Best motion/seasick meds for divers...

svnipp · Aug 30, 2011

I'm going to be heading out on my first potentially rough water ocean diving this coming weekend. A group of us is heading down to S Padre, TX to go dive the Texas Clipper and one of the oil rigs. I've heard the Gulf can get rather rough so I figure better to be safe than sorry. I've been on other boats but either for shorter trips or MUCH larger cruise ships and I've never had an issue with seasickness but I'm going to err on the side of caution.

So, what's the best meds to have for this trip? I've heard some can make you drowsy and I obviously want to be fully alert, especially since the Clipper is going to be the first dives and my deepest dives by FAR. Thanks in advance.

ttriton · Aug 30, 2011

Go to Walgreens and ask the Pharmacy for Travel Sickness med. it's not a prescription but they keep it in pharmacy. It's chewable and has no side effects. It's real name is Meclizine by Rugby.

Ana · Aug 30, 2011

One of my sons only needs to looks at the postcard of a boat to get motion sickness. Most of the OTC meds work for him as long as he starts taking then the night before, sometimes even 2 nights in advance, depending how bad is the forecast. I understand it gets in your system in advance and by the time you are in the water the drowsy part of the effect is gone.

DennisS · Aug 30, 2011

Bonine also has as it's active ingredient Meclizine, as ttriton recommended in an earlier post, it doesn't make you drowsy like dramamine.

Slamfire · Aug 30, 2011

Another vote for meclizine. In Canada it's known as Bonamine. 25mg or 50mg of meclizine does the job. It won't make you as drowsy as dramamine and it'll last for ~24hrs. Works well if you take it the night before.

Rescue Diver68 · Aug 30, 2011

Bonine is the only thing I have found helpful for me. Dramamine is completely useless and I have thrown up over the side of the boat while wearing the scopalamine patch.
Bonine days in advance if it is going to be rough.

Jax · Aug 30, 2011

ttriton:
Go to Walgreens and ask the Pharmacy for Travel Sickness med. it's not a prescription but they keep it in pharmacy. It's chewable and has no side effects. It's real name is Meclizine by Rugby.

DennisS:
Bonine also has as it's active ingredient Meclizine, as ttriton recommended in an earlier post, it doesn't make you drowsy like dramamine.

Slamfire:
Another vote for meclizine. In Canada it's known as Bonamine. 25mg or 50mg of meclizine does the job. It won't make you as drowsy as dramamine and it'll last for ~24hrs. Works well if you take it the night before.

I, too, get seasick looking at a ship . . . I used meclizine for two years, starting 36 hours before getting on the boat and taking double the dose (under a doctor's recommendation). Still, I get horribly sick if the seas go about about 3'. However, that is me, and I am horribly sensitive.

If you wish to go the prescription route, try Scopolamine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It is prescription, and I used it on land to discover side effects before trying to dive with it. It works PD well for me, but I still have urped. :idk:

YMMV.

PS - go to the pharmacist and ask for the "big bottle" of meclizine. You can get a bottle of 100 tablets for way less than the over-the-counter 24-in-a-pack Bonine.

melanie. · Aug 30, 2011

For us Canadians, Dramamine is Gravol

However, Dramamine non-drowsy (available is US) is meclizine. I stock up whenever I go over the border, this stuff works wonders

Crush · Aug 30, 2011

I was going to Hawaii for a week, so being sea-sick was not an option.

Re-posted from http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ne...5848-fear-deep-open-water-3.html#post5671691:

Where I live scopolamine is a non-prescription, behind-the-counter drug. Scopolamine was recommended by my physician who knew that I would be scuba diving off a boat. Of course, consult your GP. I had three different anti-nausea drugs, and the treatment regimen was to start with scop. It that didn't work or had bad side effects, switch to drug 2. If still no joy, switch to 3. If that still doesn't work, it doesn't matter 'cause the trip will be over by then.

The verdict: scopolamine rocked!

Rescue Diver68 · Aug 30, 2011

The side affects from the Scopalamine are worse than seasickness for me. I would rather become miserable than start out that way too. It is the worst drymouth ever which sucks while diving, not to mention you could be killed by one powdered donut

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Best motion/seasick meds for divers...

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svnipp

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ttriton

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Ana

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Slamfire

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Jax

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melanie.

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Crush

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