[yellowwducky]

Hi all,

My wife and I are going for our competent crew certification next week. It will be one week on a 40 foot sailboat in the Whitsunday Islands.

Given I know my wife is prone to a bit of seasickness I am thinking it prudent to pick up some medication to help with that. What are the options and what ones do people think work best? I gather for them to be effective they need to be taken prior to getting on the boat. Pills or patches?

Thoughts, advice and recommendations most welcome!

 

[yellowwducky]

edit - and can you buy these things over the counter or do you have to go to a doctor?

 

[sailingdog]

Sturgeron, compazine, Dramamine, Bonine, and Scopolamine.

IIRC, the ones in bold are OTC, but Sturgeron isn't available in the US.

 

[ArgleBargle]

sea sickness meds

Hi

Ondansetron (trade name Zofran) is an incredibly effective antinauseant - much mose effective than the atihistamines (bonamine/meclizine, dramamine, and in Canada Gravol) and works on a completely different biochemical pathway. side effects very uncommon (unlike dry mouth, fatigue/sleepiness with the antihistamines). scopolamine, while found by many to be quite effective (and transdermal prep obviously works even if you're actively hurling) in my experience also has the highest incidence of adverse effects.

unfortunately Ondansetron is also expensive and requires a prescription.

Ginger is a common naturopathic anti-nauseant/anti-seasickness treatment and has some actual scientific data behind it.

staying on deck, keeping your head in fresh air and the horizon in view, simple foods and avoiding alcohol anecdotally probably just as important.

very jealous about your Whitsunday trip. have been reading an old cruising guide about them.

 

[yellowwducky]

Avoiding alcohol - yea, hmmm, beautiful sunset, beautiful beach...no red wine. Ouch. In life, sometimes you have to take a risk or two hehe.

edit - and thanks for the recommendations, will see what I can pick up in town tomorrow.

 

[ArgleBargle]

didnt say NO red wine, just maybe not for breakfast. or take a scope patch with your omlette and breakfast belini.

 

[Omatako]

Stugeron are the best we have encountered but I don't know if you'll get them in Aus, I know we can't buy them in New Zealand.
We used them in SA for guests who got ill at sea.

 

[Joesaila]

Me too

My wife feels queasy for the first few days so takes Bonine the day before we sail. After the few days she seems to adapt and stops the meds. When I used to fish for tuna I'd offer dramamine to crew. It worked but seemed to really zonk them. I've heard that some people use a patch behind the ear, often cutting it in half. Likely you are aware of not waiting till symptoms hit before taking the med. Take it well before you get aboard. Have fun!

 

[sailingdog]

BTW, it is generally a good idea to avoid greasy foods and alcohol. Also, taking the medication a day before going aboard is a good idea... since some will have side effects that are stronger at the initial dose or take a while to work. Taking them after you're already seasick is generally far less effective.

 

[midwesterner]

I thought I'd revive this old thread with a new question: On another thread, people are saying that they find marijuana a good sea sickness preventative/remedy. Since developers have separated strains of marijuana that have THC content, from strains that have mostly only the more recently identified CBD, does anybody know which substance relieves motion sickness? It would be great if CBD did, since it does not cause inebriation like THC does. And, CBD is legal in many places.

 

[Minnewaska]

I'd put money on 90% of CBD effectiveness being psychosomatic. I guess one could argue, if it works, it works, regardless if there is a true chemical connection. I'm sure it genuinely works for some things, just like aspirin, but you wouldn't take aspirin for everything. Hopefully, sea sickness is one of those things.

Thought this was good recent article on the topic.

Can CBD Cure What Ails You?

Proponents say yes, but scientific studies on the effectiveness of this chemical derived from cannabis are a mixed bag

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[MoonBeamEstate]

Ginger, wrist bands, two or three different kind of meds is what we keep in stock for guest. If she has high blood pressure watch the meds

 

[Minnewaska]

BTW, it is generally a good idea to avoid greasy foods and alcohol.

This is the truth. The last time I puked overboard (at 2am on watch), I had a spicy burrito for dinner early that evening and a beer. Conditions were easy, at the time, I wasn't on watch for hours and had done this overnight passage several times before. Then it changed. It was blowing snot by midnight, 7-9 footers on the starboard quarter, yawing back and forth. It was awful. I bet I would not have gotten sick, if it weren't for bad decision early.

 

[SanderO]

I haven't been seasick and tossed in local waters except once maybe 30 years ago in LIS when there were nasty conditions and I was heading into a SE after having eaten some re heated stew ex wifie had made.
I think the next time was in the Gulf Stream in 91... in a nasty gale...5 of 6 on board were seasick and heaved.
Wifey used to get seasick and has thrown up but not in years... she seems to have adjusted.
It takes some time of being tossed around for me to feel queasy. But that may changed since my inner ear balance problems. We'll see.

 

[midwesterner]

I'd put money on 90% of CBD effectiveness being psychosomatic. I guess one could argue, if it works, it works, regardless if there is a true chemical connection. I'm sure it genuinely works for some things, just like aspirin, but you wouldn't take aspirin for everything. Hopefully, sea sickness is one of those things.

Thought this was good recent article on the topic.

Can CBD Cure What Ails You?

Proponents say yes, but scientific studies on the effectiveness of this chemical derived from cannabis are a mixed bag

www.scientificamerican.com

So what about Ginger, wrist bracelets, and Dramamine? Who knows if they are actually doing anything medical, physical, or just psychological?

We know through many years of science, that aspirin broadens blood vessels and increases blood flow and has many impacts on the body. It is possible that CBD does something very similar.

 

[MarkofSeaLife]

Seasickness happens to some. Just don't use it as an excuse to shirk a Watch.

 

[Minnewaska]

So what about Ginger, wrist bracelets, and Dramamine?

All three have been studied and reviewed and shown to have effect. The most important aspect of a scientific method study is trying to prove the hypothesis is incorrect. It seems to me that so many want CBD to work, for some reason, they only look for affirmation. I hope it does work, but have you ever been in a CBD store. It's bloody snake oil salesman. We have one on the next block over. My wife thought she'd give it a try to help sleep. Zero impact. This store sells it to treat or cure absolutely everything.

We know through many years of science, that aspirin broadens blood vessels

I hope years of science narrow down what CBD can actually do (maybe seasickness will be one), but the article in Scientific American that I linked above shows most are not showing repeatable affects, such as aspirin.

p.s. If anyone is interested in an enlightening review of how the scientific method work, find the youtube channel, Vertisasium. He asks people on the street to explain the rule that result in the series of numbers.... 2,4,8. IOW, you have an observation, so you have to determine the principal. You can also give new series you think comply with the principal to test your hypothesis. Most start with numbers doubling, or even numbers, etc. They all look at the result, come up with something that fits and test for affirmation. However, the answer is any three ascending numbers, the rest was coincidental. If you think it's doubling numbers or even number, you should first try a series of odd number or those that don't double and see if they are considered correct too. The moment one disproves the hypothesis, you know you're incorrect.

 

[MoonBeamEstate]

Ginger, wrist bands, two or three different kind of meds is what we keep in stock for guest. If she has high blood pressure watch the meds

All work if you think they work.

 

[MoonBeamEstate]

I have also heard that jumping in the water stops it instantly. (no, not drowning)

 

[Minnewaska]

I have also heard that jumping in the water stops it instantly. (no, not drowning)

The moment you drop below the surface swell, when scuba diving, all becomes incredibly calm and serene. If the boat had pukers aboard, everyone would clamor to get suited up and in the water.