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Conference unifix::sailing

Title:SAILING
Notice:Please read Note 2.* before participating in this conference
Moderator:UNIFIX::BERENS
Created:Wed Jul 01 1992
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2299
Total number of notes:20724

647.0. "Seasickness" by MILVAX::HO () Mon Sep 14 1987 21:42

    Who's got a good cure for seasickness?  I've already tried the
    following:
    
             Ginger pills - taste terrible, burped ginger ale for days
             Wrist bands  - complete waste of money
             Dramamine/Bonamine - got sick anyway and had hangover
             Ear patches - works but I get so sleepy I can't drive home
             Prescription antihistimine - same results as Dramamine
             Eating big lunch - just increases the thruput over the
                                side
    
    Haven't had a problem all summer so I thought I had my permanent
    sea legs.  But the wind and rollers of the last couple of weekends
    have induced a total relapse.  Any new ideas?

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
647.1Those Ear patchesRDGE43::BARKERLife on the Ocean Wave...Tue Sep 15 1987 11:5826
    Re. ear patches.
    
    My wife finds them very effective ( it's hard to tell whether or
    not they make her sleepy because fresh air seems to do that anyway)
    
    BUT...
    
    You can't get them in Britain.
    
    If anybody could supply me with the proper name of the product,
    including the manufacturers name & address, I would be grateful,
    or even better, does anyone know how to get them over here ?
    
    Fortunatly I don't suffer. The only time I have ever felt bad was
    when I tried to dismember a cold, greasy French Roast Chicken, when
    beating past Alderney ( where the tide runs at about 7 knots ) in
    a wind over tide situation.
    
    p.s.  The above mentioned tidal stream ( called the Alderney race)
    	gives rise to the following story
    
    1st Sailor. "I once spent 24 hours in the Alderney Race"
    2nd Sailor  " Did you win ??"
    
    Chris.

647.2TRANSCOPPATSPK::MCWILLIAMSTue Sep 15 1987 12:1511
    I believe the ear patches go under the name of TRANSCOP which I
    believe stand for Trans-dermal Scopolamine.
    
    I somewhat higher doses, Scopolamine is a hypnotic, and in even
    higher doses it has been used as a truth drug.
    
    Now if only I could get my wife to use them, as I start droning,
    We need a bigger boat,.... We need a bigger boat, ....
    
    /jim

647.3NASA used a combination of drugsCASAD2::THOMASTue Sep 15 1987 13:3911
    I recall reading in Sail or CruisingWorld several years ago about
    a combination of drugs that were being used by NASA for the Astronauts
    with great success. The article stressed that the combination was
    not available on a non-prescription basis but that there should
    be no problem gettting the family doc to write a prescription for
    you. Unfortunately that's all I recall about the article. Does anyone
    recall the article or maybe have some old indices that might point
    to it?                                     
    
    Ed

647.4This one works for me!MALLET::NEALEBrian NealeTue Sep 15 1987 14:2518
    I used to suffer pretty badly from travel sickness in all types of
    transport, although over the years things seem to have improved. But,
    the sea-sickness has never got better. I claim to be one of the few
    people who has been put ashore and told to walk back to the mooring! -
    and that was in a flat calm! A few years ago one of the UK yachting
    magazines ran a story about a "new" drug being tried as a sea-sickness
    remedy by a couple of doctors who were also sailors - it had been in
    use for quite a long while as a treatment for disorders of the balance
    mechanisms of the inner ear, but this was a new use. The early reports
    seemed encouraging, and so I tried it, with considerable success. It is
    called cinnarizine (sp?) and is available without prescription in the
    UK under the trade name Stugeron - in fact the manufacturers caught on
    to this new use and now market it specifically as a travel-sickness
    remedy. There have been some reports that there are side-effects
    (typically drowsiness) and it seems that it just doesn't work for some
    people, but I never sail without it, and for me it is effective and has
    no apparent side-effects at all. 

647.5BELATED TREATMENTS?DSSDEV::RUDYTue Sep 15 1987 17:023
    	Is the drug effective if you take it after you start feeling
    sick?

647.6"Merazine"TALLIS::RICKARDWed Sep 16 1987 16:378
    I do not suffer from seasickness but a nurse recommended the use
    of Merazine for friends who do suffer seasickness.  She indicated
    that it was more effective than Dramamine and Bonine.  Merazine
    is a non-perscription drug available at your local pharmacy.
    
    Good luck!
    Pam

647.7Best to take them in advanceMALLET::NEALEBrian NealeThu Sep 17 1987 12:1013
    Re: .5
    	The occasion referred to in .4 (put ashore and told to walk)
    was through just this reason - I thought it calm enough that I would
    not take the usual tablet - and was then sufficiently ill that I
    could not retain a tablet for long enough for it to be effective.
    30 minutes ashore made a lot of difference, and when taking the
    Stugeron regularly was not sick again that trip. The makers suggest
    taking 2 in advance of travelling, and then 1 every 8 hours (from
    memory). I guess that after some days afloat you could probably
    tail that off a bit.
    
    	Why do we go sailing when it makes us feel so terrible?

647.8drugs, & avoidanceEXPERT::SPENCERThu Sep 17 1987 12:1148
During six years as a Outward Bound instructor in Maine, I saw more 
seasick sailors than you might imagine -- up to 12 on a boat every couple 
weeks or so.  We supplied Bonine to all who wished it (though note the
contraindication for pregnant or soon-to-be-pregnant women), with moderate
success. Students often brought their own preference, or whatever hit
their eye first in the drugstore when stocking up for the adventure ahead.

My longitudinal observation is that every remedy works exceptionally well 
for some folks, and not at all (or adversely) for others.  You have to
experiment with several and see if one will do the job for you better
than another.  Some swear by Scopalomine, others Marezine, or Dramamine,
etc.  I even tried acupressure on one nearly-terminal case with 
dramatically positive results.

It was not uncommon to find a variety of adverse reactions to any
particular choice, too.  The most surprising was hallucinating on
Scopalomine. Having tried the stuff myself just this summer, I didn't
experience a fellow crew's drymouth reaction, nor think I was creating 
images from nothing (-- we did find the U.S. after a week of my helping 
navigate!)  So I guess it's worth trying everything to see what best suits
your body chemistry.  Though a few unlucky souls I know have never found a
solution worth the side effects they experience, most do. 

Personally, I do best with a rigorous program of avoidance, and prescribe 
this to my passengers and crew.  It's an old list, but I'll repeat it for 
those to whom it may be new:

	Start out as rested as possible.
	Start out as well-fed (proper meals) as possible.
	Start out well-hydrated.  (Beer & coffee work against this.)
	Stay warm and dry.
	Maintain fluid intake.  (I will spend an entire 2-hr watch sipping 
               6 oz of water if I'm near the woozy edge.)
	Maintain caloric intake.  (I recently found apples & yogurt wonderful.)
	       Eat a very little bit constantly.
	Avoid smelly fumes; for some, diesel is deadly, for me it's stove 
               alcohol.  Cooking food will send some over the edge.
	Watch the horizon.  Give your inner ear every possible chance to 
               match its sensations to a cognitive reality.
	Keep busy -- very important.  Giving the helm to a sick person 
               often improves their situation, particularly if they feel their 
               performance matters (i.e., it's not just busywork).
        A surprising number of people I know stave off mal de mer by 
               singing, long and hard.  It can be a pleasant distraction 
               for others, too.
        
John.

647.9fat lipEXPERT::SPENCERThu Sep 17 1987 12:5214
RE: .7 --

  < I...was then sufficiently ill that I could not retain a tablet >
  < for long enough for it to be effective.                        >

A somewhat effective means of getting the medication benefits of a pill 
after seasickness has set in is to hold the pill between your upper lip and 
gum without chewing -- just let it dissolve there.  Baseball pitchers and
cowboys cool out on the nicotine from a chaw of chewin' t'backy this way,
and it will introduce the medication into the bloodstream, albeit much
more slowly than ingesting (and holding down) that same pill. 

John.

647.10Second the TillerPUNDIT::MCWILLIAMSThu Sep 17 1987 16:4011
    Re: .8
    
    I can second the suggestion that you give the tiller to people on the
    edge of getting sick. It does work wonders. 
    
    My guess is that forcing them to take an active interest in their
    surroundings, causes them to anticipate the wave movements and adjust
    accordingly.
    
    /jim

647.11CompazineBIGMAC::TELSEYSteve, DTN 223-9360Thu Sep 17 1987 19:4616
    A note on the use of Transderm patches- wash your hands after applying
    any patch containing scopolamine.  The stuff does funny things to
    your eyes if you get any in them.
    
    I've found Marezine, Dramamine, etc. not very effective once you
    get sick.  One drug that will work, with side effects, once you
    start vomiting is Compazine.  Compazine is available by prescription
    and is a fairly potent tranquilizer.  It comes in suppository form
    for cases when you can't keep anything down.
    
    I also strongly recommend keeping busy -tiller, lookout (eyes on
    horizon), whatever.  Keep it above deck and on the centerline if
    possible.
    
    Steve

647.12Just keeping busy helps.GRAMPS::BAILEYquoth the raven, nevermindMon Sep 21 1987 16:3614
    Re .8 & .10
    
    I also have found that taking the tiller (or wheel) is a very effective
    means of curing seasickness.  I think it's just putting your mind
    on something else that does it, though.  I was in a storm once where
    just about everybody on the boat was seasick.  Since we all couldn't
    steer I decided to try giving knot tying lessons in the cockpit
    (definitely stay out of the cabin if you're seasick).  It seemed
    to help for a while.  I think it's just a matter of staying busy
    and not dwelling on how you feel.
    
    ... Bob
    

647.13You mean there's hope?CSSE32::PITCHERSteve Pitcher/CSSE-VMS/VAXclustersSun Sep 27 1987 23:2013
    I don't think I'd care to concentrate on something close, and down,
    as when tying knots.
    
    I tried the ear patches once.  That was the only time I've 'gone
    all the way'.  I didn't count it a success.  But I didn't get sleepy
    from them.  Dramamine, on the other hand, I use on long plane flights
    to put me to sleep!
    
    I've got to look for one or two of these other suggestions to try.
    Sounds promising.
    
    -	stp

647.14ear patchesSSGVAX::SAVIERSTue Oct 13 1987 01:1114
    Refer the request for name & mfg of ear patches:
    
    Brand name is TRANSDERM SCOP, distributed by CIBA, which I believe
    holds the patents on transdermal medication delivery systems.
    Active ingredient is scopolamine.
    
    I think these work well if applied early enough. like 4 hours before
    you set foot on the boat.  Four patches cost about $12, but each
    one lasts 3 days.  Side effects I've seen:  dry mouth and one dizzyness
    after removing the patch.  One big sailor (230#) needed two patches.
    
    A prescription is needed in the US.
      

647.15Stugeron...LEROUF::OUGHTONFri Oct 23 1987 12:2918
    In the UK there is an over-the-counter drug called "STUGERON" -
    originally it was developed for people who's inner-ear balance system
    had gone haywire, now it's sold as a travel sickness aid.
    
    I used to be given the job of "fog horn" on the first day of every
    sailing trip - I've never had any trouble after "discovering stugeron"
    (sounds like an advert)
    
    I'd recommend it to anyone (take 2, 2hrs before sailing then 1 per
    day) - the only side effect is an enhanced continuation of the up
    and down feeling when your're back on dry land...
    
    ...anyone got a cure for land-sickness ?
    
    Mike
    
    (P.S. I don't know what Stugeron would be called in the U.S.)

647.16LIKE WOW, MANXCUSME::OPERATORSat Apr 16 1988 06:055
    It's not legal, and I can't recommend it....but medical studies
    have shown "the evil weed" to be effective against motion sickness.
    
    For the sake of the rest of us, none please for the skipper!!

647.17Wrist bands vs. SeasicknessSWAM2::HOMEYER_CHTue Sep 18 1990 16:358
    
    Do the wrist bands with the button underneath work for seasickness?
    The local marine supply store people tell me they sell a lot of them.
    Many times we have guests onboard that need something and if the wrist
    bands work well it would make many a day more enjoyable.
    
    
    Chuck
647.18STEREO::HOTue Sep 18 1990 17:165
    According to the expert in my family, NO.
    
    However, your experience may differ.
    
    - gene
647.19acupressureAIADM::SPENCERCommuter from the other CapeThu Sep 20 1990 04:4924
Long before the wristbands were popular, we had an Outward Bound student
who was trained in Chinese acupressure methods.  (Sidenote:  Once
invented, it was a long time before they were generally on the market;
there was quite a to-do about whether they should be sold, opposed by the
drug companies apparently.)  Anyway, seasickness was a frequent
occupational hazard for sea staff -- coping with victims, that is, not so
much ourselves -- and we pounced on every new possible solution.  

Can't say it always worked, but I had a few rather dramatic successes.  In 
one case, I had a rather dehydrated student on a cold weather expedition, 
and was concerned about hypothermia.  Applying pressure to the right point 
relieved her symptoms nearly completely, and five minutes of pressure 
yielded effects lasting 15-20 minutes.  I taught other students how to do 
it, and they spent the rest of the voyage taking care of each other.  
Whether mass hypnosis or genuine physical effect, it really saved that 
trip.  A major difference between the button-on-a-band and a finger is
greater pressure with more precise control and maintaining exact placement. 

Sadly, in the years since leaving OB, I forgot the precise location, and 
haven't rediscovered it since on the few occasions I've tried.  I do
recall that it was a very precise point; 1/16" or less shift made all the
difference in the world. 

J.
647.20Ginger Root CureTUNER::HOThu Jan 30 1992 20:0412
    Here's a folk remedy I've just read about but not actually tried.
    
    Take some fresh ginger root (available at most supermarkets), peel, and
    dice into 1/4" cubes.  Seal in a zip lock bag.  When you start to feel
    bad, chew on a one or more cubes.  This will taste pretty hot but
    relief is supposed to occur within 30 seconds.  
    
    Not stated is how long it takes your mouth to recover from the searing
    effects of the ginger.  Ginger's not quite in the same league as some
    of the more virulent Mexican peppers but it still can pack a wallop.
    
    - gene
647.21SHIPS::GOUGH_PPete GoughFri Jan 31 1992 10:446
    Works on the principle of counter irritation......I have cured sea sick
    visitors by asking them to take the wheel etc. Mind you ginger is
    rather nice....
    
    
    Pete 8^)
647.22Ginger seems to work MARX::CARTERFri Jan 31 1992 14:3414
    I carry ginger root capsules aboard elysium.  They have proven quite
    effective for the folks who have tried them.
    
    The capsules let you get the benefit without the direct taste.  Of
    course reflux can go on for a while.  The capsule contains powdered
    ginger.
    
    I suspect the capsules came from a "health foods" store.
    
    At the Safety at Sea seminar a I attended a couple of years ago, the
    benefits of ginger in its various forms was discussed.  Ginger ale,
    ginger root in cubes, ginger snaps, ginger capsules...
    
    djc
647.23Good Article on SubjectDLOACT::CLEVELANDWed Feb 19 1992 18:536
    There's an article in the DEC 1991 issue of Cruising world that goes
    into several different anti-motion sickness drugs. Good info. Call me
    if you'd like a copy.
    
    dtn 486-6496.
    Robert
647.24Scopalomine Patches no longer available?UNIFIX::FRENCHBill French 381-1859Mon Jan 30 1995 17:5115
    I was at my doctors this a.m. and requested a prescription for
    Transderm Scopplamine patches for a Marion-Bermuda run in June.
    He gave me the prescription but said good lcuk in finding any.
    Apparently there has been a manufacturing probelm and the patches
    are sold out everywhere. It is readily available in injectable form, 
    as appraaently used for surgery but the patches have become
    unobtainable lately.
    
    Does anyone know where they are actually available? Preferably in the
    NH - Mass area?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Bill
    
647.25No longer availableEYLAK::BATESKen BatesMon Jan 30 1995 18:048
>    I was at my doctors this a.m. and requested a prescription for
>    Transderm Scopplamine patches for a Marion-Bermuda run in June.

I just tried to get some for my wife for a trip next month, and the doctor told
me they were pulled from the market. The reason wasn't clear, but he seemed to
think it was because some people became addicted to them.

 - Ken
647.26Any alternatives besides stabbing myself?USDEV::63620::DARROWI AM Sailing!Mon Feb 13 1995 17:4517
For years after a severe inner ear infection I suffered from balance problems.

After we got WINDOSNG, I relied heavily on the patch. But, after 3 years of 
using the patch and being forever thirsty, I have found that I have apparently
become some what acclimated to the balance problem and do not seem to be as 
quick to suffer from motion distress. I still have some patches from 2 years 
ago (did not even refill it last year). 

I had planned to get some more as a precautionary step in case I was invited 
off shore or ended up doing an overnight in less than pleasant conditions.

My memory says that the patches had an expiration date of barely 12 months.
Does any one have any experience using out of date patches.

Are there any alternatives?

Fred
647.27Wristbands anyone?MILKWY::WAGNERTue Feb 14 1995 14:168
    
    	I hear the patches (scopolamine; Transderm/Scop, right?) are in
    really short supply this year. Maybe fear of lawsuit because of side
    effects? Anyway, glad you brought this up. What's the scoop on
    wristbands? Anybody? One guy in a chandlery was really talking up the
    Davis version.
    	Scott_who_wants_to_keep_his_cookies
    
647.28GIN gerOTOOA::MOWBRAYThis isn't a job its an AdventureWed Feb 15 1995 11:064
    Ginger - friends of mine swear by it.
    
    I dont get sick very often at all, mostly after an all-nighter.  I find
    warmth and sunshine are the only cures for me when I do go down.
647.29Wristbands$$??GRANPA::KILGOREDan @ WashingtonWed Feb 15 1995 20:448
    About Wrist bands.   Where does one purchase them?
    
    How much do they cost?  My wife and I are on our way on a Cruise, 440
    ft. 4 masted WINDSONG cruise sailing ship.  She is concerned about
    motion sickness but would like to avoid being under the influence of
    anything (except maybe alcohol).
    Dan,
    
647.30nothing works for everyone, or all the timeUNIFIX::BERENSAlan BerensWed Feb 15 1995 21:1912
re .29:

Wrist bands can likely be purchased at most marine stores. Like most 
seasickness preventatives, they work for some people and not others. 
Those few people I know who've tried them found they didn't work. 

re an earlier reply:

Ginger hasn't worked for us, either.

Alan

647.31OTOOA::MOWBRAYThis isn't a job its an AdventureThu Feb 16 1995 10:4321
    re mine re ginger.
    
    I first need to clarify the "all-nighter" reference .. that was an all
    night (or long) watch, not as it appeared when I re-read it an all
    night party !
    
    I have never tried ginger as I don't have it on board, however one
    night when two boats motored through the night together, we were
    slogging into a combination of head sea and beam sea which made for a
    real corkscrew.  Each boat had 2 on board and everyone sat up through
    the night.  It was spring so it was a balmy 4degrees or so.
    
    When dawn came, my crew member and I were leaning over the side in dire
    straits and on the other boat, they were fine after eating ginger. 
    Interestingly, I had never ever seen my fellow crew member sick
    although I have given him plenty of opportunity and I am seldom so.  On
    the other boat, they both get sick and so took ginger early .. I meant
    from my comment that I believe ginger works.
    
    By the way there is a similar string in the UK Sailing notes file,
    however I do not know what node it is on these days.
647.32studies show that there are no universal curesUNIFIX::FRENCHBill French 381-1859Thu Feb 16 1995 11:0633
    I have been studying the literature, since I have been appointed
    "medical officer" for the boat I am going to be racing on in the
    Marion - Bermuda race.
    
    All of the articles that I have read, and the medical studies that
    they cite say the same thing. This has been studied quite a bit, 
    given the interest of the navies and merchant marine of the world.
    Its also been a problem since man began setting out on the water,
    so there have been millennia of folk remedies tried.
    
    The bottom like is that there is no magic cure. Nothing seems to 
    be universally effective. Different people find that different things
    seem to work and not work. There is a significant psychological
    component , so believing something will work may make a big
    difference.
    
    Medical studies have not shown the wristbands to be any better or worse
    than no wristband. I am skeptical, given the small force that would
    be exerted by a band that is almost perpendicular to the direction
    of applied force.
    
    An earlier note (by John Sponsor I think) speaks of accupressure
    being dramatically effective for some people, bit this was manually 
    applied pressure at a very specific spot on the wrist. Poorly
    controlled location of pressure may be another problem with the wristbands.
    
    This is a subject that I am going to research further as it seems
    to hold the most promise and requires no prescriptions.
     
    Maybe I'll call H.I.O.B.S. and see if they have more info.
    
    Bill
    
647.33Works for some folks - your mileage may varyHYDRA::GERSTLECarl GerstleThu Feb 16 1995 11:2915
    I have found that for myself, my wife, and a total stranger on a dive
    boat that either wrist-bands or accupressure seemed to work well.
    
    The stranger on the dive boat was interesting. A group of us was
    returning from a snorkling trip off the coast of Jamaica and one person
    starting suffering from seasickness. I did not have any wrist-bands
    with me, but after explaining the concept and assuring that what I was
    about to do was nothing more than emulating the function of the
    wrist-bands, I held this person's wrists within my hands and used my
    thumbs to apply the pressure. 
    
    It doesn't matter to me whether the effect was a psychosomatic or
    placebo effect, but the 'cure' worked within minutes. I'm sold!
    
    Carl
647.34seasick on WindSong?WRKSYS::SCHUMANNUHF computersThu Feb 16 1995 13:559
>> 440' 4 masted WINDSONG cruise sailing ship.

It's unlikely you'll get seasick on this monster. This is more like a floating
hotel than a boat. Aside from the heel, you won't know you're on the water,
unless you go out to the railing.    

--RS

P.S. We saw this whale-of-a-sailboat in Barbados. Very impressive!
647.35My glass stomachTINCUP::CLAFLINThu Feb 16 1995 16:4328
Though I love the ocean in my heart and soul, the same can not be said below.

Here is what I have had recommended to me and my own personal experience on 
Holiday.

I eat saltine crackers.  Almost a continuous munch if conditions warrent. 
Having a full stomach seems to help.  A good breakfast also seems to help as
does good sleep the night before.

Fresh air is a plus.  So is watching the horizon.

Strangely enough when I am inside Holiday, I can lay down and look at the
ceiling without distress.  Laying on the sole of the main cabin is a good place.
There is almost no motion because I am close to the the center of gravity for
Holiday.  Jessica likes it because she thinks I am playing with her.

Heaving and getting it over with works for me.  Trouble is, I get miserable
feeling, but don't actually heave very easily.  Heck of a deal.

A firend of ours has good luck with writs bands.

Finally an observation from my cousin, a master in the merchant marine and an
excellent sailor, with salt water for blood.  Eat crackers and peanut butter. 
His preference is Ritz.  He siad this is the food that tastes the best going
both ways!  I guess no one is immune.

Doug Claflin
dtn 592 4787
647.36Ginger Vs. DyslexiaPCBUOA::MWEBERThe wind is free. Use it.Thu Feb 16 1995 17:2429
The Dutch navy et al. have done studies on the 
effects of Ginger on seasickness and the results
have been the same irregardless of who is doing
the study. I've done my own informal research and
came up with the same conclusions.

The results:
Ginger is good for settling the stomach. This
certainly increases the comfort level and may
help keep a person below that threshold of
true seasickness. However, there *is* a threshold
and gigger has no effect of moving it. In short, 
ginger will help someone feel comfortable up
to the point they get sick, but once they are
sick then they will be as sick as everyone else.

Myself, the point that I start feeling uncomfortable
and the point that I'm seasick are usually only 
a few moments apart. I have a very lengthly 
compilation on ginger research and if it still exists
on my home system, I'll post it here.

HOWEVER, given that dyslexia is an inner ear disorder
(the Levinson theory) one may take a closer look 
at the treatment of dislexia as a treatment for
seasickness. More on this in a later note.

Michael Weber
"Latitude" & "Kahana"
647.37It'll get everybody if the conditions are rightMARX::CARTERThu Feb 16 1995 20:2332
    There is a book out with the attractive title of "My little green book" 
    sub-titled "Heave Ho!"  The author cites a lot of studies done by a
    number of groups, including NASA.  If my memory serves me correctly, NASA
    has never failed to get a candidate motion sick during their tests. 
    Sort of proves the old adage which says something like, "It's not if
    you'll get sea sick.  It's when you'll get seasick."
    
    I have yet to have my first bout with sea sickness, possibly playing
    navigator in sports car rallyes on dirt roads at night was good
    training.  But, before I set off on the trip on the Roseway a few years
    ago I did get a prescription of patches.  I had no intention of being a
    hero, since heros make lousy shipmates.  On times when we have been
    close to over the edge on elysium, ginger root pills or ginger snaps,
    or ginger ale have seemed to do the trick to keep us whole.  Placebo? 
    Medicinal?  I don't know.  It doesn't matter.
    
    As a previous noter mentioned, for some people an empty stomach is more
    likely to be a queasy stomach than a full one.  That seems to be the
    case for me, too.
    
    One of the seminars I attended at the boat show in Atlantic City last
    week was presented by a couple who had lived aboard and circumnavigated 
    aboard their boat for a number of years.  For the first two or three years
    aboard they each got sick at the start of each transoceanic voyage. 
    After they finished their most recent voyage they realized they hadn't
    been sick for the last couple of years.
    
    It seems nothing works for everybody except getting through the bad
    first few days aboard.  Unfortunately for lots of us coastwise sailors,
    we never get out for voyages longer than a couple of days.
    
     djc
647.38humourous asideOTOOA::MOWBRAYThis isn't a job its an AdventureFri Feb 17 1995 11:0414
    Don't buy placebos.
    
    You're not cured, you just think you are.
    
    Sort of reminds me of a cartoon I saw once where a doctor was talking
    to a patient and said:
    
    "You're not a hypochondriac, you just think you are"
    
    and, while I am on a roll ......
    
    
    Frank Muir (British Humourist) once said "Why is it that when you dial
    a wrong number it's never busy ?"
647.39SX4GTO::WANNOORFri Feb 17 1995 18:514
    Re .32 Wrist pressure bands have indeed had medical attentin and they
    do work for some people, under tests applied in a scientific manner,
    eliminating the psychosomatic component. I think the study was in
    Practical Sailor, over the last 12 months.
647.40Scopalimine can be compounded into a gelUNIFIX::FRENCHBill French 381-1859Thu Jun 01 1995 15:5518
    re my .24 reply Scopolamine patches no longer available.
    
    Since it's not too long (June 16) till the Marion - Bermuda race,
    I thought I would see what I could get in the scopalimine dept.
    
    The Trans-Scop patches are still not available. My doctor said it is the
    adhesive that holds the patches on that is the unavailable ingredient.
    
    Anyhow, my doctor suggested that I have some scopalimine gel made up
    at the pharmacy, which I have done. "Jeff", at the Prescription
    Center in COncord, N.H. compounded the gel and packaged it in
    0.1 ml plunger applicators (tiny syringe without a needle).
    You rub it into your skin (and wash your hands well afterwards!)
    and it lasts for 8 hours per application. Not as good as the
    2-3 days one gets with the patches, but should provide the same
    effect.
    
    Bill
647.41help from the crewMILKWY::HEADSL::SAMPSONDriven by the windThu Jun 01 1995 17:1012
Bill, 
	Be aware that on these long ocean races having another crew member 
describe in detail the persistance of his nausea is something to avoid. I'm
not sure how I dealt with that aspect on the way to Halifax, but come Monday 
morning I was feeding the fish their breakfast. So tell that racer guy on 
your crew to keep his nausea to himself ;^). 

Maybe you can just get on another watch or something. Seasickness is an poor 
subject for discussion under way. ;^)

	Geoff

647.42LEEL::LINDQUISTPluggin' preyThu Jun 01 1995 17:497
647.43Now what crew could you be referring to???UNIFIX::FRENCHBill French 381-1859Thu Jun 01 1995 20:239
    Geoff,
    
    No sweat. Scott is on the opposite watch from me.
    Of course, being an EMT for 18 years, I'm not overly susceptible
    to suggestion, but if he gets out of line, I'll slip him a couple of
    compazine suppositories. (One in each ear!)
    
    Bill
    
647.44Computer Magazine Suppositories?MILKWY::WAGNERFri Jun 02 1995 14:526
	These must be to protect one from Hearing Aids, right?

	Now, where am I gonna find some bad chicken-salad sandwiches?

	Capt. Ralph
647.45No more ham salad for this kid...UNIFIX::FRENCHBill French 381-1859Mon Jun 05 1995 12:1216
    > Now, where am I gonna find some bad chicken-salad sandwiches?
    
    I don't know about chicken salad, but a week ago Saturday, I had some
    ham salad that had begun to ferment on a boat which will remain
    unnamed. (Where were you, a week ago Saturday?). The skipper thought
    this zingy (like aged apple cider) ham salad was yummy.
    
    But all the food we put on board this past Saturday (for the race)
    looked fit to eat.
    
    Keep smiling, Scott. See you on the 15th!
    
    Now back to your regularly scheduled program, before the moderator
    censors us. What was this topic supposed to be, anyway?
    
    Barnacle Bill
647.46CONSLT::MCBRIDEReformatted to fit your screenMon Jun 05 1995 15:026
    Just to really P.O. everyone, I have yet to feel the slightest bit of
    nausea on a boat regardless of conditions or activity.  At least not from 
    the motion of the boat itself.  There was a rum bottle that had quite an 
    affect on me once though I don't quite remember the details....
    
    Brian
647.47Gamey Ham?MILKWY::WAGNERMon Jun 05 1995 15:1713
	Eeek, you're putting on food already? I hope it's in a can! Month-old
	lettuce can, however, be sucked thru a straw. Very handy in rough weather!

	I was racing the JFK regatta this weekend, sorry to have missed you BB.
	The weather cleared both days, for the start of the race! Very light air
	yesterday, felt like August out there. 3rd place Saturday, felt good.

	No cookies tossed.

	Getting_Pumped_for_Bermuda

	MayoMan
647.48Ideas for a child?MAIL2::CUFFMon Jun 19 1995 14:146
    Has anyone had a positive experience with ginger pills/oil or 
    wristbands with a child?  My 4 1/2 year old daughter got seasick
    this weekend, and I'm looking for advice for a child.
    
    Thanks, cross-posted in Holistic.
    Maryanne
647.49sick rug ratsTINCUP::CLAFLINMon Jun 19 1995 17:0723
Jessica is a little yonger.

She has gotten sick a couple of times.  Our approach is a little differnt, but
is hard to beat for the price.  

We keep ginger ale and saltines on board.  Having her nibble and sip seems to
help.  My glass stomach stays more settled this way, plus I like above deck.
Laying down especailly on the sole of the cabin lessens the boats motion, and
works for me.  

Ginger does not seem to help once I am sick.  I need it before getting sick. 
Also having a good breakfast (primarily carbohydrates - no grease) seems to help.

Final word from my sea captain cousin, salitines and peanut butter are about the
most pleasant food coming up as going down.  

Special toys and stuffed animals make Jessica a happy sailor.

Hope this helps

Doug Claflin
dtn 592-7487
hm 719-596-7485