Sea Sickness what a mess

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algorithm

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Hello

Every time I get into rolling sea water, I pook my brains out and even develop a bad case of the squirts. I have tried every recommendation for releaving sea sickness such as. Sudafed, medicated patches behind the ear, bracelets, chewing down a box of crackers and even drinking sea water to relax the stomach muscles ( Old navy trick). Does any one know of any other means of preventing sea sickness other than staying on dock and waving at your friends as they go out for a dive of a life time.


Algorithm:confused:
 
Bonine or Dramamine have always worked best for me. My sister used to have luck with the bracelets for mild motion sickness, and the crackers are good for preventing painful dry heaves once you're already sick, but if you haven't tried it already, I'd recommend taking an over the counter medication for it. Sudafed isn't for motion sickness.
 
Take a triptone the night before and then in the morning before you go. I have never been seasick but I have several dive friends that swear by it.
 
I'll take Dramamine for about 3-4 days before I'm scheduled to go out. (I don't take one the morning of the dive.) This way I already have some of the drug in my system. On the day before the dive, I put on a Scopolomine patch.

I don't get any side effects such as sleepiness and it really works. I've been out when it's really, really rough and I'm the only one not sick.
 
one chewable Bonine tablet an hour before going out, and after every 24 hours at sea has never failed for me, and doesn't require drug loading (or planning) for days beforehand.
 
I sometimes get seasick in rough conditions if I haven't taken it, so I know it isn't a fluke.
 
We had been warned in class that getting sick was a real possiblilty, but I knew that I wouldn't be the one getting sick. I knew how to handle myslef on the water. On my first day of OW dives seas were running about 2 ft - not too bad but enough to rock the boat pretty good at anchor. Needless to say I was feeding the fishes on my surface interval and on the way back in.

However I was popular when I did let it go just before we went in for the second dive. My breakfast attracted a large number of fish to the boat that gave those already in the water quite a show watching the feeding frenzy. :D

Since then I've tried Triptone, Bonine and Dramamine Non-Drowzy all successfully though Triptome seems to work the best. But you do need to have it in your system before you got out - taking while sick is too late. I find one the night before when I go to bed, one at least an hour before going out and one at teh surface interval does the trick.

One more hint - if you're not feeling well, don't try to hold it in. Letting go always makes me feel better. :puke:

Marc :jester:
 
It may be worth your while to see a doctor who knows a bit about diving as well and have a discussion about your problem.
I used to get seasick and tried to cope by taking all sorts of over-the-counter medication like Cinarzine and Dramamine. They made me drowsy and ruined many dive trips.
Then, I consulted a dive specialist physician who gave me a prescription medicine (I think it's called Stemetil). On these pills, my last liveaboard was a joy.
 
algorithm

I can relate, I get sick too and have to dive almost every day. I've tried

Dramamine - made me too sleepy
Dramamine non-drowzy - made me wired and sleepy
Ginger - nope
bracelets - nope
Triptone - worked great when it was really rough, nada when it was just 1-2
Stemetil - I think that's the way to spell it - felt like I was tripping or something
Patches - too strong, dry mouth, dry sinuses, and stayed in my system way too long after the trip
Bonine - way too strong, dry mouth, dry head lasted way too long after the trip
Marezine - worked! just right, didn't need to load ahead of time and gone in a few hours. Other than not getting sick, I couldn't tell I took anything.

Moral - what worked for me, might not work for you. Don't give up. Keep trying different things until you find one that works for you.
 
.... of these are dimenhydrinate, a compound that research has shown not to be appropriate for use while diving:

"University Of Pittsburgh researchers find some over-the- counter medicine may affect scuba divers' performance

PITTSBURGH, Aug 30, '00 -- Scuba divers should think twice about taking certain over-the-counter medications before diving, say emergency physicians at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine who conducted studies on the effects of Dramamine® and Sudafed® on scuba divers' performance. The results of the studies, published in the September issue of Pharmacotherapy, are among the first to have been conducted in hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) chambers, where pressures experienced by divers at different depths can be simulated accurately.

While most divers know it is ill-advised to take any kind of medication before a dive, many will take Dramamine® to combat the effects of seasickness or take Sudafed® to ease pressure in the sinus and ears. But, the researchers wondered might divers be subjecting themselves to greater risks for decompression sickness and nitrogen narcosis?

Nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness result from inhaling compressed air. Nitrogen narcosis is attributed to the depth of a dive and occurs when divers become disoriented and, in rare cases, become unconscious. It can be remedied by ascending back to the surface of the water. Decompression sickness is associated with the length of a dive and is caused when nitrogen bubbles arise in the blood, resulting in severe pain. Unlike nitrogen narcosis, decompression sickness can lead to permanent damage. Potential neurologic complications include stroke and
paralysis.

According to the results of their studies, the researchers found Sudafed® to be relatively "safe," but determined that Dramamine® could have serious consequences on a diver's mental functioning and judgment. "Our findings indicate that Sudafed® is unlikely to cause problems for divers. But, Dramamine® should be avoided prior to diving because of its adverse affects on mental agility," says David McD Taylor, M.D., principal investigator of the study, who is now at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia.

"Hopefully the results of these studies will make divers more knowledgeable, allowing them to dive safely," says Kevin O'Toole, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., associate professor of emergency medicine, director of the hyperbaric medicine program and co-principal investigator of the study.

In both studies, researchers looked at 30 people recruited from local diving clubs to determine the psychometric and cardiac effects of both drugs. All participants were required to be active scuba divers and had to be at least 18 years old. The study used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design -- whereby participants eventually received both the placebo and each study drug, but neither the subjects nor the researchers knew which drugs they were taking.

Each participant came for three separate testing sessions at least one week apart. Each session involved the ingestion of the drug or placebo and testing inside the HBO chamber under two simulated diving conditions -- one just under three feet below sea level and the other at 66 feet below sea level, a common depth for recreational diving. While in the simulated diving chamber, all subjects were connected to a cardiac monitor to record both heart rate and cardiac rhythm. A total of seven separate tests were performed to study cognitive and behavioral patterns.

HBO chambers are typically used to treat decompression sickness in divers who get into trouble during ascent back to the water's surface. The HBO facility at UPMC is used primarily for carbon monoxide poisoning, wounds that are not healing, burns and other problems that may be helped by increasing the amount of oxygen delivered to the tissues."


In terms of what you may wish to consider, the following is my oft posted mal de mer spiel. It's an updated version of a piece from my Jan/Feb '00 "Ask RSD" column in "Rodale's Scuba Diving":

"Sea sickness, which shows wide variation in susceptibility among individuals, is not yet fully understood. It is believed to occur when portions of the brain tasked with maintaining balance receive input from the eyes, inner ear, muscles and joints that is inconsistent and unexpected over an extended period of time.

Prevention is a first step. Avoid fatigue and get adequate rest. Eat modestly, avoiding greasy, fatty, acidic and spicy foods. Don't skip breakfast, but stick to bland foods like toast, rolls and cereal. Go easy on tea and coffee, and very, very easy on alcoholic beverages. When on the boat, don't get overheated--stay under a sunshade, don't put on your protective suit until necessary, and get in the water as soon as possible. Search out a spot low and in the center where motion is minimized, face forward, focus your eyes on a fixed object on the horizon or elsewhere, avoid unnecessary neck movements and stay out of exhaust fumes. Do not go below, read anything or look through binoculars. If you must vomit, do so freely, but not anywhere on the boat, and especially not in the marine toilet.

There are plenty of medications available, and you may wish to discuss this with your physician. Among those reported to be the most effective are meclizine and scopolamine. Prescription strength meclizine commonly comes as Antivert. Scopolamine can be delivered through a transdermal patch, Transderm Scop, orally, and as a gel applied to the wrists. The gel reportedly works faster, but not as long as the patch. Scopolamine is the US Navy's first line sea sickness drug, including for divers, and DAN approves it with a trial run. Occasionally Phenergan, whose primary indication is as a sedative, is recommended. It can cause very serious drowsiness, however, and is sometimes prescribed in combination with a stimulant to counteract this. The above drugs are prescription only and have reported side effects, most commonly dryness of the mouth and drowsiness. They may also cause blurred vision, dizziness and even confusion in some users, and it is recommended to carefully discuss their use with your physician, give them a trial run prior to use in conjunction with diving, and take them only according to instructions.

Over the counter (OTC) drugs include Bonine, Dramamine (Not recommended due to demonstrated adverse effects on alertness & performance), Dramamine II (Advertised as a "less drowsy" formula. As this implies, be aware that some individuals still do experience some degree of drowsiness.) and Triptone (Same active ingredient as original Dramamine, dimenhydrinate, so draw your own conclusions) . A British drug, Stugeron (cinnarizine), has been mentioned by several sources as an effective treatment (Have seen a recent research piece suggesting impairment at higher doses), but it is not yet available in the US. Those diving in such places as Mexico & the British Virgin Islands can find it. Many report these OTC medications most effective if taken at bedtime the night prior to diving, with a second dose about an hour before diving, although recommended dosage amounts should of course not be exceeded. These medications often cause significant dryness of the mouth. Stay very well hydrated.

Considering more "natural" remedies, ginger is frequently mentioned, which can be taken in powdered, crystallized or root form (recommended preparations), or as ginger snaps, ginger ale, or tea. As heartburn with the use of ginger has been reported, also pack an antacid. Others swear by wrist straps, such as 'Sea Bands,' usually wooden or plastic balls on elastic bands which are placed so as to exert pressure on an acupressure point on the inside of the wrist. There are also 'artificial-horizon' glasses. Even aromatherapy has been tried, with a combination of mandarin, peppermint, spearmint and lavender oil being recommended.

In the final analysis, you will need to discover what works best for you with the least risk, side effect, cost and inconvenience. If you take any medications, you should understand their adverse effects and carefully follow directions for use. And remember, there is one safe, sure cure: 'Sleep under a tree all day.' "

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

Best regards.

DocVikingo
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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