Motion sickness

[QuotaMan]

Does anyone else suffer from getting motion sickness? When I was younger I had no problems flying, riding a boat, and I never got sick.

 

Nowadays though I'm thinking a lot of it might be psychological, but I fear getting sick when on a plane, boat, or car, so it has a chance of happening. Sounds weird but I think I might be thinking myself sick.

 

I used to take a drug called scopace, but it is very strong and leaves you feeling very disoriented for a few days after. Last two trips I took dramamine as the side effects are not as bad. I also wore this watch that uses electric pulses to help with nausea and it seemed to help. But as we were landing in Bangkok I really started to feel queasy but was able to fight it off. I didn't feel bad on the Chao Praya river tour boat, but if we were out in the open ocean I think I would get sick.

[Harley62]

Have you tried Stugeron? It is not available in the USA at all, but it's commonly used in Europe and Asia and is widely available in any pharmacy in Thailand. It was originally prescribed for pregnant women with severe morning-sickness. Also, Scopace is very effective but in the pill form you took, it can be quite strong...I would try the Scopalamine trans-dermal PATCH--which you affix to your neck area and LEAVE it and it sends the medication through your skin in a slow dosage over several days. A lot of safari boat divers use this for the duration of their trip and have had good results.

 

Of course, Dramamine (also sold as Bonine)has been around for years and is available worldwide.

 

Good Luck!

[QuotaMan]

Have you tried Stugeron? It is not available in the USA at all, but it's commonly used in Europe and Asia and is widely available in any pharmacy in Thailand. It was originally prescribed for pregnant women with severe morning-sickness. Also, Scopace is very effective but in the pill form you took, it can be quite strong...I would try the Scopalamine trans-dermal PATCH--which you affix to your neck area and LEAVE it and it sends the medication through your skin in a slow dosage over several days. A lot of safari boat divers use this for the duration of their trip and have had good results.

 

Of course, Dramamine (also sold as Bonine)has been around for years and is available worldwide.

 

Good Luck!

 

Thanks for this recommendation. I have not heard of stugeron but an interesting option next time I am in thailand. I have used the scopalamine patch but I preferred the pill in the past because I just take it with water and not worry about the patch. Dramamine is good but sometimes not as strong as I prefer.

[rob44]

When I was younger I used to get sick just from driving in cars etc, nowadays I seem to get it only when flying. I think it's psychological for me too, since it seems to be way worse when flying to Thailand than when flying back. Maybe the nervousness about waiting for the trip adds to it, I don't know. I've tried the basic drugs but they don't seem to have much effect. And I really do get quite sick, before I used to spend half of the flight just throwing up in the bathroom but the last two trips I've somehow managed to get through without. It just kind of ruins the first day if I arrive early, can't really eat anything and can't sleep even when being so tired from the flight. Have to do some research for my next trip but I guess there's no miracle cure for it.

[QuotaMan]

When I was younger I used to get sick just from driving in cars etc, nowadays I seem to get it only when flying. I think it's psychological for me too, since it seems to be way worse when flying to Thailand than when flying back. Maybe the nervousness about waiting for the trip adds to it, I don't know. I've tried the basic drugs but they don't seem to have much effect. And I really do get quite sick, before I used to spend half of the flight just throwing up in the bathroom but the last two trips I've somehow managed to get through without. It just kind of ruins the first day if I arrive early, can't really eat anything and can't sleep even when being so tired from the flight. Have to do some research for my next trip but I guess there's no miracle cure for it.

 

I think it's psychological mostly also for me. I have a fear of getting sick so I get sick I think, as weird as it sounds there is just such a phenomenon. For example if there's bad turbulence I start to panic and get nauseous. Worst is when landing, as the plane makes turns and gets ready to land is when I am most susceptible.

 

The first time I got very airsick was when I was around 11 years old and flew to Japan. It was only my second flight in my life, and didn't get sick previously. I still remember the horrible feeling I had as we were about to land, and puked in my mouth (and swallowed it, yuck). But I seemed to grow out of it and never got sick flying in my 20's. But started to feel sick again when I went back to Thailand in my 30's.

 

Dramamine is what I took last two trips, but I still felt a little queasy at points. But the side effects weren't as bad as scopace, and by the time my taxi arrives in Pattaya I am good to go.

 

I heard ginger is a good option.

 

I also use a thing called a relief band, it's like a watch that you wear on the inside of your wrist. There's supposed to be a pressure point there effective at fighting nausea, and the watch sends an electrical signal to disrupt the nauseous feelings coming from your stomach. It's a hit and miss type of thing, but it has been working great for me these past few years.

Edited September 13, 2011 by LonelyMan

[rob44]

I think it's psychological mostly also for me. I have a fear of getting sick so I get sick I think, as weird as it sounds there is just such a phenomenon. For example if there's bad turbulence I start to panic and get nauseous. Worst is when landing, as the plane makes turns and gets ready to land is when I am most susceptible.

 

The first time I got very airsick was when I was around 11 years old and flew to Japan. It was only my second flight in my life, and didn't get sick previously. I still remember the horrible feeling I had as we were about to land, and puked in my mouth (and swallowed it, yuck). But I seemed to grow out of it and never got sick flying in my 20's. But started to feel sick again when I went back to Thailand in my 30's.

 

Dramamine is what I took last two trips, but I still felt a little queasy at points. But the side effects weren't as bad as scopace, and by the time my taxi arrives in Pattaya I am good to go.

 

I heard ginger is a good option.

 

I also use a thing called a relief band, it's like a watch that you wear on the inside of your wrist. There's supposed to be a pressure point there effective at fighting nausea, and the watch sends an electrical signal to disrupt the nauseous feelings coming from your stomach. It's a hit and miss type of thing, but it has been working great for me these past few years.

 

I just checked and the one I used last time was meclizine hydrochloride, which apparently is quite basic and weak drug but I only remembered the whole thing like a few hours before I was leaving so that was the only thing my local pharmacy had. Even that had some side effects, atleast I remember having extremely dry mouth. I'm not even sure how easily you can get the more advanced stuff here in Finland.

 

For me the landing is quite easy actually, since I know it will be over soon, it's just the middle part that is hard, the flight takes like 10 hours usually. I start to get the symptoms a few hours in and it starts to get gradually worse after that. And now that I think about it, last time the flight back was just so much easier than the flight going there, I could actually finish the second meal and was feeling quite ok afer landing. So it would really help if I could just get the same more relaxed feeling when flying to Thailand.

[travelling_man]

 

I also use a thing called a relief band, it's like a watch that you wear on the inside of your wrist. ...

 

 

Put a BIG rubber band on your wrist. Each time you start to feel sick, reach down and pull the rubber band back 3" and let it go. The pain will stop the motion sickness.

 

 

Otherwise, dramamine is still the most common as the previous poster said.

[ritch]

i work at sea and i use stugeron

it can make you drowsy though.

 

if your worried about flight nerves you could always try a sleeping pill as i find i get really excited on the flight over and cant usually sleep.

[QuotaMan]

I just checked and the one I used last time was meclizine hydrochloride, which apparently is quite basic and weak drug but I only remembered the whole thing like a few hours before I was leaving so that was the only thing my local pharmacy had. Even that had some side effects, atleast I remember having extremely dry mouth. I'm not even sure how easily you can get the more advanced stuff here in Finland.

 

For me the landing is quite easy actually, since I know it will be over soon, it's just the middle part that is hard, the flight takes like 10 hours usually. I start to get the symptoms a few hours in and it starts to get gradually worse after that. And now that I think about it, last time the flight back was just so much easier than the flight going there, I could actually finish the second meal and was feeling quite ok afer landing. So it would really help if I could just get the same more relaxed feeling when flying to Thailand.

 

Bonine and Dramamine use meclizine, it's an anti histamine from what I understand. It works good most of the time for me, and makes me drowsy, but it's not as strong as drugs like scopace which really make me feel like I'm drunk. Dramamine also leaves me with less side effects as I am usually good to go following day after arrival.

 

For me both flights are about equal, it's gotten so bad I have a ritual I do before any flight. I stop eating at least 15 hours or so before boarding the flight, only taking in fluids. I only nibble on the in flight food, maybe a few bites of the bread and pick at the entree. I just totally lose my appetite. If one day I fly first class, I think it would be a waste to have all that great food and not even eat it. I figure having little to no food in my stomach will prevent me from getting too queasy.

 

Put a BIG rubber band on your wrist. Each time you start to feel sick, reach down and pull the rubber band back 3" and let it go. The pain will stop the motion sickness.

 

Otherwise, dramamine is still the most common as the previous poster said.

 

I use this thing called 'relief band' (which they don't make anymore). You put it on a specific pressure point on your wrist, and it sends electrical pulses that supposedly disrupt the stomach/brain nausea connection. It's been working great for me but maybe it's like a placebo thing.

 

i work at sea and i use stugeron

it can make you drowsy though.

 

if your worried about flight nerves you could always try a sleeping pill as i find i get really excited on the flight over and cant usually sleep.

 

I would love to try this thing mentioned on this forum before xanax which is usually prescribed for anxiety. I've been searching on the internet and there's quite a few discussion about anxiety fliers taking this drug. One of the stranger (but great for me) side effect of xanax is it gives you this weird effect on your mind where a flight of many hours might seem like it's only half an hour or so (particularly at stronger doses). I might ask my doctor for this medication next time.