Seasickness question

On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:08:47 -0500, Tom K
wrote:

On 3/11/10 12:45 PM, Joyce wrote:
We have always used bonine.....which is the same thing as dramamine,


Technically (chemically), that's not true. They are different materials.

Bonine contains meclazine.

Dramamine contains dimenhydrinate (chemically, dimenhydrinate is a salt
of two drugs: diphenhydramine, and 8-chlorotheophylline, a chlorinated
derivative of theophylline, added in order to counteract drowsiness.)

Dramamine is a brand name that recently has come out with a "non drowsy
Dramamine" which does contain meclazine (same as Bonine), but the
original Dramamine was a very different material that made people VERY
drowsy. After a Dramamine tablet, our son spent the entire lunch
sleeping with his head down on the dining room table just after we
returned to the ship after a very rough tender ride from CocoCay (which
took about an hour since the ship had to move twice).

--Tom

My dad got very seasick and he used to take Dramamine.

I rarely get motion sick, but I have had episodes of vertigo where I
KNOW that I'm not on a boat and the floor is NOT moving, but still I
will have to hold on to the desk to keep from falling out of the chair
onto the floor. (Stone cold sober as I do not drink.) They gave me
meclazine for the vertigo but it didn't help me at all. My own
assessment of the reason that it doesn't work is that I don't get sick
from motion, so I didn't have any nausea to prevent.


that has been used for decades. We take 1 tablet after we board and
every day after that...my hubby gets very seasick....I am so-so but take
it more as a precaution.
As for the ginger...I love crystalized ginger...can eat a lb. at a time
but can no longer have it because I am on coumadin, plavix and aspirin
for a-fib and stent. That's a real bummer for me but know that ginger,
liver and all leafy greens can cause blood to get too thin......

On 3/11/10 6:47 PM, Sue Mullen wrote:


Tom K wrote:

I hear you... but it's an UGLY few hours while you're fining out the
other stuff ISN'T working...

The other stuff works quickly if it is going to work, you don't have to
wait to be very sick before switching to bonnine.

But by then it might take another few hours for the Bonine to work.
Remembering that it works best as a "preventive", not as a "cures it
after it starts" type med. It has to be absorbed from your stomach.
Then it has to enter the blood stream. Only then can it start working.
The best thing for "cures it after it starts" is the injection that
the doctors give.

--Tom


And I'm not sure what ginger is going to do in the inner ear. Ginger
calms the stomach after you've thrown up... but I can't see what it's
going to do to the inner ear (where the issue starts).

I can't explain the "why" it works, but I have seen ginger working first
hand. I may be wrong here, but I think it is the inner ear problems that
causes the nauseousness or seasickness and ginger works very well for
nausea.

And it's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's just an increased
sensitivity to balance in the inner ear.

Of course it is nothing to be embarrased about and I don't think anyone
has ever said it was.

sue

On 3/11/10 5:36 PM, Marcia R. wrote:


I'm writing all of this down...even if I don't reply to every post.
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I will get some ginger caps for him.
He's not a pill taker, so I do fear hew will fall asleep from some of
the meds.

Marcia

That brings up a point someone else discussed. It might not be a bad
idea to try something like Bonine out beforehand.

And while the indicated dose is 1-2 tablets taken once a day, all he
might need is 1 or even only a half a tablet.

For what it's worth, we used to give our kids a Bonine (or half a
tablet) before long bus rides when they were in school. Kept them from
getting car sick.

--Tom

Tom K wrote:
On 3/11/10 6:47 PM, Sue Mullen wrote:


Tom K wrote:

I hear you... but it's an UGLY few hours while you're fining out the
other stuff ISN'T working...

The other stuff works quickly if it is going to work, you don't have to
wait to be very sick before switching to bonnine.

But by then it might take another few hours for the Bonine to work.
Remembering that it works best as a "preventive", not as a "cures it
after it starts" type med. It has to be absorbed from your stomach.
Then it has to enter the blood stream. Only then can it start working.
The best thing for "cures it after it starts" is the injection that
the doctors give.

I still can't see taking drugs, OTC or prescription, just in case. Guess
we were lucky we never thought about seasickness on our first cruise, so
didn't take any drugs just to be safe. All drugs, even OTC have side
effects.

sue

The only time I got SS was when I had too many Manhattens at the
Captains Party. Ginger saved me.

On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:45:22 -0500, (Joyce) wrote:

We have always used bonine.....which is the same thing as dramamine,
that has been used for decades. We take 1 tablet after we board and
every day after that...my hubby gets very seasick....I am so-so but take
it more as a precaution.

One problem with bonine is that it makes some people very tired as
most antihistamines do. If you don't take it ahead of time it may not
help much for sea sickness for hours. It's a catch 22.

I believe wrist bands are a placebo but if you are helped by a
placebo, so be it. Some people still swear by copper bracelets for
arthritis. I remember asking my doctor about this stuff years ago and
asked him if it really works and he said "if you think it does, it
does."
Thumper
As for the ginger...I love crystalized ginger...can eat a lb. at a time
but can no longer have it because I am on coumadin, plavix and aspirin
for a-fib and stent. That's a real bummer for me but know that ginger,
liver and all leafy greens can cause blood to get too thin......

You may be able to take Ginger any way. What causes your coumadin
levels to go high or low is a sudden change in diet. If you introduce
it slowly it rarely is a problem.
Thumper

On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:41:41 -0800, "Marcia R."
wrote:

John Sisker wrote:
"Marcia R." wrote in message
...
My fiance is a little concerned about getting seasick on our cruise.
I've been looking around the internet for those wrist bands, but I
can't seem to find a store that sells them. Does anyone know where I
can buy a pack in an actual store and not online? I'm kind of hoping
to return them after the cruise if we don't need to open the package.
Thanks.

Marcia




Marcia,

Of all the cruises that we have personally been on, we found Bonine
works the best for us. In fact, we always recommend Bonine to our
clients who do have a concern about possible seasickness. However, and
in all honesty, we never tried the wrist bands, but at one time or
another, have tried just about everything else. Bonine is convenient;
just one chewable tablet a day, and at least for us, never made us
drowsy as Dramamine did.

Likewise, it was interesting to us, that another thread mentioned
Catalina Island. For on a clear day, we can actually see Catalina Island
if we cross the street from our house. Yet, many people do make the
mistake of comparing their private trip to Catalina with what they will
encounter of a cruise ship. Yet, a cruise ship is built for comfort and
has stabilizes to help smooth things out. The boats to Catalina are made
for speed, and of course have no stabilizers. There is another thing
that many people do not know, is that is the trip from shore to Catalina
Island has to cross a very rough part of the ocean for the most part.

All this said, even before going on a day trip to Catalina, we still
take Bonine, and never encountered a problem.

John Sisker - SHIP-TO-SHORE CRUISE AGENCY®
(714) 536-3850 or toll-free at (800) 724-6644 & (Agency ID: 714.536.3850)
www.shiptoshorecruise.com / www.tinplatedesign.com
Facebook/Twitter/Blog/Flickr/MyPage


We once took the bigger boat to Catalina, which even made me queasy.
I'm fine on little boats and cruise ships. He might be fine, as well
but we won't know until we get on the ship.

I remember getting on a cruise ship for the very first time thinking I
wasn't going to be happy, but I got used to that feeling very quickly.

Marcia

I guess I'm lucky. The only time I got queasy was on a glass bottom
boat where you say down in the "hold" and look at the ocean floor
through thick windows in the hull. The up and down motion combined
with the magnifying effect of the windows. started to get to me. If
things get choppy and you embrace the motion it helps a lot. I like
to act as if it's an amusement ride.
Thumper

Marcia R. wrote:
My fiance is a little concerned about getting seasick on our cruise.
I've been looking around the internet for those wrist bands, but I can't
seem to find a store that sells them. Does anyone know where I can buy
a pack in an actual store and not online? I'm kind of hoping to return
them after the cruise if we don't need to open the package. Thanks.

Marcia
I have those bands and found them of no value. You can buy them in
most chain drugstores. My preference is Meclizone (generic for Bonine


Rosaly

Marcia R. wrote:
My fiance is a little concerned about getting seasick on our cruise.
I've been looking around the internet for those wrist bands, but I can't
seem to find a store that sells them. Does anyone know where I can buy
a pack in an actual store and not online? I'm kind of hoping to return
them after the cruise if we don't need to open the package. Thanks.

Marcia

Marcia:


I found those bands of no use. You can buy them in any chain drugstore.

My preference us Meclizine (generic for Bonine) It works wonders if you
take one every morning. and I am a truly seasick sufferer. rosaly

TEP wrote:




I was kind of surprised not to see them listed on either the
Walgreens or CVS website

http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/search/sea...ckness%20bands


I just came back from a CVS store, and they didn't have them. I guess
I'll look around some more before I pay shipping and handling to order
them from Amazon. Has anyone actually seen them in a store?

Marcia