Nausea while flying?

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Apr 8, 2020
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Apparently I am not a good flyer! Two years ago, went to Mexico, and needless to say, did not go well. Nothing worse than throwing up on a plane. Ended up getting a hold of some Zofran which helped.
Anybody had good luck with the prescription motion sickness medication’s or is Dramamine still as good as anything else?

Will be flying by myself in a couple weeks so I can’t be totally bombed out of my head, but would prefer not to feel like death the entire time.
 
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tdoublev

FNG
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Sep 25, 2022
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Dramamine is still king, but I agree it makes me groggy like no other. There’s less drowsy versions. You can also take a ginger supplement. Just ground up dried ginger. It actually does work pretty well with no side effects. Don’t get the ‘natural’ non-drowsy version of Dramamine because that is just ground ginger for x10 the price of the supplement - they’re the same thing.

I also bought a ‘relief band’ and put it through its paces. Was pretty skeptical how well it would work but after riding shotgun for 50 minutes through very curvy Maryland roads unexpectedly, I felt alright. I wasn’t 100% unaffected, but without it I 100% would have puked my guts out. The shocking is a pretty weird feeling, but it starts working almost immediately. I have to go to 4 out of 5 shock factor. I think of it more as my contingency plan than my plan A, in case I end up in a bad situation without time for Dramamine to kick in.

There are prescription patches you can get that go behind the ear or on the stomach. Those are supposedly the best but require like 4-8 hours of application before they kick in. But they can last for days. Moreso for cruises than a single flight. Having a weak stomach is the worst - I feel for you brother.
 
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rough seas are the only thing that ever got to me. Dramamine & Bonine never did anything to help but the Scopolamine patches work great. There's some serious sorcery in them bad boys. They supposedly last for a few days but I just take them off as soon as I get off the boat & you could do the same when the plane lands.
Just remember to wash your hands thoroughly after you touch them or you could have serious vision problems for a while
 

Jacack

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I have been a boat captain for 20+ years. I have seen more seasick people than most and the biggest mistake is trying to take dramamine or bonine as they step on the boat or just a hr before.

I would guess that with people fishing multiple days with me out of the ones that get sick on day one when I tell them to take the meds the night before at bedtime 95% don't get sick the next day and don't feel as wiped out.

I highly recommend taking it the night before and again as they get on the boat. Makes a huge difference.
 
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I have been a boat captain for 20+ years. I have seen more seasick people than most and the biggest mistake is trying to take dramamine or bonine as they step on the boat or just a hr before.

I would guess that with people fishing multiple days with me out of the ones that get sick on day one when I tell them to take the meds the night before at bedtime 95% don't get sick the next day and don't feel as wiped out.

I highly recommend taking it the night before and again as they get on the boat. Makes a huge difference.
This, I used to offshore fish for 10 years with a couple guys who didn't handle the motion of a larger sport fisherman very well. The first few years were either half asleep from the dramamine or if they didn't take it they were hanging over the side all day. Once they started taking dramamine the night before they were fine.
 
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Zdub02

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I take dramamine before flying and cannot watch any videos or on flight movies. I always take it on or just before boarding and have great luck not getting sick. I also try to sleep as much as possible on the flight to be proactive and preventative instead of trying to recover once sick. I feel your pain OP - it's a horrid feeling.
 

LightFoot

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In addition to Dramamine, take your shoes off (wearing lightweight socks), wear a short sleeve shirt, shorts or light pants, loosen belt, and make sure you stay cool to cold. That helps me. Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Jake_B

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Like others, take the medicine day/night before you fly.

I’ve found having a window seat helps me immensly. Being able to see the movements of the plane helped with the motion sickness.
 

rideold

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Put one earplug in. Don't know why it works but for some folks it's magical. My wife discovered it on a sailboat once upon a time.....funny thing is she had to put the earplug in one ear when she got on land after a week afloat. She was fine the whole time on the boat. Took her a few days to get her land legs back. Guess that's better than being motion sick the whole trip. Go figure.
 
OP
Glockster26
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Thank you all for the input. Talked with my Dr. this morning. She said Dramamine is usually just as effective as anything else, but did give me a couple Zofran if things just head south.
 

sjwfarms

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All good advice. I'd recommend the same strategy with Zofran. Take it well before you need it.

Spent a day on the pacific tuna fishing recently (chumming actually) because I took the tablet too late. Still got the wonderful headache that usually comes with taking it but didn't ease the sickness.

Good luck, motion sickness is no fun.
 

rkcdvm

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another vote for meclizine. You can get it OTC. Its the "Less drowsy " Dramamine.
Scopolamine works really well too but last I checked it was still Rx only. Its OTC in many countries.
If you go the patch route I think you have to apply it 12-24 hours before your flight.
 

S-3 ranch

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I have been a boat captain for 20+ years. I have seen more seasick people than most and the biggest mistake is trying to take dramamine or bonine as they step on the boat or just a hr before.

I would guess that with people fishing multiple days with me out of the ones that get sick on day one when I tell them to take the meds the night before at bedtime 95% don't get sick the next day and don't feel as wiped out.

I highly recommend taking it the night before and again as they get on the boat. Makes a huge difference.
Same here 30+ years offshore, always take the medication the night before
seen lots of people sleep through the whole charter.
the ear patch and sipping ginger ale, keeping eyes on the harizon
reading a book or computer screen is the kiss of death
 
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If you have time, get a prescription for Scopolamine pills, not the patch. Your doc will have to write it. Take 2 at least 1 hour before flight/boat/fight with your wife. NO MORE SICK. It will give you slight cotton mouth.
 

CCooper

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I've been an ocean puker since I was a kid. I live near the coast and have never been able to shake it. I can last awhile but ask me to bait a hook and I'm done. Never had a problem flying even in rough small planes. Dramamine and RX stuff = sleepy, and puking. I have tried everything known to man and have concurred its highly mental. Halibut and Tuna trips are a No-Go for me unfortunately unless I want a seriously miserable day.
 

yfarm

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Window seat keep your eyes on the horizon. Wife was raised in a boat, used to sleep up under the bow of a runabout used to fish off Far Rockaway as a little girl. Never seasick in her life. Out trolling one day in normal seas and she goes down in the cuddy, sits in a chair that is crosswise to the hull and reads a book, 15minutes and she is hanging over the side. Transderm scop works well just have to take it before you are on the plane. I got a wicked headache the one time I took it before my first offshore trip but no nausea. The navy says that 3 days at sea will cure most sailors, the ones that persist will never acclimate and are assigned shore duty. We keep Zofran on the boat but treating after the fact is less effective.
 
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