Isle Royale Forums

What do you use for motion sickness?

Dramamine. The stuff works.

I've also put my head down and slept until the ride was through.

You left out an "Other" option.

I bring the wristbands that supposedly help with nausea by applying pressure to certain points on your wrist. Don't know if they really do much as I've never had sea sickness. Of course, the times I've ridden the ferry I've been very lucky with the weather.

There was one time on the Queen III (you know the nickname) that several people were over the side in gently swells, but I didn't get sick so maybe it does?

Anyway, until I have a bad experience, I don't expect to bring anything besides the wristbands.

I've typically used dramamine but can't stand the hangover effect so am looking at other options (I don't want to do nothing - seeing folks hanging over the side of the boat is all the encouragement I need to pursue a remedy of some sort). I'm considering ginger or other natural remedy.

I am fortunate in that I have never been affected by motion sickness, even drifting for tuna 150 miles offshore for 48 hours in 14' seas. One thing I have noticed in many years of operating charter boats is that if people begin talking about it, someone gets sick. Not to say that motion sickness isn't real, but the mind has a very powerful influence. If I see or hear people starting to talk about getting seasick, I change the subject, get there mind on something else, catch some fish, anything and the sensation seems to go away. Just an observation.

I've found that a big breakfast helps, something with lots of color.

I've never found it rough enough to need to take anything (fortunately) but if I do find myself at all light headed I just try to get to the center of the boat and keep my eyes on a fixed horizon for a few moments. (The center of the boat rocks the least; the fixed horizon tricks the brain back into thinking all is well)

I'll second what Capt Don says - Nothing gets folks sick faster than watching someone else get sick.

The last time I had a big breakfast with lots of color I saw my breakfast for a second time. Only that time all the colors were mixed together in a small plastic bag that I was holding with a death grip for the next four hours. Although the water was very rough on that trip and hasn't been like that since, I don't take any chances. I just don't eat anything and take some Dramamine before the ride over. But, I do take a couple lite snacks in case I get hungry and the water is calm...

Orange or grape soda makes a great base.

Just used the transderm scop patch. Worked great just made my vision a little blurry. The bummer: no generic..$40 for two. well worth the $$$

I clicked Dramamine and submit and it said invalid entry. Maybe I've already voted.

I like a good breakfast at the start of the day (good - relative term, since my breakfasts are high in fat and protein and sans fruit). Dramamine has always done the trick for me and I'm often sound asleep when we reach the middle of the Lake. Once we get to land, I'm wide awake and ready to go.

Like Leftovers, I found I couldn't vote in the poll either, but that's okay because I wasn't sure what to pick.

I have never (knocks on wooden head) been sick on a boat, so for this poll I might have said "nothing." I would not, however, press my luck with a large, colorful breakfast.

Airsickness is another story for me, though. I think part of it is that on a boat you can get to fresh air where on a plane you are trapped in a stuffy atmosphere. For air travel, I usually use the chewable Dramamine if I anticipate a rough flight. The chewable tablets work faster and the bitter orange taste makes me feel a bit better immediately. The bad thing is, Dramamine REALLY puts me to sleep. To the point that I have taken it as a sleeping pill here at home on the very rare occasions when I've had trouble sleeping, mostly to combat having taken pseudoephedrine for a cold. Before they moved Sudafed behind the counter, pseudoephedrine was about the only decongestant available, and it almost wasn't worth the relief it gave because for every dose I took, it kept me awake for another 24 hours. If I took the sustained relief version, I didn't sleep for a week! And then I would take Dramamine to sleep at all. Now they've brought back the somewhat less effective phenylephrine as the decongestant in OTC products, and I'm grateful. Even though it supposedly is not as effective, it's good enough for me, and it doesn't have the effect on my sleep patterns that pseudephedrine does.

I have taken the less drowsy formula Dramamine (which is the same active ingredient as Bonine) which is, as advertised, less drowsy; but I miss the chewable tablet thing and I don't think it's quite as effective for me. Obviously everyone's body is different, thus my issues with pseudoephedrine. Pseudoephedrine literally makes my scalp crawl, which I have found to be a common sensation among people who don't tolerate it well.

"Bonine" is a trade name for the generic medication Meclizine. You should include the generic name. It should actually be first with various trade names following in parentheses.

P.S. I was not allowed to vote. It said "invalid submission".

I agree with Captain Don. Get your mind on something else, a distraction.

Couple of years ago the trip over was a little dicey. All was well in the Copper Harbor, but once we cleared the break wall, one big wave set everybody back inside the boat. The waves were pretty decent and a bunch of people got sick through the whole trip inside and out. The crew really had their work cut out for them. From my seat I had a clear shot of the wheel house and the Captain's legs were on the deck (and that wheel a spinning) the whole way over.

I love boating so I didn't take anything then and I did alright. I hope I have the same luck next week.