How do you get rid of seasickness?
Posted by Nic727@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 57 comments
Hi,
I did go sailing this summer for a few days and got seasick 2 days out of 4. There were some big waves on the two first days. One day it was rolling up and down and the second day it was moving left and right.
I only get seasick after 1h-2h on the sea.
However, I really want to find some solution because I'm looking forward to becoming a whale watching guide and specialist and it's important to get on the water for this kind of job and explain things to visitors.
I tried different things that I found online or have been told:
- Taking motion-sickness medication - Didn't work. The fourth day I didn't take any and was ok. The water was calmer too.
- Looking at the horizon - I don't know who came up with this solution, but I feel like it makes it worst since the horizon is static, but the boat movement and feeling is a bit more dramatic.
- Stay in the middle of the ship - Not really working if you are outside the boat since you are in a higher position. Being lower would be a solution, but it's normally inside the boat and is not recommended because you can't see outside sometime and it gets hot.
I didn't try the bands or patches yet. Not sure if it is really working or is it just a placebo effect for people who believe in this kind of thing.
What worked for me, to feel a bit better was to lay down outside and watch the sky or close my eyes. I really felt better, but if I want to become someone who work on a boat, it's not a proper solution.
I also think being in front of the boat may help tell your brain about upcoming movements of the waves, but I'm not too sure if it's true or not since I only went in front of the boat on the third and fourth day when it was a bit calmer.
Thank you for your help!
Poseidon-Hermes@reddit
Put one earplug in. Worked wonders for my girlfriend.l, YMMV.
The theory being that because you hear less through that ear, your brain thinks one of your ears isn’t working so well. So it also ignores your vestibular system, meaning you don’t react to the rocking/rolling of the boat so much.
honkytonkheart@reddit
holy shit that's interesting.
verdigris2014@reddit
That is a a very interesting solution that I’ve not heard before. Love to hear if others have tried it.
Slight_Advertising_9@reddit
I'll be testing this out! Looking at the horizon usually works for me but if I need to go down below....
-Maris-@reddit
Best trick I've ever found is a single ear plug in your dominant ear. (Whichever one you hold your phone up to). Face your whole body forward and look at the horizon, and take the helm if you are allowed, being outside in the fresh air helps too.
There are 4 signals sent to your brain to process balance: 2 from your eyes, and 2 from your vestibular glands inside each ear. Motion sickness occurrs when these signals disagree, like when you are on a boat. The earplug, dampens the signal sent from that one ear - which tricks your brain into ignoring the balance signals being sent from both ears and focusing instead on what the eyes are telling it. Which is why it's important to train your eyes on the horizon, you are indicating to your brain, where the balance point is.
Try to keep your head as level and motionless as possible - think of your body like a gimbal for your brain to reduce as much jerking motion as possible- brace yourself well and make intentional movements along with the boat to avoid hapazardly jostling around - sway your hips/body and try catch and couteract some of the boat's movement. *If conditions allow.
Ginger is good, and ginger snaps might be the only thing you can attempt to eat. They go great with black coffee, which is sometimes the only beverage available. Always have them on hand. If you are near a Trader Joes their triple ginger cookies are amazing, and good anytime of the day. Chicken broth is another good stomach soother that's easy to whip up on a boat.
If you're feeling sick, don't hold it in - go ahead get sick. It happens to everyone, and there's no need to be embarassed, it's more like a right of passage than a faux pas. Just commit to doing so early enough that you can find a proper spot to "chirp", if you can't make it to the head, go overboard, just be sure you are downwind, and if sailing, on the low side of the boat. Seasick can be "contagious", especially if you accidentally splash other crew or passengers with your own, that would be embarassing.
If you can't look at the horizon, or if all else fails, try to lay down and take a nap. You're fairly useless as help at this point anyway, might as well try to feel better. A dark bunk and noise cancelling headphones can make the motion feel like it has all but stopped.
*Be sure to never imbibe too much the day before a day at sea, even the saltiest saillors are prone to extreme seasick if they're also battling a hangover.
Slight_Advertising_9@reddit
Has anyone ever tried those glasses with colored oil or water in a tube around the eye? It gives your eyes signal that matches the vestibular system, I might try that too but curious if anyone else has tried it.
celery48@reddit
Scopolamine is the only thing that works well for me. Dramamine and Bonine and other OTC products knock me out and I’m useless. I have tried all the tricks. I get seasick and puke my guts out for exactly 3 days, 12 hours — and then I’m fine.
bkcrypto8629@reddit
I second this!!
FairSeafarer@reddit
I once read a study about timing of medication intake, meclizine was studied, and what was clear was that when all participant took the meclizine 24 hr prior, no one ended up seasick. In fact, one guy was and later admitted he forgot to take it.
Since reading that study, no one has been seasick on our boat, even my mother in law who one threw up every 15 min. like clockwork for hours. Timing matters. Don't trust the bottle and start taking meclizine 24 hr prior and remain on a proper med intake schedule then recommended on the bottle.
I hope you give it a try.
Nic727@reddit (OP)
I took some Gravol the night before going on the sea and I still had seasickness... But it was the first time I was on the water since a long time. I don't live near the sea or boats, so don't have much experience.
FairSeafarer@reddit
I'm sorry mate, but Gravol does not work for most people with seasickness. Meclizine is something else, but does not make you drowsy or sleepy. Gravol or dramamine does nothing for my mother in law but meclizine (also called bromine I think) really does it. She has zero symptom of sea sickness when she takes it. And she is really seasick.
It's available over the counter in USA, Mexico, and the whole South Pacific and probably a lot more places that I just don't know about. Common brand name in medical kit is Medimeclizine, over the shelf I can think of Sea-Legs on the spot.
I hope you find a solution because sailing is awesome. Can't imagine matching that with being sea-sick. Apparently I'll meet a sea one day that will make me seasick, but honestly, no rush for that because it would have to be a really bad sea. lol.
TechnicalCookie5@reddit
Have a nap or hum a nursery rhyme. Do not go below deck.
bethelmayflower@reddit
Steer the boat. Being on the helm gives your brain the idea that you have control of the situation.
I teach sailing, and whenever I have someone getting green around the gills, I put them on the helm, and it usually works.
hottenniscoach@reddit
Totally agree the sick person should take the helm but I don’t think it’s about being in control. I think it requires you to focus on the sky or horizon to help your brain reconcile the movement.
If you close your eyes in rough or confused seas you’re fine.
If you open your eyes and stare at something that is stationary. A book, your phone, the walls of the head…. You can trigger the sickness easy.
Open eyes should have a glimpse of the horizon to avoid seasickness.
pnicby@reddit
My pet theory is that if you’re at the wheel (car) or at the helm, you’re actively reading the conditions ahead. The waves are no longer engaging you, but rather you are moving through them. You don’t have to be at the helm to practice this mindset, but it helps. Embrace the sea state as it is. OP mentions trying this at the bow, but really this can be anywhere onboard. Allow your mind’s eye to behold and accept the sea for what it is. A lot of seasoned sailors get sick late in a passage simply because they’ve spotted land and they’re thinking landful thoughts, losing their grip on the sea.
Nic727@reddit (OP)
I will ask for it next time I go on the sea. Unfortunately for now I don't live near the water :(
Westar-35@reddit
Candied Ginger
bryangcrane@reddit
Agree. I use this technique when I have a guest on board that is obvi getting seasick
verdigris2014@reddit
I think everyone gets sick at some point. You can sleep through it. It will pass in a day or so. The only short term solution I know is fear/adrenaline. An all hands call for a sail change etc seems to push thoughts of sea sickness away, perhaps being given a challenging task might help.
Like others have said looking at the horizon and being on the helm helps.
OneEyedChicken@reddit
It doesn't even have to be challenging, just getting someone who is sea sick to coil a rope can help them.
Dorfbulle80@reddit
Former sea rescue guy (rescue swimmer and medic) motion sickness meds taken in regular intervals if prone to sea sickness, have something in your stomach helps, watching the boat in relation to the horizon so your eyes relay the info of movement to your brain and acknowledges the info already coming from your inner ear. Fresh air helps stay away from diesel fumes the cabine (especially head down). That said I had collegues who got seesick every time we went out... I only got it once prepping medical gear (downstairs, head down, with diesel fumes and empty stomach). That said some are just more prone to it than others.
ostensiblyzero@reddit
Dramamine sucks, but Zofran/Odansetron is amazing. Also doubles as a hangover cure. I went to a wedding and was violently hungover the morning after, took one of those and I was completely fine an hour later.
MysticalFerret@reddit
I know this sounds strange, but I have it in my head that I can vomit over the lifeline one time and then I need to suck it up and get my sea legs. I don’t know why it works for me.
This is normally happens when going out onto the open ocean.
jbrev01@reddit
I get it really bad. But I found if I go surfing everyday for a few weeks then get on a boat, I don't get seasick. I'm pretty sure your brain gets used to it with time. But if I stop surfing and stop going on boats like in the winter, then get back on a boat I feel like I'm going to die.
hinc-clara-vitae@reddit
Even just try, stay standing up! Helps your body get used to the motion, as they used to say “you have to get your sea legs”
ChazR@reddit
Sit under a tree. It's the only known cure.
Be busy. Give your brain work to do. Avoid shifting from long-distance to short focus. Try to keep your eyes focused on things far away.
It gets better after 2-3 days.
Caobei@reddit
Eating heavier food that isn't oily like rice or oatmeal, they keep my get stable.
On a longer sail I took sturgeon, id split the pill and take a half in the morning worked very well.
Nic727@reddit (OP)
How much should I eat? Should I be full or should I just eat normally?
Caobei@reddit
I would be full.
DrMonkeytendon@reddit
Sit under a tree!
Nic727@reddit (OP)
I will plant a tree on the boat :)
frak357@reddit
Time unfortunately is the ultimate ending to seasickness..
ez_as_31416@reddit
go sit under as tree. works every time.
MaximumWoodpecker864@reddit
Live aboard here who still occasionally battles seasickness. The usual tricks do not work for me. For long crossings I use scopalomine. Prescription only in the US. A cruiser friend recommended allergy meds as they are similar to Dramamine. I started to feel queasy on a recent trip, took a Zyrtec D and it worked within 20 mins. No seasickness and because it also contained Sudafed I didn’t get the usual drowsiness that comes with bonine, Dramamine, etc. I highly recommend giving it a shot.
blogito_ergo_sum@reddit
I read a paper a while back where the German Navy was investigating histamine as a causative agent for seasickness and found the vitamin C helped too.
StuntID@reddit
OP, ignore all the other advice here because I'm going to give you the sure the surefire cure.
Sit under a tree. Works every time, just give it a little while to kick in.
drossmaster4@reddit
Catch a fish. Always worked when I took people sailing. We always troll on long sails. If we caught a fish everyone felt better instantly.
svapplause@reddit
Staying on the boat helps me immensely. Being on the boat in the harbor with small movements for at least 3 days prior to heading out helps so, so much. Then, meclizine and or zofran if it is really rowdy seas - but I always touch base with my partner first since meclizine means lots of naps.
steveasher@reddit
A scopolamine patch would almost certainly work. You would need a prescription.
For me personally, if I know I'm about to be in conditions where seasickness is likely, I try to take dramamine at least a few hours in advance. It just doesn't work well once the seasickness has already started. I also find that chewy ginger candy works to manage seasickness even after I start feeling it.
vvortex3@reddit
My go to is scopalamine.
6etyvcgjyy@reddit
Yup.....go and sit under a tree.
PrizeAnnual2101@reddit
For me staying outside and keeping my eyes on the horizon really helps going in the cabin really triggers me
Pomme-M@reddit
this.
is the answer.
ironically, people either choose to or are sent below, where they promptly vomit all over everything.
if you’re going to hurl, go leeward and over the side. the stern can result in blowback, depending on speed.
manufreak@reddit
Gravol works better for me than Dramamine. No buzzing I'm my ears. Keep something in my stomach by snacking and hydrating with water and Gatorade.
perrylawrence@reddit
For me I have found that MotionEaze is a godsend. One drop of the natural oil behind each ear just works. It smells like a pinecone factory but a small price to pay to help me be on the water, drive through mountains or fly in a jet fighter trainer in AZ (yes I did this and it worked). Can’t recommend enough. This and real ginger snap cookies.
SashaTheBear17@reddit
Ginger candys Ginger tea
I’ve heard sniffing lemon helps… never tried it
fgorina@reddit
Scopolaminepatches work very well some days. The ones I used had effect for 3 days but you should put them 6 hours before. For short trips sturgeon works for mi
therealllama-power@reddit
Additionally to what you have already written, these points help me:
I tend to forget the first three points and am additionally a bit nervous on the first day of a trip. It gets better after that.
SippsMccree@reddit
I've always wondered that too, recently got my first ocean boat and sometimes I'll get pretty green around the gills
NegotiationOk5036@reddit
Try meclizine a few yours before you head out. If that does not work then try scopolomine.
sprain_mr@reddit
After some trial and error, this is what helps me: - stop drinking coffeine one week before going on the trip - identify how the symptoms start. For me: yawning, then burping, then it gets bad. - as soon as the yawning starts, chew a gum containing Dimenhydranite.
I am not completely fine, but good enough to keep enjoying it.
barnaclebill22@reddit
Try ginger candy, but it has to have real ginger, so you most likely need to get it from an Asian market. Eat some before you get on the boat. Has always worked on my boats. Keep trying looking in the distance or at the horizon. Apparently it helps your inner ear adjust to the motion. Part of the problem being below decks is that your inner ear is telling your brain that you're moving but your eyes are not. There isn't really a cure, only preventive measures. Once you get it, the best solution is to get off the boat. But the more time you spend at sea, the more your body will adjust. I spend a lot of time sailing and haven't been seasick for 25+ years. But I still remember it, and it's no fun.
ceciltech@reddit
Don’t get ginger candy, get candied ginger.
tday01@reddit
try scopolamine patches (prescription only in us). They work well for a lot of people but some have a reaction. Stugeron works really well for me (available over the counter outside US).
jonathanrdt@reddit
Scopolamine works quickly and fairly completely. Other remedies may work for you and up to a point. There is no way to know without testing. The worst is finding out that whatever you are using is not adequate when you need to function most. For that reason: always have scopolamine handy.
No-Country6348@reddit
Zofran
murmurat1on@reddit
It can come and go, and generally can be grown out of.
Crystallised Ginger is a nice remedy to add to your list.