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Seasickness remedies

5K views 26 replies 15 participants last post by  jackdale 
#1 ·
I would like to hear from those of you who have tried that wrist band that cost $135.
 
#2 ·
Irwin, we purchased one of these after finding it highly recommended by pilots; see www.equipped.org and you might find some add''l info. My wife tried it when we started cruising again and it seemed to work miracles, so we bought a 2nd one for me (less prone but not without some problems on occasion). We got into a blow on the Chesapeake during our 2000 shakedown, both put on our bands (too late, no doubt, as we were both feeling poorly) and it was a case of total recovery, within a few minutes.

In these incidents, I don''t think our results were initially pychosomatic - in fact, the results were despite our mental attitude - as we were doubtful & curious, not ''believers''. The intensity setting was, for us, very important in order to get good results.

Regrettably, the story doesn''t end there. When going down into the islands of the E Caribbean, my wife tried this unit several more times and, each time, found it to provide somewhat less relief. Eventually, when we later crossed the Atlantic and subsequently got banged around in the North Sea, she never bothered to dig it out.

NASA''s early research on motion sickness - half the astronauts they put in orbit were getting sick - demonstrated two things among others: individuals vary in their response to a given remedy, and a given person''s response to a given remedy can vary. I think this is why all these anecdotal reports on ''what worked for me'' fail to lead to uniform recommendations.

In my case, I don''t normally need anything & simply found oral meds that were at least as effective, when I do. In my wife''s case, she continues to experiment with meds that she can tolerate and don''t complicate or interact with her prescribed meds. But if you plan a lot of sailing and someone in the family or crew has a real problem, I''d encourage you to purchase & experiment with the cheaper (non-replaceable battery) version, as the potential is certainly there to have a major positive impact.

Jack
 
#6 ·
I own one of the battery-operated (replaceable battery) models, and have been satisfied with it. I have had occasion to use it as have friends when they''ve come cruising (darn Lake Michigan weather systems), and it''s worked well. My husband and I will probably purchase another unit so we have two available should the need arise. I found one online for $90.00 at www.cabelas.com. They also advertise ginger pills and some sort of ''all natural'' oil that you ''simply rub on your skin''. Hm...wonder if it''s snake oil?

At any rate, that''s my $.02.
 
#9 ·
Have you tried the regular sea band? The little sport band with a ball bearing sewed into to it. I get awfull sea sick at times and wear two of them, one on each wrist. These work great for me. I always have ginger snap cookies on board as well. These and ginger ale do a good job making me feel better. Regards, Peter
 
#14 ·
For those of you who have not tried - Stugeron - not available in the US - works wonders. I belileve it can be mail ordered. It is from the Netherlands, I believe, and truly does work. Ask the yachties that have been to Mexico. They all swear by it.
I am prone to feeding fish and this works great with no side affects
 
#17 ·
I used a Relief Band (brand name) without much success a couple of summers ago. Trip back from Block Island to Cape May got pretty lumpy. My wife still kids me about watching the flashing light on the watch as I "attended to soiling the topsides" every hour for a bout 13 hours. I have not given up on the device yet though. It is very important that it be placed exactly on the wrist, that a good conductivity is made (gel supplied) and that the setting is high enough to be effective. I may have started out with any one or more of these less than adequate and then after "the onset", fine tuning adjustments became the least of my interests!
 
#18 ·
Interestingly enough, on ''Mythbusters'' last night they were trying various seasickness remedies. If memory serves, they tried the Relief Band, the acupressure wristbands, ginger root pills, and some sort of tongue spray. They discovered that the ginger root pills were the most effective for the people doing the trial. I know someone who takes Bonine every time he sails; I''ve not tried this, and I don''t know what side effects, if any, there are. The interesting part of the whole thing was that they gave one of the testers a vitamin and told him it was an OTC seasickness remedy and he reported no feelings of nausea during the trial. I guess it''s all about what works for you.
 
#19 ·
I have strong opinions on what works and what doesnt on sea sickness remedies and wholeheartedly recommend Sturgeron. It is as one of the many items I keep on board for my crew members who may succumb to mal de mar. Sturgeron is actually cinnarizine in 15 mg doses and is prepared in tablet form. Originally developed by Johnson & Johnson it is now available through Janssen-Cilag Ltd in the UK. You can find it available in any current or former British territory. I pick up a fresh supply each time I go to Bermuda or the BVI. Current cost is about $19 USD per hundred.
That said, I also keep plenty of ginger snaps, ginger ale and candied ginger root on board. Lastly and also my last line of defense is Scopolamine, both as patches and also in 1mg topical suringes which I have prepared by any good compounding pharmacy here in the US.
Fair winds, Captain Bruce
 
#21 ·
Yes, I have ordered Stugeron numerous times by mail from an Apothecary in the London area, when we were not cruising outside USA waters and therefore had no other choice. The packages were always properly, specifically labeled, always passed thru Customs without incident (I was never even assessed duty...) and delivered promptly by USPS.

Is that true in these post-9/11 days? I don''t know. But I can''t see what the risk is, beyond a small financial one, if doing this in an above-board fashion even in today''s climate.

Jack
 
#22 ·
my wife and I have been sailing for over 25 years and she always got sea sick untill her grandmother brewed up some very strong ginger tea for her and told her to drink about one cup about one hr before going on board, and to sip a little, about every hr. or so during the sail (about 6to 8 hrs ) and she never got seasick again. grandma shaved some from a real ginger root(any food store) with a food slicer and put it in a tea infuser, we never sail without it and have found over the years that it has worked on all but one person that has sailed with us, but only because he could not take the taste of the ginger.====make sure you add some honey(about two tbs full for each cup of tea, it is brewed up with about a small tablespoon of ginger for each cup infused or just a little less ginger for your taste. SEABEE
 
#23 ·
Hi all,
I've also found that green apples work as a natural seasickness remedy. I popped them like tic tacs on a recent Pacific coast trip and it worked like a charm (although green apples en masse can give you the runs so beware).

Meclizine is good for the seasickness knock-out punch, but it'll also knock you out so it's probably not the best thing on a seaway. When I used to work on a cruise ship, across the crew the best remedy was simply time. By day 3, even the most miserable people had acclimated.
 
#25 ·
eat a little all the time...

My wife gets seasick so we keep candied ginger on board. Hard to say for certain whether it really works. We were recently told that it is a good idea to eat small amounts (of anything) very often. Haven't tried that yet. Presumably the trick is to start snacking as soon as you are underway or it will be too late.... In hindsight we realized that we often go a long time without eating when on the boat.
 
#27 ·
"A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree" - Spike Milligan
 
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