sea sickness

Seems to vary from person to person. The pressure bands seem to work provided you believe in them as with the vibrating watch things. I've found most success with the scopolamine patches.
 
A tree.......................















sit under it /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Welcome aboard

Cheers Joe
 
Proper rest, food and hydration are a good start. Ginger tea or other products containing ginger are apparently good. Saltine crackers, lying down, fresh air, seeing the horizon, and keeping busy are helpful. I've heard that an elastic band around the wrist does the trick, and if all else fails there are several OTC drugs worth trying.
 
I use Boots Travel Calm (Hyoscine, I think) for the first day or so of a trip - seems to work for me - I can cook or work at the chart table without a problem before the sea legs take over. Might cause drowsiness but not with me. Really dont like Stugeron.
 
for me, I need a day or so getting use to the water every time, which is somewhat frustrating when I have weekends only.

Saw the Dr. he prescribed Cinnarizine 15mg tablets. This plus taking time to get use to the boat, plus staying on deck helps me.
Going below, even just for a minute can set me off again, feeeling seasick is a real low, when I love everything else about the boat and sailing.
 
IMHO. much seasickness among "experienced but occasional " sailors (such as myself) is psychosomatic. For example, I never get seasick driving my current boat because I don't have time. Yet, when I take to sea 10-12 new kids on a 55 foot boat, and go in "big waters" I consistently have no problems- until all is going well! Come day 2 or 3, and I will routinely feel sick, and on occasions, have made myself sick, to get through the barrrier!

As for remedies, as a member of the "fried haggis" world view, I would eschew anything that you don't normally eat/drink (such as ginger, in my case); don't drink alcohol before going to sea for at leat 24 hours, hydrate properly, and, if the crew feels sick, get him/her, on the helm.

After that, as my late, lamented father said (1940-45- Convoys) "there are 2 stages of seasickness. In the first stage, you are afraid you are going to die. In the second stage, you are afraid you are not going to die!"

As for wristbands -may work for some, but I don't quite get it.

(This advice is probably not allowed in Mr Brown's Britain..")
 
I use Travella which doesn't make me drowsey. I suck 2 every hour and they seem to do the job even in an Atlantic swell. Could be paste, but for whatever reason be it psychosomatically or chemically they work for me. Try everything and I'm sure you'll find something that works for you, be it bands, sturgeon, etc.
 
I'm very fortunate not to be troubled by it. I have on occaision felt a bit queesy when below in a big sea but it clears in seconds by sticking my head up topsides. For the rest of my family, sadly they all suffer to varying degrees with my wife being prone to it even in the marina! the drugs seem to work but its important to start taking them the day before you hit the water. Seems to get you past the drowsy stage and the stuff well into your system. The other point I have noted is that on longer trips they seem to get over it anyway and are as right as ninepence by the second day. Having said this, if the sea state worsens significantly and the movement becomes more pronounced than what they have become accustomed to, they can be set off again.

I agree also that a lot of it is in your noggin though

If anyone comes up with a 100% no side effect cure, then they are going to be millionaires!
 
I take Stugeron and find it helps if I take the first two the night before the trip. Doesn't seem to do much if I leave it until the same day, maybe it needs time to build up in the system.

Helming helps, and also lying down. Going below doesn't help. I've found as I get more experienced it affects me less. If I go below I still feel nauseas, I'm just less bothered by it and find it easier to ignore and get on with the chartwork.

i keep a sports bottle of water handy and drink from that if when my mouth starts to dry.
 
Good suggestions from cruiser2b.

Some people are so scared of being seasick, they starve themselves before sailing. Bad move! Eat normally then little and often during the journey and keep hydrated. Have food and drink pre-prepared.

Watching the horizon is good so is keeping busy. Being on the helm helps with both of these. Looking down at the deck or cockpit sole can make you feel queasy.

Avoid going down below especially if you are looking at charts, reading or preparing food. Get someone else to do this!
 
In order of effectiveness:

1. Be lucky. Some people are immune.

2. Exposure. The more you bounce around, the less the effect of bouncing. But the learning process is uncomfy unless . . .

3. Put bits of your nervous system to sleep. Antihistamines are the usual method (hundreds of brand names here, taken by patch or pill, everyone one has their favourite and swears by it). Snag - it'll send part of your nervous system to sleep. Note the warnin 'not to operate heavy machinery'. Yots are obviously light . . .

4. Alternative medicine. Good for psychosomatic illnesses. Wrist bands, herbal necklesses, ginger root extracts, snake oil, crystals up the . . . all these probably work because the proponents have solved their problem though exposure (see 2 above).

But it's a great market to be in!

Edit: Add 0. Stay ashore. There's no money in that advice!
 
My wife uses some herbal stuff, cant remember what its called, but works for her.
Just found out, Nelson travella homeopathic.
 
I rarely puke but will do so if provoked long and hard enough -e.g. Fastnet2007.
If find wipeing the rain and spray off my specs makes a lot of difference. I keep a tea towel in my pocket for doing this.
Also cubes of ginger extract sucked like sweets, helming and keeping warm are very helpfull.
If all else fails just puke and get on with it - I always feel fine just after puking and all the various ideas presented by others will serve to lengthen the time between bouts. Drinking between bouts is important to prevent de haydration and I find Coca Cola is great - it still tastes good when it comes back up and the suger and caffene help a lot.
Stugeron makes me so dull I would rather puke.
Martin
 
Some years ago the doctor told my sister-in-law to drink flat Coke while she was suffering flu. He said it contained most of the things you need when sick. I think the same may apply when seasick. Being flat may make it easier to drink while feeling sick.
I have told SWMBO that seasickness is caused by clothes, never seen a naked sailor being sick! For some reason she doesn't believe me.
Allan
 
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