Sea Sickness Remedies

I sympathize! It's such a horrible feeling...I have had some luck with an acupressure wrist band combined with meclazine- on long car rides and tour buses, too. Prior to my last weeklong boat trip I looked into the ear patch and read many favorable results. OTOH, there are contraindications and etc that made me nervous, so I didn't try them.
You could try one out prior to leaving and see how you fare?
For me it's larger waves and open water. My reef experience in Australia out of Cairns was in July, so winter season. The 3/4 of a day boat tour went to several different places to snorkel or dive. So the stops helped despite the boat rocking a little.
Staring straight ahead at the horizon and being outdoors on the deck as we motored out and back, despite the brisk wind, helped too.
Is the tour staying out in open water the entire several days, or going out each day from land? For me as long as the water is fairly calm, like along a coast, I can cope. It's that rocking back and forth, yikes!
Regardless, what an incredible adventure together!

I have friends and family that swear by Zofran. Requires a prescription, but I've seen it stop a wave of nausea from bus motion in minutes.

I’ve used the SeaBands wrist bands with pressure points with success.
Also oral Gravol , Ginger version.
Be sure to test out any oral methods or ear patches well before you leave home to see how they affect you.

Thanks so much for the replies. I never had a problem with motion sickness except when I was a very young child and for some reason my parents always had me sit in the back of the station wagon in a seat that faced backwards. That wasn’t pretty. In 1999 I did a biplane ride in Sedona that lasted a bit too long with a lot of loopy loos and it made me feel nauseous. I didn’t get sick thankfully. I was with the friend I’m going to Australia with. After that was when I had problems. Fast forward to 2003 and hubby and I were in Kauai. We took a helicopter ride. No problem. Then we went on a snorkel trip and I got so sick. When we went to Maui a couple of years later I took Dramamine when we took a boat out to snorkel and I was just okay. I have even gotten sea sick twice on kayaks, once in a cove just south of Mendocino and once in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. I’m very paranoid about it happening again, especially with several day trips on boats, including to the Great Barrier Reef. I tried the bands once along with some other things and got sick as a dog on a chartered fishing boat off San Francisco. In fairness the sea was very rough and even the deck hands were getting sick. I think I will ask my doctor for something. I don’t get air sick or car sick, but I might try meclizine just to see how it makes me feel.

Bonine every 12 hours

Meclizine and Scopolamine work for me in the event raw ginger doesn’t work. They can make you drowsy, however.

Hi Andrea,

I am very prone to motion sickness as well. I can’t even snorkel without getting sick. On our cruise in Antarctica, I was using the scopolamine patch with limited success. A pharmacist who was traveling on the same cruise with us saw that I was wearing the patch and asked me how I was faring. I told him that I was not feeling great. He suggested that I visit the front desk on the ship and get some phenergan to use in conjunction with the patch. The combination of the patch and and half a tablet of phenergan worked miracles for me. I was perfectly fine for the rest of the trip even in heavy seas. After my knee replacement surgery last year, I was put on the scopolamine patch and phenergan as well. Be aware, however, that the scopolamine patch can cause rebound illness (nausea). This has not happened to me but another woman we were traveling with became pretty ill after removing the scopolamine patch. Of course, you should check with your doctor if this course is appropriate for you. Scopolamine and phenergan are prescription drugs so you would need to visit the doctor any way. I hope this helps.

I got a tip from a concierge at a condo in Cabo that has worked fantastically for me. Take dramamine before you go to bed the night before a boat trip. I sometimes take one in the morning too, just to be sure. I've used in for about 7 years with 100% effectiveness.

You are so wise to check up on this!!!!! I did a couple of those trips on the GBR just before Covid hit. On one of my boat trips, it was rough. There were numerous snorkeling hopefuls who were too sick to take part when we finally reached the reef. They were all part of a college sponsored study trip - and had all been bragging about how they didn't suffer from seasickness when their prof sponsors offered Dramamine to them and the boat operators indicated that there was an Australian medication for sale on the boat. (I don't know what is available OTC in Australia.)

I also suffer from the affliction, but came prepared. My MD suggested Meclizine which is sold over the counter in the US as Bonine. (not available in Australia at least when I was there) Worked like I charm!! I could sit any where on the boat and enjoyed the buffet en route. I know without the meds that I would have been standing outside at the rail staring at the horizon line.

I remember my boat trip left in the earlier AM. I took a dose of Bonine the night before, then another the day of. No problems - a real miracle for me. Since then, I have used the medicine for distance air travel (in the past I have suffered from airsickness when flying to Asia and Europe) and when driving through mountainous regions - another sometimes trigger for me. It has always been effective.

I'm glad to see Bonine recommended above - apparently others have also found it helpful.

Enjoy your trip!

I asked this same question last summer, so look for that thread as there were many answers.

The scopolamine patches work wonders! I have used them after surgeries, and my husband used them last summer when he sailed between Iceland and Greenland. He needed something that would not put him to sleep since they were all crewing the yacht. Zofran works too, but will tend to constipate you.

As a motion sickness sufferer all my life ( you name a mode of transport, I've probably thrown up on it), I know it's a matter of trial and error to find something that works for you, with the fewest side effects. For me it's Bonine (Meclizine is the generic name). Taken at least an hour before driving or flying, and I'm good. When cruising, I begin at bedtime the night before embarkation and continue at bedtime for the duration. No drowsiness for me

I did try the patch for one cruise but the side effects were so bad that I had to stop before 3 days were up on the first patch. Fortunately the sick bay gave out Meclizine tabs to anyone who wanted them. If you contemplate trying them, read up on the possible side effects. And do note that there are very specific cautions against using them in patients 65 and older.

What a good reference thread! I've had good luck with the SeaBands mentioned above. They work on the acupressure point on your wrist so you have to get them adjusted correctly.

I actually am also a "nervous" passenger on boats (there was that time I had a panic attack on a small boat in the middle of Lake Powell and had to go ask the public tour boat captain if I could ride back with them from Navajo Bridge instead of coming back with friends in the small boat rental...good grief) and surprisingly I feel calmness come over me immediately when I adjust the SeaBands. No idea if it's working on the accupressure points or if it's a placebo effect.

I also have ginger chews that I take with me but have never had to use. They are made by dramamine but don't have dramamine in them.

I'd recommend multiple approaches. Whatever your Dr recommends as far as a prescription or OTC drug plus the SeaBands and a stash of ginger chews. I also like this YouTube person who offers a lot of accupressure suggestions for various ailments including seasickness/nausea.

https://youtu.be/m1piHqdbCmM?si=Pv5VQ_ozJAJghQgZ

I spent quite a bit of time as a crew member on charter boats, in and out of the water.

Wonderful advice from all the responses. Completely agree with Pam, try a few different things before the trip. They all affect people differently. Whatever you choose start the night before! And candied ginger really can help, any kind of ginger really but thats what i always gave a passenger suffering. The boat will probably have some if you ask, every boat I ever worked on did. At least a ginger ale.

Kevin

I get motion sickness on the dock - LoL. Meclizine works fast but puts me to sleep. I should note that the Meclizine I have is from my cousin, a doctor, so I don't know if the OTC version would work as well. I also have used with great results the scopolamine patch. As previously noted you should apply it the day before you need it. The only side effect I had was very vivid dreams.

As far as the scopolamine is concerned, I’d urge you to consult your doctor. It was several years ago but my elderly dad had severe reactions to the patch, including serious balance issues and hallucinations. The ship’s doctor told us to remove it immediately and to scrub the area with soap and water within an inch of his life. Problem solved. The doctor said it was especially problematic for seniors and a big issue was that the med could be released irregularly during the time it was being worn. There was a time when it became unavailable and then returned to the market ( new and improved? ) but we were done for good.. This may all be old news now and/or just our experience but it was a scary time for us. I have no medical training but the doctors do. Good luck, good health, and safe travels.

Thank you all so much for your recommendations. Because I’m 65+ I think it’s wise to discuss the options with my doctor. I’ll be seeing her next week and I’m going to write down all of your suggestions to show her,

I also have ginger chews that I take with me but have never had to use. They are made by dramamine but don't have dramamine in them.

As a side, the chews that Pam recommends are my wonder drug. Two of these fix every stomach complaint I've had since finding them...so far. My body does not react well to medicine so I find it miraculous that I've found something that fixes a myriad of issues. I have yet to try them on a bus while it is driving curvy, hilly roads by a driver who loves fast breaking and take offs, which is one of my motion sickness causes. Previously, I've stocked up on anything ginger for motion sickness exposure...including ginger snaps. LOL

Andrea--That is smart. That is why my husband did last summer and he was 59. He took all the ginger etc stuff as well, but the scopolamine patches were the only thing that was really viable for him. His doctor gave him a bunch of them, so he was set. He never got seasick in 20 years of serving on submarines in the Navy, but the boat they were on last summer was 68' sailing yacht and they were in a huge storm that had stalled and they were stuck in it.

In many cases there's a visual component to motion sickness. I think my worst experience as an adult was on a glass-bottom boat in the Florida Keys. The water wasn't deep, and there wasn't significant turbulence, but as we glided along, the depth of the water varied a lot, so my eyes were constantly trying to adjust to keep the bottom of the ocean in focus. I had to give up on seeing the coral formations and the fish and retreat to the top deck.

I'd absolutely test the solutions mentioned up-thread ahead of time and use the one or two that seem best, but if you get caught in a pickle before your solution kicks in, I suggest also:

• fresh air
• breathing slowly and deeply
• closing your eyes

Those techniques have helped me a lot, and they don't make me too sleepy to keep my eyes open, as original-formula Dramamine does--even though I take only 1/2 a tablet.

Andrea, I would, as an aside, suggest avoiding citrus on the days you will be on the water. I have no idea if there is a scientific basis for it or not.

I have endured some pretty rough seas in our travels....Drake Passage (14-16 foot waves, which is actually more like " Drake Lake"), then 44-foot waves in the Tasmanian Sea (tip of New Zealand). But the only time I have had the tiniest bit of needing to "get flat" quickly was on an Expedition in Greenland, and I would not call what I experienced rough seas, just some gentle rocking of sorts during dinner. The next morning I chatted with the National Geographic ship's hotel manager, and he said that often citrus can bring that on. I had two pre-dinner mimosas that night.............so likely BINGO!

I'd never heard that before. I also have never used or needed meds previously or afterward. But, I have always since practiced the "no citrus" tip.

On our very brief snorkel trip at the Great Barrier Reef, the water was not bad enough to call off the experience, but it was what I would consider choppy....maybe that is normal....I do not know. My husband snorkeled, but I chose to stay on the (relatively large) boat, which did require holding a firm grip often when moving about. The water was a bit cloudy, so my hubby's photos were not super clear. Our only other snorkeling experiences were in the Virgin Islands and the BVI............which were in really calm waters. So, we are far from experts ;o

Safe travels and calm seas/clear water. Have fun!!

"Previously, I've stocked up on anything ginger for motion sickness exposure...including ginger snaps. LOL"

Wray! That is so funny! When I was going out on a small boat off the Northumberland Coast a couple of years ago I had the SeaBands on but also looked for ginger products at the local gift stores before we set out. I wound up with ginger beer and a ginger ale although I did not have to use either. Good excuse for ginger snaps though, lol! And candied ginger would be easy to pack as well. I am adding that to my packing list right now!

Amazon has a hard ginger candy that I traveled with for years. Chews and other options as well. It can be a good starting place to see what is available, even you ultimately purchase (or don't purchase) elsewhere.

I learned the "no citrus" rule the hard way. I also avoid coffee after it caused several bouts of airsickness.

A friend who sails a lot loaned me his wrist bands that give a tiny electric zap. You can dial in the amount of electricity you need. It worked great for me and I dialed it all the way up. It's not painful and sort of feels good. On a previous boat trip I took Bonine but was very sick anyway since it was a rough boat ride.

A small side effect of scopalimine is that it dries up your saliva

I use the acupressure wrist bands

Thanks, you’re all amazing. I’ve tried the bands and they didn’t work for me, but I have them and would be happy to use them in conjunction with other remedies. Ginger sounds like a plan and could be used with other things. I’ll report back what my doctor says.

We have been on many cruises, and the remedies we’ve heard multiple times include ginger ale, saltine crackers, green apples, and looking at and focusing on the horizon. I’m not very susceptible to sea sickness but the couple of times I was mildly woozy the ginger ale and horizon suggestion seemed helpful. The green apples still stumps me. Good luck.

Update:
I saw my doctor this morning. She prescribed scopolamine patches. She said I could also try Bonine/meclizine, but not when I have a patch on. She recommended against zofran and pheragan. She thought it would be good to try things out before I go, as some of you recommended. I will also buy some ginger candies and if I can’t find my wrist bands I’ll buy some.

I have a day trip or two from Hobart that will involve boats so I will try the bands, bonine/meclizine and if necessary ginger the first trip out to see how I do. Mine biggest concern is the trips that involve snorkeling once we are on the tour.

Thanks again for all of your suggestions.

about that snorkeling (we used to do that when were younger, too) - if you're going to be sick it is best if you take the snorkel out...

I've been using a Scopolamine patch, as needed, since our first cruise in 2008. Prior to 2008 I had some pretty horrible days on the water offshore of Mexico.

I don't wear it when I'm onshore.

Now I know why my whale watching boat last week was serving ginger beer. Lol!

Hi! Hearing about your upcoming trip to Australia, especially the multi-day snorkeling itinerary on the boat, I can understand why you are feeling some apprehension. I am also a seasick person, so I can relate to how you feel. I heard that your daughter recommended using Meclizine to combat seasickness, this is a good suggestion.

@Nigel, I laughed out loud.

Nigel is a very funny guy.

"if you're going to be sick it is best if you take the snorkel out..."

Long ago and far away in a different lifetime, I was in the Bahamas snorkeling off Man O'War Cay with friends. The day was not pleasant and I finally got back in the boat and yes, indeedy, my friend DID throw up in her snorkel! Gag....

Thanks for sharing that, Pam? Yuck!

Posted by Pam

"if you're going to be sick it is best if you take the snorkel out..."

Long ago and far away in a different lifetime, I was in the Bahamas
snorkeling off Man O'War Cay with friends. The day was not pleasant
and I finally got back in the boat and yes, indeedy, my friend DID
throw up in her snorkel! Gag....

Posted by Andrea
Thanks for sharing that, Pam? Yuck!

In college I took a scuba course. It was all about being able to do anything underwater that you would do on land including throwing up. And fortunately that was never anything we had to practice for real.

Andrea,

if you take Bonine or anything else, make sure you start it the night before - that's really important.

Happy travels, and hoping you will be fine!