side-effects and are unobtainable now in the EC and have to be got in the States.

Dramamine seems to work for nearly everyone - it fells one and you have to sleep it off.
However as I'm a single-hander it's not for me - one advantage of single-handing is that you can't indulge yourself in becoming totally comatose, tho' attempted projectile vomiting on an empty stomach did result in the need for an inguinal repair.

Having said all that my most recent bout was in a WSW of 37 knots after an extended crossing from Fiumicino last Saturday June 12 just as I reached the bouche de Bonifacio. (needless to say I didn't make it but ran off into Porto Vecchio).

It might be worth drawing your crews' attention to the benefits of seasickness (after all every cloud is alleged to have a silver lining).
1. Girth (in my case about 15mm) and weight reduction - on peut suffira pour la beauté.
2. The fantastic sense of relief and the enhanced appetite when it all finally stops.

Consolations
1. It can't go on for ever - death or arrival will curtail the agony.
2. It's all part of going to sea (as one of Cousteau's babes opined to me)
3. Normal people with any sense of balance, aesthetics and sensitivity are ALWAYS seasick. Anyone who ain't is definitely abnormal.

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[LeonF]

Stugeron does not work for me. Boots own brand Travelcalm does. And it doesn't make me drowsy either. I keep them on the boat and when on a day skipper course some years ago on a Sigma 38, the popple when we anchored for lunch caused grown men to grow silent and retreat below decks. Travelcalm all round was gratefully received and all was well.

<hr width=100% size=1>L.A.R.Ferguson

 

[LittleShip]

There is very little that can be done for seasickness, however an old friend of mine once told me that strawberry jam sandwiches before you sail may just taste better on the way back????
When any of my crew start to suffer I give them the helm the concentration seems to help, if there is two of them ill, I leave them to fight over it??

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[Ubergeekian]

Scopaderm. Scopaderm. Scopaderm. Scopaderm. Scopaderm.

Wonderful stuff - for me, anyway. Works a treat and the only side effect is a slightly dry mouth which lets me know the patch is there and active. There was an extended period when they weren't available - one of the two manufacturing plants shut down and the remaining output was dedicated to cancer patients, as the patches turned out to be very good for dealing with the nausea in some chemotherapy.

However they are available now in the UK - I've just checked by phoning my local pharmacist and she has a packet on the shelf at the moment.

I trid Sea Bands once when I was working on the boat at the mooring. I forgot I had them on, but didn't feel anything - until I removed them to go ashore and almost instantly sarted feeling queasy. So I think they have some effect, but they don't do anyting for me when it gets rough.

Finally, I avoid the anti-seasickness drugs I got on prescription when Scopaderm ran out: side effects listed were "nausea, dizziness and vomiting". Thanks, guys.

Ian

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