The Scopolamine / Scop topic

[tangfish]

once I used the patch and I made the mistake of moving it around several times (it gave me problems equalizing on the ear it was behind), then after the dive 6 hours after putting it on, I took it off... big mistake. I woke up at 4am with the worst vertigo I've ever had. I threw up multiple times and could not even get out of the hotel room till the next afternoon, I was so dehydrated I had to see a doctor and was out of commission for a day after that. I guess what I was experiencing was withdrawl symptoms, and ever since I have been too wary to take the patch. Do you think this could happen with the pill version?

 

[csherman]

once I used the patch and I made the mistake of moving it around several times (it gave me problems equalizing on the ear it was behind), then after the dive 6 hours after putting it on, I took it off... big mistake. I woke up at 4am with the worst vertigo I've ever had. I threw up multiple times and could not even get out of the hotel room till the next afternoon, I was so dehydrated I had to see a doctor and was out of commission for a day after that. I guess what I was experiencing was withdrawl symptoms, and ever since I have been too wary to take the patch. Do you think this could happen with the pill version?

There are several important clinical differences between the scopolamine patch and tablets that your and your doctor need to consider.

1. Dosing flexibility: In general, you should take as little medication as necessary. The patch delivers a fixed dose of medicine to all patients. This particular dose may or may not be appropriate for your personal needs. The tablets allow for dosing flexibility so that you can take the lowest dose that best meets your needs.

2. Duration: A tablet dose provides approximately 8 hours of travel comfort. The patch is designed to deliver medicine for 72 hours.

3. Withdrawl: A tablet dose is metabolized and excreted within 8 hours. If you experience a problem, you can stop taking the medication and know that the medication should be excreted within a few hours. In contrast, there is continued systemic absorption of medication for several hours after removal of a patch from a reservoir that has accumulated in the skin. Side effects may persist for an extended period as a result of this continued absorption.

You may wish to discuss this matter with your doctor to determine whether you should try a low dose of the scopolamine tablets or avoid scopolamine altogether.

Sincerely,

Craig Sherman, M.D.

 

[tangfish]

thanks, that seems to make sense, I will try a dry run with the tablets on a low dosage before going out to sea.

 

[The Laconic]

Has anybody had a bad reaction or any experience with the Scopolamine patch?

11 years later....

YES I HAD A BAD REACTION TODAY. I was so dizzy this morning I had to call off the dive. My head still feels funny. And vision in my right eye is screwed up.

I'm never using this stuff again.

 

[Damselfish]

you have to be careful not to touch your eyes after touching the patch.

 

[KathyV]

I didn't have any problems with the patch - until I lost my near vision and couldn't read. My vision was restored a day or two after removing the patch - that was very scary!

 

[jonhall]

Nice when a thread comes back around many moons later.

Never had motion sickness until being on a small dive boat in 6-8 foot swells in about 2009. Next day was the first day I took dramamine as a precaution before my dives. Today as long, as I remember, I take the cheaper Walmart brand before I dive as a precaution.

My wife who no longer dives but feels the slightest motion no matter if boat, plane, etc. is in the stillest of conditions. She took Dramamine (the reason I had some available the first time I got motion sickness) for years, but has since gotten a prescription for Meclizine, which I think is a name for Dramamine II. It works for her.

 

[The Laconic]

you have to be careful not to touch your eyes after touching the patch.

Yeah, I know that now...

 

[KevinNM]

The directions sometimes have useful information on them.

 

[mikeycanuk]

Meclizine can be bought off amazon or eBay for cheap.


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