A good question, not amenable to a single specific answer. There are a variety of medications available to combat motion sickness. A reasonable, but not necessarily comprehensive, summary, would include (but not be limited to:
Cyclizine Marazine
Meclizine Bonine; Antivert
Dimenhydrinate Triptone; Dramamine
Dimenhydramine Benadryl
Scopalamine Various
Ginger (Powder, liquid, slices, etc.)
Promethazine Phenergan
What each diver looks for is the optimal balance between effectiveness (efficacy) and side effects (safety). Virtually ALL anti-emetic compounds have some degree of drowsiness associated with their use. Most of them are anti-cholinergic compounds, which explains both their effectiveness as well as their potential to produce drowsiness. This class of compounds decreases gastrointestinal movement (motility) as well as gastric secretions. They also produce drowsiness as a central nervous system effect. There is no rocket science here.
In reality, individual reaction to different compounds – individual benefit as well as individual extent of side effects – is just that –INDIVIDUAL. I hesitate to say one is better than another because ‘better’ is very much a personal perspective. At the same time, in general the dose provided by the prescription products is generally higher than the dose provided by the over-the counter (OTC) products, even where the active ingredient is the same. The simple solution to that discrepancy,- by the way – simply take double the recommended OTC dose.
As one example, while I personally prefer Triptone to Bonine, in reality I think the difference is minimal. I haven’t tried every compound, so I cannot compare. Once I found Triptone works for me, the issue was resolved.
Two factors, possibly more important than the active ingredient:
1. When you take the medication. Any medication is more likely to be effective is you take the first dose 12 – 16 hours before the start of the trip, and take a second dose at the beginning (when the boat leaves the dock). You are more likely to have higher (and potentially more effective ) serum concentrations if you do that, rather than just taking the medication as you leave the dock.
2. What you eat and drink around the time of diving– some benefit from saltines and ginger ale, while others have specific, personal preferences. Find out what works for YOU. In general, a) adequate hydration before the trip, and b) avoiding foods that ordinarily cause gastric distress for YOU, etc., are reasonably prudent actions as well.
