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Help for car sickness

We leave in about a month for Italy...can't wait. We will be renting a car to drive Tuscany/Umbria. We will also be on the Amalfi Coast (although not driving!). I tend to get car sick and I am worried about the narrow windy roads. Dramamine tends to upset my stomach and the wrist bands haven't worked. Any suggestions?

Posted by
435 posts

Have you tried crystalized ginger or ginger chew candies?

Posted by
331 posts

I agree with the ginger, it works wonders.Sit in the front seat for sure,get out and walk around where possible and keep a "bucket" just in case. I found that smelling orange, or tangerine peel (not sure why) seems to settle me.

Posted by
4555 posts

Also.....look off into the distance, not close up...and tell your driver to slow down! ;)

Posted by
30 posts

I got a ptach from my Doctor when I went on a cruise. I also get motion sickness in cars, trains, boats, ect. I'm sure that I don't need to tell you to sit in the front seat. Driving actually helps me out alot, but I do not blame u for not wanting to drive there. The patch worked great, but it made me a little drowsy; however, dramamine and bonine make me more drowsy. Bonine is another over the counter that you could try.

Posted by
800 posts

How about if YOU are the driver? I haven't gotten carsick once when I'm the one driving. Otherwise, it didn't bother me too much in Italy, as long as I was in the front seat. And of course, you need to EAT - I feel much worse on an empty stomach. Good luck!

Posted by
75 posts

also, don't read anything while the car is in motion (like a map or book) and do ask the driver to not go too fast on curvey roads and to use the brake smoothly.

Posted by
11507 posts

I defenately cannot look at a map when car is in motion, just "reading" it for a few minutes can upset me..
I also get carsick driving,, long distances on windy roads only though.
Driver going slow annoys me, speed up and get me out of the darn car is my thoughts...LOL!

I take a slow release travel sickness pill,( Gravol), it tends to make me the least drowsy. I also found some great stuff in England that didn't make me drowsy either.. sorry forgot name.

Ginger does not help me, ( but I love to eat candied ginger anyways!) I need drugs.

Posted by
2084 posts

On many cruises the advice from crew and staff was if you did not take medicine, ginger or green (as in Granny Smith) apples. Don't know why, but have heard it many times from many people. A few saltines seems to help too.

Posted by
1446 posts

Have you tried the elastic wrist bands that rest on an accupressure point? I used them on a boat in which almost everyone got sick because the sea was so choppy & within 1/2 hr of putting on the wrist band, the sea sickness subsided.