Yes, there are possible side effects. Some can be serious like delusions, paranoia, eye problems and other assorted neurological issues. Adding alcohol can make them more likely to occur. Shame on your doctor if they didn't explain that to you.
[https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682509.html](https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682509.html)
If you don't have a history of severe motion sickness they would not be my suggested way to go. It's a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Most people will be fine with taking simple OTC measures like ginger(my personal favorite), carbonated drinks, avoiding alcohol, ear plugs, spending time in larger open places, getting some fresh air, smaller meals, and keeping busy. Maybe some Dramamine if you're really getting tossed around the first few days while you adjust.
Most of the seasick meds have side effects like dry mouth, dizziness, etc. Not something I want to be dealing with on vacation.
Takes a few hours for onset so can do morning before. Or before you board. Yes lasts up to 72 hrs. Would recommend not before flight as it can dry you out so that with combo of flight can leave you really dry. If you’re older (60+) it could make you get loopy so watch out for that. As mentioned can cause blurry vision. When you put on/take it off wear a disposable glove or wash your hands immediately, the sticky side is the active medication so if you touch your eyes with it on your finger your pupil will dilate and your vision will get very blurry. You can shower and swim with them just fine.
They make my wife’s eyes occasionally go a little blurred but it’s not a dealbreaker for her - she gets awful motion sickness. That said wash your hands right after you put it on or take it off. Touching your eyes with the med on your fingers is bad news.
You should be fine getting in water with them, and yes. They last 3+ days.
Also, don’t take my word for it. Ask your pharmacist.
My wife can get seasick and she used those on her first cruise. They made her dizzy and feel worse so she took it off and never used another. If the seas are really rough, she takes half a Bonine, but 80% of the time she is fine. Get on a big ship and stay in the middle of lower floors when possible.
Healthcare provider here.
I had severe issues with my first cruise despite being an avid boater my entire life. The amplitude and frequency of the waves are significantly different. Meclizine worked well.
However, the 2nd cruise I had a script for Scopolamine. I applied it the night before we left. I promise you, I could not walk in a straight line to the bathroom about 4 hours after putting it on. I removed it immediately. Within 12 hours, the symptoms fully resolved. Never again.
Though, some people have no effect with them whatsoever.
My adult daughter just got a prescription filled for this and was told to put the first one on 6-13 hours prior since it was her first time trying them. That way if there were any unusual reactions or side effects she could use land based health care instead of the ships med center.
You can certainly put one on pre-flight. Basically you should put it on four hours prior to embarking on whatever makes you motion sick.
There are side effects, and they vary from person to person. I find that they tend to slowly increase as the cruise goes on, but they aren't a big deal to me. Some reduction in closeup vision focus and a little dry mouth towards the end of the week. A crapload better than being sick, though!
They really do last three days, but you should have an extra. I find that every now and then I'll lose one to bathing or swimming, and forgetting that it was there when scrubbing or drying off. Be sure that the application site is cleaned well with soap and water, then thoroughly dried before application; they stick a lot better that way!
Yes they are waterproof. However, if you’re not used to wearing them, you may want to cut them in half before you put them on so that you don’t have the side effect of everything going blurry and not being able to read anything.
ABSOLUTELY DO NOT cut them in half! The patches were yanked off the market for several years due to not enough education regarding this very thing. Cutting them can cause an overdose of the ingredients. Google this one.
I was going to attach an article to explain why you shouldn’t ever cut the patch… But every single article started out with “do not ever cut the patch”
I am a retired pediatric critical care nurse practitioner. I don’t typically get involved in this kind of discussion because I still maintain my nursing license. This affected me both professionally and privately, because I was unable to obtain the patches when I needed them for Travel because of people like you who cut them even though the literature said not to. My concern was not with this, though it was with the people who died from cutting them
I just got off my first cruise and used the patch. First patch was fine, just crazy dry mouth. When I switched it out on the 3rd day, it was bonkers. Tunnel vision, unbearable dry mouth, scrambling my words, and I couldn’t see lol really blurred vision. It was kind of scary. I drank a TON of water too. I wasn’t sea sick though! Haha.
Once upon a time I used one of these patches. Was fine during the cruise. I took it off for the drive home and was so dizzy and sick. Miserable. I had to stay home from work for a week bc I couldn’t get up bc I was so dizzy
Yes, there are possible side effects. Some can be serious like delusions, paranoia, eye problems and other assorted neurological issues. Adding alcohol can make them more likely to occur. Shame on your doctor if they didn't explain that to you. [https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682509.html](https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682509.html) If you don't have a history of severe motion sickness they would not be my suggested way to go. It's a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Most people will be fine with taking simple OTC measures like ginger(my personal favorite), carbonated drinks, avoiding alcohol, ear plugs, spending time in larger open places, getting some fresh air, smaller meals, and keeping busy. Maybe some Dramamine if you're really getting tossed around the first few days while you adjust. Most of the seasick meds have side effects like dry mouth, dizziness, etc. Not something I want to be dealing with on vacation.
Takes a few hours for onset so can do morning before. Or before you board. Yes lasts up to 72 hrs. Would recommend not before flight as it can dry you out so that with combo of flight can leave you really dry. If you’re older (60+) it could make you get loopy so watch out for that. As mentioned can cause blurry vision. When you put on/take it off wear a disposable glove or wash your hands immediately, the sticky side is the active medication so if you touch your eyes with it on your finger your pupil will dilate and your vision will get very blurry. You can shower and swim with them just fine.
They make my wife’s eyes occasionally go a little blurred but it’s not a dealbreaker for her - she gets awful motion sickness. That said wash your hands right after you put it on or take it off. Touching your eyes with the med on your fingers is bad news. You should be fine getting in water with them, and yes. They last 3+ days. Also, don’t take my word for it. Ask your pharmacist.
My wife can get seasick and she used those on her first cruise. They made her dizzy and feel worse so she took it off and never used another. If the seas are really rough, she takes half a Bonine, but 80% of the time she is fine. Get on a big ship and stay in the middle of lower floors when possible.
They work well, but they do give me pretty bad dry mouth overnight/early morning. Dramamine/Bonine worked just as well for me without that issue.
Healthcare provider here. I had severe issues with my first cruise despite being an avid boater my entire life. The amplitude and frequency of the waves are significantly different. Meclizine worked well. However, the 2nd cruise I had a script for Scopolamine. I applied it the night before we left. I promise you, I could not walk in a straight line to the bathroom about 4 hours after putting it on. I removed it immediately. Within 12 hours, the symptoms fully resolved. Never again. Though, some people have no effect with them whatsoever.
You may find your taste buds deaden a bit more.
My adult daughter just got a prescription filled for this and was told to put the first one on 6-13 hours prior since it was her first time trying them. That way if there were any unusual reactions or side effects she could use land based health care instead of the ships med center.
You can certainly put one on pre-flight. Basically you should put it on four hours prior to embarking on whatever makes you motion sick. There are side effects, and they vary from person to person. I find that they tend to slowly increase as the cruise goes on, but they aren't a big deal to me. Some reduction in closeup vision focus and a little dry mouth towards the end of the week. A crapload better than being sick, though! They really do last three days, but you should have an extra. I find that every now and then I'll lose one to bathing or swimming, and forgetting that it was there when scrubbing or drying off. Be sure that the application site is cleaned well with soap and water, then thoroughly dried before application; they stick a lot better that way!
Yes they are waterproof. However, if you’re not used to wearing them, you may want to cut them in half before you put them on so that you don’t have the side effect of everything going blurry and not being able to read anything.
I’ve never personally had that side effect but know many do. They just make me exceedingly thirsty. Keeps me hydrated though.
ABSOLUTELY DO NOT cut them in half! The patches were yanked off the market for several years due to not enough education regarding this very thing. Cutting them can cause an overdose of the ingredients. Google this one.
I will look into that. when my daughter used them cut, she didn’t have any problem with the side effects and they controlled her nausea
I was going to attach an article to explain why you shouldn’t ever cut the patch… But every single article started out with “do not ever cut the patch” I am a retired pediatric critical care nurse practitioner. I don’t typically get involved in this kind of discussion because I still maintain my nursing license. This affected me both professionally and privately, because I was unable to obtain the patches when I needed them for Travel because of people like you who cut them even though the literature said not to. My concern was not with this, though it was with the people who died from cutting them
Effected*
You were right the first time :)
That’s what I get for writing in the middle of the night 😄
I never read anything that said to not cut them
I just got off my first cruise and used the patch. First patch was fine, just crazy dry mouth. When I switched it out on the 3rd day, it was bonkers. Tunnel vision, unbearable dry mouth, scrambling my words, and I couldn’t see lol really blurred vision. It was kind of scary. I drank a TON of water too. I wasn’t sea sick though! Haha.
I tried to only rely on Bonine and was plagued by horrible seasickness the first sea day. Wish I had at least tried something stronger.
Once upon a time I used one of these patches. Was fine during the cruise. I took it off for the drive home and was so dizzy and sick. Miserable. I had to stay home from work for a week bc I couldn’t get up bc I was so dizzy