Last year, on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I, my husband’s cousin and his wife had reservations for a 1-day cruise viewing Aialik Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park and the wildlife there. Included was lunch on board the ship and a lovely salmon and crab dinner at Fox Island on the way back.
At 9 am, we walked from the parking lot to the boat terminal in Seward through pouring rain, wind gusts that nearly knocked us over, and a temperature of 49 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the cruise wasn’t canceled, the captain had declared a “weather day” because of the poor conditions.
The company offered a full refund for anyone wishing to cancel. Knowing that I get carsick, airsick, AND seasick, my companions insisted, “It’s up to you, Louise. Do you still want to go?”
I hated pulling the plug on our cruise, but would I be able to enjoy lunch or dinner after being tossed around all day? “Sorry, guys. Maybe next year.”
What can you take to prevent motion sickness?
Some people get relief from motion sickness from acupressure. It doesn’t help me, but some people find wearing an elastic band around their wrist that activates a particular pressure point eases their discomfort. Look for Sea Bands® if you want to try this natural alternative.
Ginger can be an effective motion sickness remedy when you take 500mg to 1000mg of powdered root every 4-6 hours. You can use fresh ginger root, capsules of ground ginger, or small chunks of sweetened, crystallized ginger. My favorite is crystalized ginger, which weighs twice as much as powdered ginger.
To estimate my dose, I weighed ginger pieces with my little apothecary scale from pharmacy school. I got the best results taking ginger chunks about the size of a full-strength aspirin tablet. Ginger ale, ginger tea, and gum don’t have enough ginger to provide reliable relief.
Dramamine® for motion sickness is a popular non-prescription remedy but watch out: it has two different formulations, the original one and a “less drowsy” formula.
The original version of Dramamine® contains dimenhydrinate, a close cousin of diphenhydramine, also known as Benadryl®. Either dimenhydrinate or diphenhydramine can prevent motion sickness. Unfortunately, they can make you drowsy and need to be taken frequently.
The last time I took Dramamine® was on a flight home from Orlando to Seattle. After crossing 3 time zones going westbound, I lost track of time, and it wore off right when I needed it most. To this day, that bumpy descent into Seattle is still the worst experience I have endured on an airplane.
Meclizine is now my go-to medicine for avoiding motion sickness. You can buy it in several ways: as the brand names Bonine® or Dramamine® (make sure you pick the Less Drowsy Formula) and generic meclizine tablets. There are 2 different strengths of meclizine, 25mg, and 12.5mg available without a prescription. For motion sickness, I recommend the 25mg chewable tablets unless your doctor advises you otherwise.
Today I never leave home without meclizine for motion sickness. It’s inexpensive, is available as chewable flavored tablets, and rarely causes drowsiness. Best of all, one dose lasts 24 hours.
For more relief, you can try adding ginger to acupressure or meclizine. However, avoid combining dimenhydrinate (the original Dramamine®) with either meclizine or Benadryl® (diphenhydramine).
Together, these medicines can cause drowsiness, dry mouth, or constipation. If taking meclizine or dimenhydrinate plus ginger and Sea-Bands® isn’t strong enough, ask your doctor about a prescription for a box of 3 scopolamine patches.
Scopolamine is a patch (Transderm Scop®) you wear behind your ear, each lasting for 2-3 days. Scopolamine patches are more potent at relieving motion sickness than non-prescription medicines, but they also cause more side effects.
Scopolamine can cause fatigue, blurred vision, dry mouth, constipation, and urinary retention. Talk to your medical provider about whether scopolamine would be a safe choice for you, especially if you have trouble with constipation.
Here are 5 Tips on Dealing with Motion Sickness:
- Face forward.
If possible, sit facing forward on trains, boats, and roller coasters.
- Keep cool.
It can really help to sit where you can get fresh air. I have found that being too warm always makes my motion sickness worse, so wear layers to avoid getting overheated.
- Be prepared.
Motion sickness medicines take a while to work and are most useful as a preventative. Take or apply motion-sickness remedies at least 30 minutes before experiencing the motion of a boat, car, or plane. If you take a short-acting nausea medicine like ginger or the original Dramamine®, always bring another dose. If your outing is delayed, it’s better to re-dose than to suffer when it wears off.
- Choose meclizine.
When picking out motion-sickness medicine, watch out! There are two formulas of the brand of motion sickness medicine Dramamine®, parked right next to each other. I strongly recommend getting meclizine, sold as the generic version of Bonine®, or the Less Drowsy Formula of Dramamine®. It’s just as effective but costs less than its brand name versions.
- Meclizine works for dogs, too.
If your dog gets carsick, meclizine can help. For most dogs, the dose is 25mg once daily; if your dog is small or already takes medication, please check with your veterinarian first.
