Considering trying a prescription for scopolamine - the motion sickness patch (nothing else works when I need it). Anybody hear of NMC medical reviewers giving anyone trouble for this? Thanks.
I have no experience with the NMC but i have found that stuff will give you the scariest most out of this world dreams and you’ll struggle to stay awake even In broad daylight. Only taken it a few times, usually the first day out if I knew we were going to take a pounding. Knowing what I know now, if In the wheelhouse I’d rather be sea sick than falling asleep.
I have a buddy that swears by Bonine for sea sickness, he can’t step on his charter boat without it. Apparently, it does the job without any type of dosiness or crazy other side affects. Here’s their website if your interested: http://www.bonine.com/
I don’t get seasick so I can’t offer any other suggestions, hope it helps.
I put the patch on only when I know it’s gonna be bad… It does make me drowsy as hell… But it’s better than being confined to laying on the deck or hugging the toilet. Leaves a mark on my skin for a few days even after I take it off. As far as NMC goes… I don’t know.
I used to recommend motion eaze ointment to my charter customers. They loved it. No drowsiness and you dab it behind the ear. Smells a little strange. Sort of lavender smell. One of the only products that seemed to work sometimes when people were already sick
Pressure point bands. Have you tried that? You have to put them on -before- you start to feel sick. Also, ginger extract. The real stuff, not ginger ale.
[QUOTE=z-drive;117114]I have no experience with the NMC but i have found that stuff will give you the scariest most out of this world dreams and you’ll struggle to stay awake even In broad daylight. Only taken it a few times, usually the first day out if I knew we were going to take a pounding. Knowing what I know now, if In the wheelhouse I’d rather be sea sick than falling asleep.[/QUOTE]
I actually use Scopolamine that comes in the form of a nose spray. Have to get it with a prescription but it beats the heck out wearing a patch. When you start to feel queasy take one shot in either nostril and it works immediately. My doctor told me your nose tissue is the fastest absorption method, I’m still a believer after many years.
Bonine is my MIRACLE drug. Couldn’t take a beating offshore without it.
You can buy meclizine pills (the active ingridient in bonine) from most pharmacies fairly cheap up to 50mg/50 pills in a bottle. Always good to have aboard.
Be careful with that. Do some research on the active ingredient. Look up Angel Trumpet / Datura / Jimpson Weed.
We have had good results with the patches on our offshore trips. A friend who gets airsick as well as seasick got one of these: http://www.aeromedix.com/aeromedix_articles/reliefband/
Scopolamine is absolutely no good for flying - seems the FAA frowns on drugs like that for pilots. Never tried it myself, but stugeron has some fans. Not legal in the USA though.
[QUOTE=flotsam;117112]Considering trying a prescription for scopolamine - the motion sickness patch (nothing else works when I need it). Anybody hear of NMC medical reviewers giving anyone trouble for this? Thanks.[/QUOTE]
I’ve taken Bonine before. Went through 4 years at a maritime academy, then sailed on tankers on the West Coast for a couple of years as a 3/M. Never been seasick - thanks to Bonine! Sailed on a 600 ft. tanker while plowing through 40 footers off British Columbia and Bonine worked for me. I DID NOT GET SICK. For me, it did cause me to be drowsy and I didn’t feel very alert, but I could function. I’d rather be somewhat drowsy from OTC seasick pills as opposed to puking my brains out. Sailed with a King’s Point grad who was an engineer and admitted to me that puked 12 times during the trip north from Calif. to Valdez, AK. I can’t remember whether or not he said he took some seasick pills. Some mariners just go through with the puking. Why would you want to endure that? I say, take the pill. One time I took two pills in very heavy weather and usually one pill will do the trick for whatever time frame it is…I think they’re supposed to last 4 to 6 hours. In really bad weather, I would just pop one after every meal.
One of the ABs on my ship uses ginger capsules and swears by them. I rarely get sick so I don’t know if they work firsthand. You can get them at any health food store or vitamin shop.
[QUOTE=“flotsam;117112”]Considering trying a prescription for scopolamine - the motion sickness patch (nothing else works when I need it). Anybody hear of NMC medical reviewers giving anyone trouble for this? Thanks.[/QUOTE]
The NMC doesn’t like you taking it so be careful.
I’d rather be sick than drowsy. I know it sounds crazy but after a day or two it really does go away on its own. Yes, I admit, I have been seasick, still on rare occasions get seasick, and the first time we hit Wx on a trip i don’t feel %100. I’ll have to look into bonine though. I’m not going back near scop as I’d rather be sick than fall asleep at the wheel! AND THOSE DREAMS ARE JUST SO…WRONG!
I would t tell the NMC I take aspirin, let alone anything they deem requires more information on (making you jump through hoops and holding your renewal up in the process).
As far as the patch goes, it works. Like a lot of guys who sailed on ships before stepping on a tug, I never got sick. Thought I was immune to all that. Only ‘pussies’ got sick. Well let me tell you, my first trip to Puerto Rico slapped a little reality into me. I hurled so much I was popping blood vessels in my eyes. After that, with my newly gained humility I slapped on the patch and never looked back. I’ve tried everything there is out there and for me, the patch is the best. No drowsiness, just goofy dreams. If you sail offshore most of your time at work, you WILL adapt, It just takes time. Otherwise, grab a script for it and keep it for those times you may need it. When the weathers shitty, that’s when things tend to go wrong. I’d rather be alert to any problems than hurling out the pilot house window wishing for death, or my watch to be over, whichever came first.
Accu-Pressure Bracelets for me. I have never taken Meds. for motion sickness. Ginger ale, saltines, no coffee usually works for me, but when when the Ralphing Starts, at least there is something to come up!
I worked with a mate once who had been on inland tugs for a while when he came to the offshore boats I was on at the time. We were 200 miles off New York in 10-12 with it blowing 30 and he spent the better part of two days in a corner throwing up in a bucket, then saying “hey swab, if the radars clear go make me a ham sandwich and a sprite, gotta keep these fucking pumps primed”.