Sea sickness meds

[Grinna 2]

While I've generally not had too many problems with sea sickness while sailing I have been told that EVERYONE who ventures offshore on a boat will feel sea sickness to some degree or other.

 

I know of some sea sickness cures, some of which work very well. Munching on gingernuts or ginger cake is supposed to stop nausea, chewing gum can help, keeping your eyes on the horizon helps and being busy is a definite help. Canned peaches are good for sea sickness ... not that they stop it, but they are slippery and taste just as good on the way up as they did on the way down. Some people have great success with the wrist bands and others say they're useless. I know of one guy who stuck a seasickness patch behind his ear and 10 minutes later couldn't stand up because his balance was so badly affected, yet others swear by the patches.

 

In all seriousness, I have heard about the Paihia Bombs (or bullets depending on who you talk to) and apparently there is a similar product being sold in the Blockhouse Bay Pharmacy. These remedies are supposed to be very, very good and work very quickly while still allowing you to be an effective crew member. These are likely to be the sort of products I'd be keen to try first.

 

Apart from sitting under a tree for an hour or two, what other seasickness remedies have y'all tried and found to be effective? What has worked for you and what hasn't?

[Guest Rocket]

Never felt seasick....

[Guest]

Sturgeron pills, but you need to buy them online from the UK. Cheap too.

I've had success, no side effects. The 15 mg ones are fine, in the US they sell 50 mg which are apparently good if there is a dance party at sea.

[Murky 1]

I remember Zoe posting a very informative reply to this in the past - search function is not great but you might have more luck if you search by her name.

 

I have found offshore seasickness a different phenomenon to general seasickness, in that it seems to be unavoidable for the first three days or so and then departs of its own accord. However, a couple of non-pharmaceutical approaches that can help (although they are hard to implement) are:

- knock off the grog a couple of days beforehand. Not easy with everyone wanting to buy you a drink to wish you good luck

- have your normal breakfast on the day of departure. It is very tempting to scoff down an eggs benedict* with extra bacon, in the knowledge that you won't get the opportunity for a while, but three hours later...

 

* No offence intended to eggs benedict, its friends and relatives.

[Murky 1]

Here ya go:

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=11624

[Guest]

Go to RFD and ask for some of the close to expired medication they use in the liferafts. I know 2 people they have worked well for but one said they made her drowsy, the other one had no problem,even having a glass or 2 of wine on top.

[Megwyn 2]

Grinna - have you ever felt queezy while on the sea? The stats I heard were 10% of men and 90% of women get seasickness.

 

The bands are supposed to work if you put them on before you get the sickness.

 

On Sat night, we were running with a following sea - the same conditions we had on the Vanuatu to Qld voyage. At that time, I experienced sea sickness, and took stemitil, or proclorazapine, and put my sea bands on. I was able to 'stand outside myself' and observe me being ill, even the fact my body swore that it was dying, but did not actually feel sick myself. (If that makes sense?) I have never been seasick before, and was very surprised when I was.

Well, on sat night, I got that headache that precedes the projectile stuff, and quickly put my seabands on. Staying on deck and breathing fresh air, and having something to eat sure helped.

 

Yes - some swear by the 'bombs' - I hear they are mostly caffeine, with something else, an antihistamine or something -thats why they make you sleepy - never seen them myself.

 

I guess what I am saying, is if you have never felt seasick before, and you have been out in all sorts of conditions, from all quarters, then at worst you are likely to only get a little queezy. In this case, even a hot ginger drink with lemon juice and honey may be enough to allay the feeling.

 

That link of Murkys is great

 

Good luck

[wal 27]

Never felt seasick....

 

 

Bastard!!!!!

[Murky 1]

I did also think that MrWolf had come up with some avenues that no-one else had, so searched by his name. After scrolling through 20-odd pages of tossers, wankers, plonkers, Swiss drug cheating prick etc, not to mention what he has had to say about Dynex a couple of times, my eyes are watering and I am none the wiser on seasickness. Maybe he will post again...

[Guest]

I always found it interesting that Stematil or Prochlorperazine is a strong antipsychotic used for the treatment of acute psychotic disorders. I wouldnt go for the 50mg if you could get it - has some really nasty long term side effects if you are contraindicated (not good for you personally) Not more than 40mg in 24 hrs!!!!!

 

Its of the Phenothiazine group that they calm people down in places like the Mason clinic after you have killed your family and neighbours and are found sleeping with the dog under the neighbours house.

 

Works for nausea though, and handy if you have someone on board thats trying to kill everybody. Also makes you really photosensitive so keep out of the sun.

[Guest]

I was crook once for about 6hours. I chundered the anti-crook pill up about 1.2 hr after being given it. Never tried to stop it since and never been crook since.

 

1 - If you expect to be crook you are dramatically increasing your chances of being so. A LOT of people talk themselves into it.

 

2 - Even the latest and greatest remedy doesn't work for everyone. Best to try a few and see which one works best for the individual.

 

3 - Start taking meds a few days before you leave to give them time to kick in. Starting the day you leave often won't be anywhere near as effective, if they work at all.

 

4- Keep busy for the 1st 2-3 days. Lying around only makes it worse.

 

5 - If you have been running around 24/7 in the days leading up to departure it will make things worse. Try to have the last day or so drama free and laid back.

 

6 - If you feel like a chunder, just do it. Holding back as it's knot a good look is silly, aim well to leeward and go hard, get it over and done with. Holding back is only negative. If you are the boss on board don't try to hide it just say 'That was bloody good, who's next?' you'll often find someone will be waiting knot to be 1st

 

7 - KEEP HYDRATED. Very important. Even if you don't feel thirsty make yourself drink, plain cool water is best or a 50/50 mix with fruit juice. Strong acids aren't good and some liquids, especially juice can be quite acidic.

 

8 - After a good chunder a crisp juicy apple is bloody good.

 

9 - If you do feel like sh*t the rest of the crew don't want or need to be reminded every 10mins. Suffer in silence please.

 

10 - Even if you do feel like sh*t remember watches have to be kept and sails changed. When getting woken up for yours don't roll over and say 'No, I feel like sh*t'. That's just wrong. Harden the f*ck up and get on with it, you'll probably be surprised at how the exercise does actually take your mind off feeling crook. Besides the squabs won't fly around if you hop off them and if that was a issue a brick is a better option than a self-pitying selfish lazyarse.

 

11 - Harassing people who are crook isn't helpful and often counter productive. Don't be a prick.

 

And lastly - a lot of 'sea sickness' is actually 'anxiety', especially in 1st times. Be nice to them, they are stressed even though they may knot realise it and put it down to sea sickness. Follow the above and they'll come right.

[Guest]

KM - very good advice and a lot of it relates to the anti-anxiety effect of the Stematil which washes away all the troubles in your world.

 

If you cant keep the pills down bang em in your butt. Getting someone else to do it will make you more anxious unless you are into that sort of carry on.

[Grinna 2]

All good advice so far.

 

I have had bouts of seasickness in the past, but almost exclusively on launches. I put it down to the different motion from a yacht (a yacht is more gentle and damped by the keel and sails - at least lead swingers are) and the lack of anything to do. Being busy (trimming sails, reading wind on the water, keeping an eye out etc) keeps your mind off things and it just doesn't occur to me to feel ill if I'm busy. Getting plenty of fresh air is important too. On a launch there's frequently feck all to do, and there's frequently diesel fumes - not a good combination I've found. Most of my launch experiences have been on old, noisy, smelly, slow beasts - none of that helps.

 

The most uncomfortable motion I've found is the corkscrew motion that results from a big sea on the aft quarter. Its that whole pitch, yaw, roll combination that can be difficult to deal with. Not so bad on a yacht - absolute killer on a launch for me.

 

I called the Blockhouse Bay Pharmacy and had a nice chat about their pills. Apparently they're similar to the Paihia bombs - there are 2 parts to the medication. 1 is a drug that stops the nerve signals between the inner ear and the nausea centre of your brain (antihistamine based) and because that can make you drowsy the 2nd part is caffeine. The difference is the BHB Pharmacy pill is a single pill (all combined rather than pairs of capsules) and 30 of them cost $46.80. Take one an hour before you go and take a pill every 6-8 hours after that.

[Guest]

KM - very good advice and a lot of it relates to the anti-anxiety effect of the Stematil which washes away all the troubles in your world.

That's handy to know, I'll bank that one away for future reference. That a prescription of over the counter?

 

If you cant keep the pills down bang em in your butt. Getting someone else to do it will make you more anxious unless you are into that sort of carry on.

I've never (while as skipper) had anyone get that sick I've had to knock them out. Did once on one boat where a Aussie lady got that crook we had to send her sleepy bye byes for nearly 2 days. Nearly got to having to stick a drip in to re hydrate her again. She came good after the big sleep and a pile of liquids.

 

But I do show my crew what I have to knock them out with during the pre-go briefing, which may explain why none have. A pill thingy about the size of a old school gobstopper, a jar of Vaseline, and a 500mm length of 16mm dowelling. Yeap, they are knot taken orally

 

Also have serious pain meds which are administered the same way. Stick one in and 20mins later you can cut your own leg off with a blunt saw and think it's funny as you do it. Never used those as yet either.

 

The dowelling is still a virgin

[Guest]

Once had a trainee engineer out for a 6 week trip. He got seasick and did the whole wallowing in self pity thing for nearly a week. Wouldn't eat or drink (or work). Got the enema kit out of the first aid box, strung it above his bunk and said I'll be back in 10 to re-hydrate him. He was out of his bunk, in the galley for a quick feed and in the engine room in less than 5. Mind over matter in this case.

[broadoak 0]

Have found the 'Relief Band' (emits an electronic pulse to activate an acupuncture point on the wrist) combined with nausea calm to work really well. ( I especially like the Relif Band as am sensitive to lots of different medications) Used Stugeron for many years, but began to suffer unpleasant side effects so had to give up on them.

Good luck!

[Fogg 427]

I certainly find the patches behind the ears work well and start them 24hrs before leaving for an offshore trip.

 

Avoid strong flavours, fatty foods, alcohol etc.

 

Noone has mentioned the benefits of ginger as a stomach settler, either as biccies to nibble on or freshly made in tea.

 

Have also heard that eating ice on shorter trips can work - kind of anaethsetises the stomach and stops it cramping into chundering.

[BelowPAR 0]

Never felt seasick....

 

 

Bastard!!!!!

 

Funny that was the second word that came to mind... after lying.

 

I always stuck to that line untill coming down the coast this year, two days before heading up to get the boat i got a decent concusion and spent the next day and a half chundering and feeling generally seasick.. on land! Finally got over it a few hours before stepping on the boat. WOW big mistake, lying on the floor in the cockpit - no chundering but absolutely no balance at all. couldnt even sit up with out rolling over. This was between opua and russell.. Knocked back a sealegs - it conked me out for about 2 hours, just dead gone, i dont remember any of it. Woke up, swim, was all sweet for the rest of the trip. Including the 4.5 HOUR motor to brett.

[splashprincess 16]

Used Stugeron for many years, but began to suffer unpleasant side effects so had to give up on them.

Good luck!

 

Side effects? Can you tell me more? We have Stugeron onboard and they don't make me drowsy but am interested to find out what you did experience.

[Guest]

Side effects?

 

None I could see until I walked out the door the next morning. I was gonna stay home but just had to get away from those purple elephants walking on the ceiling and there was a strange urge to play Joan Baez at high volume while dancing in a kaftan.