best remedy for seasickness

[susy]

I have tried dramamine, both version knocks me out, I have tried the wrist bands, doesn't work, any other suggestions. thanks

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Ginger. Some sort of ginger chew (lollie, sweet or whatever you call it).

 

[xltier]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

ginger snap crackers.

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

#1 remedy is don't go!!!!

 

[snapperbait]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Susy.. <br />Most of these are things you probably already know, but they're worth repeating.. Some of these remedys (if you can call em' that) require that you plan ahead...<br /><br />Stay in the stern area of the boat.. The farther forward you are in the boat, the rougher it feels..<br /><br />Don't eat a large meal before going out... If you must have something, eat something light like fruit or cerial.. Nothing even remotely greasy..<br /><br />This is probably the #1 key to beating sea sickness.. <br />Keep your head up, eyes on the horizon.. That way you see whats comming and you visually relay that to the brain to work in conjunction with your equilibriam(sp?)... <br /> Looking down at the floor, reading instruments for long periods, or going inside a cabin makes sea-sickness worse every time.. (not to mention cleaning up the mess in a cabin if someone starts calling for ralph.)<br /><br />Stay away from un-pleasant odors like exhaust gases (outboard and diesel smoke are especially bad offender), bait & chum...<br /><br />Carbonated drinks help some folks, but make others queazy... Alka seltzer is also said to help... <br /> <br />Stay away from booze if you plan on going out.. No going out boating half hung over.. <br /><br />Some folks are prone to get sick just because they think about getting sick... So, trick your brain... Keep your brain busy with other things... Don't think about getting sick..<br /><br />Take some ginger capsules the night before and again in the morning before the trip... Some folks swear by it..<br /><br />There are some perscriptions that'll help... Scopalamine, which is a patch that goes behind the ear... The patch has to worn for some time for the dose to build up in your system..... Puttin the patch on when your already out and feeling sick probably won't help..<br /><br />Thats about all I got.. Hope something here helps you beat it to make your boating more enjoyable...

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Originally posted by snapperbait:<br /> Don't eat a large meal before going out... If you must have something, eat something light like fruit or cerial.. Nothing even remotely greasy..<br />

So the eggs and bacon I have before each trip is a no no . I especially like the runnnnyyyyyy whites.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Chow down, Dunaruna...

 

[LadyFish]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

All good advice and Snap hit on just about everything.<br /><br />Some people just have a tendancy toward motion sickness and nothing works.<br /><br />Go to your health food store and buy some ginger root capsules. Start taking 2 at a time the night before you go out every 4 hours.<br /><br />I'm not one that gets sick but as a precaution once I took it since I knew the waters were going to be rough. We were out in 12 foot seas for over 14 hours and I never got sick. Everyone else on the boat was a mess.<br /><br />There are absolutely no side affects either.

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Does everyone experience the same symptoms before/during seasickness? If my girlfriend is ging to get sick she gets a real bad "tight" headache for about 30 minutes beforehand.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Good question Nos4r2..... <br /><br />I've never been sick to the point of yacking, but I have on a few occasions been a bit disoriented/dizzy after spending a few minutes looking down while scrubbing the deck and rigging bait... After a couple of minutes with eye's on the horizon, dizzyness is gone and I'm good to go..

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Yeah I've had that feeling too-but with a beginning of queasiness in the pit of my stomach. Luckily it usually comes on after we've drifted just far enough to motor back to the startng point though-and being under way stops it almost instantly.It takes a fair bit of motion too, usually 3-4' seas.<br /><br />I used to be really badly seasick as a kid... loads better now. I used to find that if I actually called ralph then the best thing after was to chew a mint antacid and spit it out to get rid of the taste.

 

[Perfidiajoe]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Funny thing about seasickness, at first you're afraid you're gonna die, then after a while, you're afraid you're not. I never got sick, then I developed a messed up inner ear, now I try everything, sometimes all together. The Scop patch, dramamine, electric wrist band, Ginger snap cookies, gingerale, & ginger pills, at the same time, & still turned myself inside out. As the inner ear got better, & my queesylibrium improved, the patch works the best, with all the other precautions, & no other meds., they are prescription, & expensive, about $40.00 for 4 patches. They last all day, & if too powerful, you can cut them in half. Good luck, I know your pain!!! Joe

 

[Triton II]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Best thing for breakfast before a day out on the boat if you're prone to seasickness... bananas. They taste the same coming up as they do going down.<br />Being serious for a minute: motion sickness is caused by the inner ear balance mechanism going haywire. There are three little donuts in each inner ear called semi-circular canals. They are aligned at 45 degrees to each other, one vertical, one horizontal and one in between. They are filled with a fluid and in the base of each canal there are little hairs with a float attached. These are called Otiliths. Basically, when your head is upright, the hairs float in the fluid vertically and the neurons in them send a signal to the brain telling it you are upright. If you move your head to left or right (i.e look over one shoulder or the other) the canal that lies horizontally to the vertical axis of your head tells the brain you've moved your head to the left or right (yawing). It does this because the fluid stays still as your head rotates while the base of Otiliths move with your head and the floats tend to stay with the fluid, i.e, you bend the Otiliths. The sensors in the base of the Otiliths detect the motion and tell your brain two things:<br />1. You've moved your head, and<br />2. Which way is up.<br />The vertical canal tells your brain that you've moved your head forward or backward (pitching). The 45 degree canal detects that you've moved your head from side to side (rolling).<br />All the canals combine when you're in a heavy sea and tell the brain you're pitching, rolling and yawing - all at the same time. Unfortunately the system is better in some people than others and those who suffer from motion sickness are those whose inner ear gets confused more easily than those who tend to be alright.<br />What all the various pills do is attempt to slow down the side-affect of what happens when your balance mechanism says enough is enough. When the system does this it induces the regurgitate instinct which most mammals have. It does this because a lot of natural poisons cause dizziness and upset the inner ear - making you sick. So basically your balance system was designed to help you get rid of poisons AND help you keep your balance.<br />Another issue is alcohol. This causes the viscosity of the fluid in the semi-circular canals to thin out. The little hair sensors now wobble around with increasing frequency the thinner your fluid gets (i.e the more you drink). Again - dizziness and eventually vomiting. <br />So. To make you less seasick avoid alcohol. (This is the main reason pilots are prevented from imbibing 24 hours prior to flight - and you can be completely sober but your inner ear can take up to 48 hours to get rid of the alcohol. This is also why I am writing this - I was taught what happens because I was a military pilot for 13 years and several of my course mates didn't make it due to motion sickness).<br />Also try to focus on the horizon and stay in a well ventilated area. Closing your eyes and curling up in the fetal position will just make it worse. Gradually, the more used you get to a motion that the human body was never designed for, the less affect it will have on you. So get out there and acclimatise yourself by going out for longer and longer in rougher and rougher weather. Eventually, you'll get your "sealegs". Good luck.

 

[Scuda11]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Good topic.<br /><br />Just retired from 20 years in the US Coast Guard. Over 13 of those year were on boats 180 ft and less. I have been in some pretty nasty stuff, 40 plus was my biggest, and I am comfortable with that being the biggest I will ever see. The number ONE thing to keep with you is crackers. UNSALTED Saltines (oxymoron I know) are the best, too much salt is bad for the tummy too. Seasickness in my humble opinion is caused by 2 things:<br /><br />1) In your head<br />2) acid in the stomach.<br /><br />One time when I was a "boot" on my first ship in the Gulf of Maine, I went out drinking the night before so I was pretty hurting when the ship left at 5 am. So, being dehydrated, I guzzled about a half gallon of Orange Juice. My Chief watched with great pleasure and a quiet smile, knowing where that would get me. About an hour later, I hurled so hard over the side I think it went about 20 ft straight! I had grown up on boats all my life, never had a problem until then. Too much acid in the stomach for crackers to absorb!<br /><br />Like some others said, keep looking up, if you are in sight of land, look at it when you are feeling queezy, it is stable, might help.<br /><br />cya

 

[Triton II]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

EDIT to above: My memory failed me a little - the Otiliths are small pieces of calcium that are in the fluid to help strengthen the balance response. The sensing hairs are called something else, but I can't remember what. Old age has officially struck! ARRGGGHHHHH!

 

[txswinner]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

I have not had the wonderful seasick experience and have boated off shore for 40 years. However, I got queasy about 5 years ago and afterthat started using patches and no drowsiness and seem to work great. Wife always got sick on cruises and patches worked for her. However, if you do get sick the quickest and best way to settle is GET INTO THE WATER. It will stop immediately.

 

[gutshot grouper]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

One beer and steer the boat while keep the eyes on the horizon, if you are busy enough, it is harder to think about wanting to feel sick, Good Luck

 

[ae708]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

cilia

 

[sirlespat]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

According to Spike Milligan "The best cure for sea sickness is to sit under a Tree"

 

[txswinner]

Re: best remedy for seasickness

Can I change my idea, I like gutshots much better!!