Sea Sickness

Psychological factors are very important so anything that the sufferer trusts (even idiotic stuff like copper bracelets) can help. Ginger has a large following but, a few years ago, I did a meta-analysis of published medical studies from good-quality journals - half showed that ginger helped significantly in a controlled study and half showed no effect - the jury is clearly out. As a skipper I express immense confidence in cinnarizine (Stugeron etc) so most of my crew take it if conditions are lumpy and (I suspect) benefit from a placebo effect based on my confidence. As a surgeon I know said about mild osteoarthritis "If rubbing your knee with a raw herring helps, go ahead and do it". I agree that ginger tastes much nicer than cinnarizine and doesn't produce a dry mouth. However, I keep lots of cheap French crystalised ginger on board as nibbles for night watches; if I recommended it for protection against motion sickness my crew would stuff themelves with it and there wouldn't be much left for me.
 
As an air cadet a very long time ago, up for my first ever air-experience flight in a Chipmunk two-seater trainer, the instructor asked me if I'd like to do some aerobatics. 'Sure' I replied. After a few barrel-rolls etc, feeling a bit green, I quietly groped under the bucket-seat for the sick-bag. The bl**dy thing was already full of some prior cadet's sick! I didn't fancy even more adolescent sick floating around the minute cockpit in zero/negative gravity, lathering myself and the retired squadron-leader, so I concentrated VERY hard indeed and managed to keep it down.

I've only ever been sick once at sea - in a bad Channel chop - but I often feel dicky, especially at the start of the season. If I'm expecting rough weather, I'll take a Stugeron an hour or so before departure (I'm very susceptible to drowsy-making pills, but this seems okay). Heavy breakfasts or too much strong coffee don't help, and I particularly don't like breathing our own diesel fumes following us into the cockpit if motor-sailing downwind. If I have to go below to the chart table or the heads, I don't dally longer than I have to. By the end of the season I'm pretty impervious to it. We also keep caramellised ginger on board - I'm sure it helps.

Persevere - and don't let the anticipated fear of it get to you.
 
I'm in the category that if I'm sick, I keep on being sick, so it is important (for me) not to start...

I used to take Sturgeron, but it makes me feel drowsy and a bit dizzy too, and that isn't helpful at all...

Scopoderm (patches) have been mentioned, but are only available in the UK on prescription - Americans seem to be able to get these easily, and it seems to be the favorite remedy (if there is such a thing) on that side of the pond.

But "Boots Travel Calm" (despite the rather cheesy name) contains the same active ingredient as Scopaderm - ie. Hyoscine Hydrobromine, and are easy to get hold of. This stuff does have the usual warnings about drowsiness etc... but they work for me, and *don't* make me feel drowsy.
 
I also find that Stugeron is effective. People often say that once you feel sick there's nothing you can take orally, but that's not quite true. Apparently the problem is that when you feel sick the vagus nerve blocks any absorption from the stomach. So taking a tablet at this point won't help. The way round it is to take something that's absorbed through the lining of the mouth. So at this point I would recommend placing Stugeron drops under the tongue. I get mine over the counter in spain (Stugeron gotas).

I must try ginger biscuits. Someone once told me eating apples on board can bring on sickness?? So i never have. Has anyine else heard this?
 
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Sea-sickness is certainly not psychological, unless you're one of those who get sick before they even step on board.

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If you mean it's real, not imagined, then of course that's right. But it does have a psychological component in that fear and anxiety increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (which is why you feel butterflies in your stomach). So there's a basis for advice about having confidence, not worrying about it etc.

I believe Scopolamine acts by blocking signals with the stomach, however I've never tried it myself. I'd be interested to hear if more people have found it efffective.
 
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Scopoderm (patches) have been mentioned, but are only available in the UK on prescription - Americans seem to be able to get these easily, and it seems to be the favorite remedy (if there is such a thing) on that side of the pond.

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I got my supply from Drugstorechemist (NZ) who will ship them worlwide.

JB
 
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