Okay - maybe a weird question, but...

I have never had a problem with getting sea sick, but I will be on the Holiday in November, and for some dumb reason, I'm concerned about possibly getting sick.

My quesions are, do you have to have a prescription for those patches I see people wear on cruises? The ones that go under your ear. And, do they make you drowsy like Dramamine? Do you wear the one patch for the whole cruise? Do you put it on when you start to feel queezy? Are there any side effects, good or bad?

Maybe I shouldn't be worried, considering I have been in rough waters before, and have never felt sick, but I guess the thought of being on the smaller ship, in November (hurricane season), has me worried a little bit.

Hello Iharry,

Yes, you do need a prescription for scopolamine patches. They don't make you drowsy like Dramanime. You wear them 3 days at a time. If you put one on when you start feeling sick, the patch won't work; you have to be wearing the patch before experiencing rough seas. My wife puts one on before we board the ship and doesn't stop wearing them until we get home. It's the only thing that works for her.

Sonny

we never cruise without the patch. works like a charm every time.

quote:

Are there any side effects, good or bad?

The most common side effects are dry mouth and blurry vision. These don't happen to everyone, but they are common.

The good side effect is that you're not queasy!

Sandy

I get the dry mouth and the blurred vision. Just keep up on the water. The blurred vision is usually after the first patch.

My wife and I tried the patch. The dry mouth was almost unbearable. As for blurry vision: I would barely know becauseit put us to sleep almost immediately. The only thing to wake me up was the extreme dry mouth. I for one will never use this again. My wife was sick last week on double the dose of Bonine. The purser's desk gave her meclazine and then she was better. As you can see from this post and the ones previous: Your Mileage May Vary.

lharry,
I would stick to natural remedies. Like green apples or ginger. Why take medicine if you don't have to. You haven't had any problem in the past. Chances are you won't on the Holiday either just because it's smaller. The heaviest time of hurricane season is August and September. November should be pretty good. I just came off the Holiday yesterday and it was a smooth sailing. Hurricane Dolly had just gone through the Gulf area days before.

quote:

My wife was sick last week on double the dose of Bonine. The purser's desk gave her meclazine and then she was better.

Bonine and Meclizine are the same drug. I started taking Ginger supplements 2 days before my last cruise. It could have been because the seas were calm, but I didn't get sick at all. No side effects that I noticed. I don't like taking the drugs unless I have to.

Dwayne