Thursday, January 29, 2009

Motion Sickness


If you suffer from motion sickness or just want to be prepared, consider the advice provided here by Tracy, one of our travelers who is also a pharmacist.

The most common treatments are Meclizine 12.5 or 25 mg or Dramamine, which can be bought over-the-counter or by prescription. These meds are really inexpensive (Meclizine is the cheapest). They both have to be taken every 4 to 6 hours.

I would recommend taking it about 1/2 to 1 hour before the planned excursion. The biggest problem with these medications are the side effects, which are drowsiness and dry mouth and eyes.

Depending on the person, the drowsiness could be a real problem for someone trying to enjoy a vacation. However, for the plane ride over, it might be a good thing if you're looking to catch some zzzz's!

The other option is a patch worn behind the ear called Trans-Derm Scop. It is available by prescription only. Most insurance companies do cover the medication but it does not come in a generic, so depending on your insurance it will be considerably more than the above treatments.

The patch is very small and skin colored so it's not noticable. It should be put on about an hour before the planned excursion. It works for 72 hours, which is the big plus! Also, it can cause drowsiness but I have found from personal experience that if you put it on the night before your trip, the drowsiness wears off before the next morning.

I am a fan of this medication because of personal experience. I used it on a deep sea fishing trip. About 85% of the people on the boat were hanging over the side and I was perfectly fine!

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