Prone to Sea Sickness? Cinnarizine!

[drrich2]

NASA has their own "cocktail" (also erroneously credited to the USCG):
"25mg each of Ephedrine and Promethazine" the first being an antihistamine and the second there to keep you awake after the first hits you.(G) Their alternative was a scop nasal spray, which was supposed to be licensed for public sale in 2012 but still pending.

Couple of observations. Ephedrine is a decongestant and bronchodilator per one source I turned up with a quick search; it's not an antihistamine, but rather a sympathomimetic. Promethazine (a.k.a. Phenergan) has some antihistaminic action; if anything I think some people find it sedating. Did you get the order in reverse accidentally?

 

[Schwob]

I have a peanut allergy, and this has been a huge issue for me. I have read and asked my doctor about the prefilled syringe, and he couldnt make it happen, only the Arenaclick, which is only moderately cheaper. Which is crazy, because my exwife had the prefilled syringes for her asthma.

Interesting.
Could you elaborate on the "couldn't make it happen" part?

Just trying to find out whether epinephrine is available at a reasonable price in the US or if we need to buy it elsewhere. It was silly for the autoinjectors when they were $150.- now it's just a ridiculous racket. More so if doctors do not inform about the syringe alternative at all - as in our case. I is more than a bit disconcerting if your doctor informs you that this exorbitantly expensive auto injection device is the ONLY thing that stands between live and death of your (old enough to dive and to self inject a syringe) child if that's not the case at all). How is that possibly anything other than a racket?
And it's from that point of view where your case is interesting:

Is it that you asked straight out to be prescribed the (generic?) syringe alternative instead of the auto injector and the doctor refused - or is it that the syringe was not really lower priced - or what happened?
What was the reasoning behind "couldn't make it happen"?

 

[Schwob]

I was hoping someone may have a suggestion for myself. I have never gotten seasick on the boat heading to the dive site. I only get seasick during my safety stop at the end of my dive, which if I was finished diving wouldn't be a problem, but usually we just head out to a different location. When I have gone diving with a dive company, I have completely stumped the guides, as they had not come across the situation before. I have tried Dramamine, Ginger capsules, chewing on ginger, Divertigo (homeopathic oil), OTC patches, as well as magnet bracelets that apply accupressure to prevent seasickness. Does anyone have the same problem they have overcome or any suggestions?

No idea what causes it, no idea if any of these thoughts would help. Give it a try maybe?
Do you know if it is motion that causes "your kind of seasickness during the safety stop"? Are you hanging on a heavily up and down moving anchor line in heavy seas? Or is it not so much motion? If not, I don't know if it's seasickness. If it is motion I think you have two options: Work with what you look at (that distant non moving horizon may not be there in bad vis...) maybe close the eyes except to check your gages every so often - or just be fixated on your gages - try a bunch of things.
If it's wave motion (w/o hanging on a line) could you move your stop to 20' from 15'? Might that help? And if it's a line you hang on that is moving heavy - if it's your SMB line ... find a way to hang less on it - if it's an anchor line or some other line from a heavily heaving boat, maybe work with a Jon Line or some improvised version of one. Tried only twice myself. Not sure conditions were heavy enough to really make me notice the difference. Not sure I did it entirely right either...

DIY Jon Line - Comments?

Search results for: 'jon line' - Dive Right in Scuba
Search results for: 'jon line' | Dive Gear Express®
Jon Line- Your Deco Stop Helper
Safety Items - Jon Line Page - Northeast Scuba Supply Store

 

[BRT]

I was hoping someone may have a suggestion for myself. I have never gotten seasick on the boat heading to the dive site. I only get seasick during my safety stop at the end of my dive, which if I was finished diving wouldn't be a problem, but usually we just head out to a different location. When I have gone diving with a dive company, I have completely stumped the guides, as they had not come across the situation before. I have tried Dramamine, Ginger capsules, chewing on ginger, Divertigo (homeopathic oil), OTC patches, as well as magnet bracelets that apply accupressure to prevent seasickness. Does anyone have the same problem they have overcome or any suggestions?

I often got seasick on the first safety stop and then dealt with that for the interval and the 2nd dive. Tried everything. Travacalm absolutely cures it for me. It is the active ingredient in the Scopalamine patch. It is wonderful after years of being sick every day of boat diving to not be sick.

 

[Gdog]

Interesting.
Could you elaborate on the "couldn't make it happen" part?

Just trying to find out whether epinephrine is available at a reasonable price in the US or if we need to buy it elsewhere. It was silly for the autoinjectors when they were $150.- now it's just a ridiculous racket. More so if doctors do not inform about the syringe alternative at all - as in our case. I is more than a bit disconcerting if your doctor informs you that this exorbitantly expensive auto injection device is the ONLY thing that stands between live and death of your (old enough to dive and to self inject a syringe) child if that's not the case at all). How is that possibly anything other than a racket?
And it's from that point of view where your case is interesting:

Is it that you asked straight out to be prescribed the (generic?) syringe alternative instead of the auto injector and the doctor refused - or is it that the syringe was not really lower priced - or what happened?
What was the reasoning behind "couldn't make it happen"?

I asked my doctor to look into the syringe kit like we used to carry for my ex wife. He seemed curious, and said he would see if that was still an option. A week later told me it didn't seem to be, and recommended the adrenaline as a cheaper alternative. He expressed concern about dosage control. I also feel he really just took the easy road out with little research. I'm going to talk to several pharmacies to find do my own research instead of relying on the doctor. My wife is struggling with an autoimmune disease, and are having similar results. She has had to pursue it vigorously on her own.

 

[SteveInMD]

Scopolamine certainly has benefits, but it's not without side effects. It causes hallucinations for me (auditory and visual) so if you use it, just be aware of that possibility. It took me a while to figure out what was happening and quite a long time to wear off.

 

[ggunn]

There is a big psychological component to motion sickness, and the best remedy is acclimation.

 

[deepsea21]

Not sure the Epi pen pricing is the FDA's issue, but an issue it is.

Side question (sorry), maybe you guys know: So what do Epi pens go for outside of the US and how to buy them?

I only know about the epi-pen conspiracy as I know people who have to keep them with them and how they raised all heck about the cost that closed in on $600 or $800 for a set of 2 pens (as they stopped selling just 1 pen for some strange reason so they could double the already crazy price). However, when this hit the nightly national news and all heck broke lose one report mentioned CVS was selling an epi-pen generic for $10 after applying a coupon that could be printed on line. I had one friend who just printed the coupon, walked into the CVS and walked out with generic "epi-pens" for $10 last week!

Here ya go... read about it, print out the coupon take it to CVS and get them for $10! Note, there is no expiration on the coupon so print out a bunch of them to keep.

Sick of $600 EpiPen Prices? A Major Retailer Has an Alternative for Only $10

 

[nwflyboy]

...I like what I am hearing about the Scopolamine patch to prevent sea sickness in those most susceptible to serious sickness.

With regard to that patch...I discovered the water-proof bandages in all sizes that totally seal the water out. I wonder if a large true waterproof bandage could fully cover this patch and allow it to perform UW as well as it does on land? No getting it wet, no screwing up its adhesive and trans-dermal qualities and just a matter of peeling off and replacing the large water-proof bandage you'd place over it when it's time to replace the patch?

Maybe not 100% perfectly water-proof, but "good enough"? Yes.

I wonder what the depth-rathings are for those "waterproof" bandaids...

My wife (who is the one that gets seasick just thinking about getting on a boat - I've never met anyone so easily prone to motion sickness) is a surgical OR nurse. She brings home some sort of waterproof bandaids from the hospital and uses them to cover her scope patch when diving. Eventually the bandaids get wet and come off, but they seem to work somewhat and help. FWIW I also see other divers on the boat with the patch uncovered and it seems to work for them. Bottom line is, at least from what I can see, the scope patch does work even when diving, even when not covered perfectly (or not covered at all). It's a miracle cure for her - like day and night. Its now part of our pre-trip checklist (get supply of fresh scope patches).

 

[DandyDon]

Cinnarizine which is available over-the-counter in Mexico, Canada I believe, and it seems about everywhere else. We were informed of it years ago in Cozumel. It is not available in the US

You can ordered it from overseas. CINNARIZINE 50 TABLETS STUGERON FOR VOMITING AND TRAVEL SICKNESS VERTIGO | eBay