Sea sickness - any remedies???

Hi Captain,
I have found the best preventitaive is a patch (like a nicotine patch) that were available from Chemists, but I believe that they may be unavailable now.
Qwells are also reputable and I use these as well. They make your mouth as dry as a dead dingoes ..., but work. I have a friend who swears by ginger but stay away from anyone else.
Steve

Being a yachtie/sailor type I would stick with the Qells, BUT, start taking them the night BEFORE you go out, not 5 mins before boarding.
Three other things. keep out in the fresh air - avoid going below,
If you start feeling queasy, keep your eyes on the horizon.
(it's a balance inner ear thing)
3rd, avoid alcohol, otherwise find a good spot on the rail. It doesn't make you a wuss
just because you don't want to get bleep and throw up over everyone.
happy travels. (wish I was going)

T.R.

if its not rough, do the above, but one thing that you can do if it is a bit choppy is stay at the back of the boat, it doesnt move up and down as much!! unless its a diesel boat, then the fumes may make you sick. If you go out there worried about being sick, you will be! plan that you will be fine!

I've found that Quells (Kwells?) don't work for me, neither did traval-calm(??). When I spoke to the chemist they gave me dramamine which seems to work for me. However (I can't stress this enough) take your first one at least 1 hour before hitting the water - And then keep taking them at regular intervals. - Once you start feeling sick no amount of pills are going to make you well again.

There are some other things I've found which increase my chance of feeling sick.
1) lack of sleep the night before.
2) lack of food (don't skip breakfast)
3) Beer (or any other "fizzy" type drink)

My recommendation is also to make sure you get some food down you before you go out - something simple like toast as I know my stomach always feel more settled than if I have just had a couple of coffees/ teas and nothingto soak it up. Am sure a lot of liquid swilling around inside you when you go out doesnt help much

Above all, dont be like my other half who convinces herself she is going to be seasick before she goes out which I am sure also makes the problem worse!! Think positive!!

Cheers

Hi Captain,
Years ago I ran charter boat for 4 years and during that time we had our fair share of people suffering with seasickness. To keep our clients mobile and well during the charter we, through trial and error, found that if clients took one Travelcalm before bed and another one first thing in the morning when they got up, they survived well during the charter. The problem of drowsiness from the antihistimine the next day, is much less because of the sleep the night before and it is in your system and the tablet in the morning doesn't have the same effect with regards to the drowsiness. Take another tablet 4 hours after the one in the morning. The big hint is - KEEP OF THE bleep - the night before. This routine has had a positive effect on clients who on previous occasions would have given me $10 to cut their throat and chuck them overboard, they were that sick.
Good Luck,
Bill

750ml bottle of Bundy Rum,

keep drinking till you pass out !

You've had your alcohol and no sea sickness :-)))

Problem solvered !

I don't usually get sick unless it is rough for an extended period (days). I use Antivert as it is a once daily tablet that you take an hour before getting on the boat.

Hints:
1) Stay on the deck away from the exhaust. If you go below and start feeling ill go back on the deck.
2) Don't get dehydrated
3) Eat. Make sure you have breakfast before you go.
4) Don't get burnt
5) If you use any of the pills watch out as it usually increases the effect of alcohol

A friend swears by ginger pills. Never tried them myself.

Have a good trip

Steve

Being ex marine - the seasick tablets work best - but start the day before, stay off the bleep from the day before, eat light easy meals, stay away from greasy food. When you go out lie down if you can at first - being horizontal the inner ear gets used to the motion better than standing up and the nausia is reduced. When you are up and about stay out in the fresh air - don't look down and be seated out in the open if you can - if what you are seeing, motion wise, matches what your inner ear is sensing the the symptoms will be reduced - stay out of the exhaust fumes as they are bad news.

Also - many people effectively talk themselves into being crook by thinking about the issues - concentrate on what you are there for - enjoy the fishing and you might just find it is not an issue or is at least reduced.

Have a great time.

Garry

Much the same as the others... been sailing 35yrs yada yada.

If you must use quell or similar, use the ones with added caffeine so you dont get drowsy... a rolling boat and quell will almost guarantee sleepiness.
Ginger is the best remedy I have found for an offshore passage, ginger beer, ginger tablets from health food and ginger coated in chocolate from a sweet shop.
Only other tip is dont look down at the water... keep your eyes fixed on a point close to the horizon.
cheers
John

Salada biscuits!
Don't know why, maybe that they dry out your mouth, maybe the salt, or maybe the chewing action balances your middle ear, all I can say is that they work.

Being a seasoned Burley Producer in the past, I found the Ginger Tablets, fresh air and looking at the horizon works for me. When others start spewing up around me, I do tend to get jealous very easliy and soon join in.
Be poitive, it will be a calm day, it will be a calm day, it will be a calm day.
I know of people who get motion sickness whilst crossing the Murray on a Ferry. You might laugh, but I do know of them. LOL

Arr yes the dreaded Seasickness , being a Sydney to Hobart winner and yachtie (hence the name Terrafirma) and suffering badly from this condition over the years I never really found a cure. Today I have my sea legs and only over-indulgence in alcholol or lack of sleep seems to effect me. I believe the best cures medication wise are not sold in Australia for reasons of conformity, however if you do some Google searching and Ebay searching you should be able to buy online and have the product sent to you legally. I can't remember the name of the stuff that was highly recommended but it was only available in USA or the UK from memory.

Captain,

Agree the antisickness tablets are excellent. I too suffer quite badly, but had no nausea at all during a recent sailing trip. I took Hyoscine, which I think is the proper name for the quells people are mentioning. The main reason to take them the night before is to get used to the sedating effect.
Take them regularly (according to the packets instructions)
during the trip until you get your 'sealegs', which took me about 48hrs. You'll know when you do, because the motion wont bother you any more. When you return to terra firm you might feel funny also!
One trick I learnt is an accupressure point. I'm not one for alternative medicine, but it suprised me how effective this is. If you feel like you need to chunder, press with a thumb on the middle of your wrist, about 2cm up the forearm from the wrist crease. Maintain constant, very firm pressure, until it aches. The nausea settles rapidly.
Cheers
Jon

pezza is the only one who gave you the most sensible answer...you want to go seafaring and still want to drink....

all the other answers tell you to stay off it...so what will you be doin

Hi Captain,

I spent 21 years in the Navy, mostly in patrol boats (which would roll on wet grass) I have some experience with sea sickness - thankfully only in others. Here are some solutions we found effective:

No. 1 sure fire cure - sit under a tree.
No. 2 sure fire cure - tie a piece of bacon rind to a string, swallow the rind, then use the string to pull it back up - you will forget all about the sea sickness. (this also works with someone who is feeling queasy if you just tell them about it!)

Seriously though, we used to use the patches referred to higher up in the thread. They are still available (on prescription only) and their brand name is "Trans-derm Scop" marketed by Novartis. The active ingredient is Scopolamine. They were good for up to 3 days and needed to be applied behind on ear the night before sailing. They were effective on all the crew who hadn't had a skin full the night before departure.

For some more good info on sea sea sickness try this link and click on the "Preventing and Treating Seasickness" link.

Enjoy the trip.

Pete

Don't go.

If you are valuable customer they will find an alternative outing that suits you.

You don't have spend a day spewing and fishing to prove yourself to them.

Don't you have any alternative suppliers?

I gave one of my staff a great day at the Australian Open a number of years back, as it would have bored me witless and he had a great day. And they still worked with us to develop products we needed.

Max

Captain,

I'm quite lucky as I don't seem to suffer from this infiction, but it will bring an otherwise great day, completely undone.

Besides the motion sickness tablets and patches already mentioned, I have two other suggestions for your consideration.

Have a good breakfast before you embark. A full belly seems to lessen the effects.

Now, my mate, who has his own 20' boat swears by another cure.
You can buy a pair of stretch towelling type braclets which have a small "button" embedded into them. The button is placed over the inner wrist area and apparently works in a similar way that the tablets do, only more effectively.

Perhaps ask your local chemist about them.

Another alternative is the "SEA BAND " travel sickness bands .from chemist shops , works by applying pressure on the wrists ,does not cause drowsiness ,when we tried them the first time we were very sceptical ,worked a treat and best was could drink as much as wanted as well , all of the drug type remedies demand NO alcohol ,no point in a fishing trip if you cant have a beer or 3 [doz] .

Hi Captain,
One out of left field, the only time I get sea sick is if I'm dehydrated. And if I'm dehydrated I get VERY sick.
For me, 2 to 3 litres of water per day is what I drink normally so sea sickness is no longer a problem to me.
Best part is as long as I don't have a big drink the night before I can pretty well give the beer a shake on a day out like you're planning.

Oh, What's the two worst things about being sea sick?
Thinking you're going to die then realising you aren't!!

Geoff.

Did you see "What's good for you" on tv, they has a segment on sea sickness and tested ginger tablets and kwells and they both worked well. What was interesting was by sucking lemon pieces when you are already sick eased the sickness substantially.
Wazzaaaaaa

Sorry can't help. I don't get sea sick...then again, I don't get out on the seas much these days.

The missus on the other hand takes a carton of paper bags with her :-D

In another life I had some cruises on the Oceans on Liners, and used to have the whole dining rooom to myself in the rough weather....lol

Cheers

In all honesty
I lived in the Torres straitts for years.The old Japs said " A mixture of Cabbage and Lettuce before you go out". Worked for me!Let me know how you go.
Do it every time and no spew to date.Patent pending!
Niffty Perth

Thanks all for the tips, it is genuinely appreciated.

Looks like taking quells the night before, drinking heaps of water and having a good breakfast is a good start. Alcohol is out, but I can drink anytime - not often you get a freebie deep sea fishing trip. Will post a pic if I manage to catch anything decent!

Cheers

Captain

I get shocking sea sickness.. so bad that I can't walk... can't move my eyeballs or blink without convulsing once I get going... No read the last bits.. It's true. When things get bad I cannot move ANYTHING without going into convulsions.

I have travelled to Tassie on the ferrie 23 times [return] now. Last time was Last week.

I go to the doctor when necessary and get a prescription for STEMETAL.

or I think the packet said STEMAZINE last time. I take three times the prescribed dose and manage usually. If things get really bad i.e. rough seas, I take a sleeping tablet also prescribed by the doctor. .. and I get by all right.

Timing is very important though. I take my first pill 15 minutes before I board the boat. Then I eat a good meal and even have a beer.

Then I settle down for a bit. When I start to feel the movement effect me ..... off to bed. Nowadays it's the business class seat. Take one or two more pills and a few hours later or even 20 mins if I am really worried... in goes the sleeping pill.

Not a lot of help for you perhaps.. my best advice is

DON'T GO.....

I get crook as a dog on a boat as well, but love my fishing.
I've tried Quells and Travel Calms from the chemist, they work all right but give me a thirst that needs constant attention.

For many years I have used the ginger herbal tabs from the health shop.

"Blackmores Ginger Travelcalm" , Take 1 before bed, 1 in the morning.
They work great for me.
Cheers
Glenn

Hi, Captain ...............
from another ex-Navy bloke .............. the wristbands referred to are called ACCU-Bands and work on the principle of accupressure points and really are very effective.

However, the ONLY GUARANTEED Cure for mal-de-mer is to stand in the shadow of ULURU, aka Ayers Rock !!! Does it for me ..............

I suffer from motion sickness and took tablets, wore wrist bands and ate granny smith apples. We have a boat and it wasnt the rough seas it was roll when we stopped. All these helped but one day after buying all my supplies at the chemist the lady serving me said she was told to put cotton wool in one ear. I have done this on many ocassions and I swear by it. It is a middle ear balance thing and you only block one ear. My husband asked a friend to read a map while they were driving and he said no he would get sick so he told him about my cotton wool trick so he grabbed a tissue and put a piece of it in one ear and my husband said the change was immediate. I still havent tried it on fast rides at the show but I m too old for that now. Try it doesnt cost much.