Experience with medicine for motion sickness

[Chrizwald]

I used the transderm scop patch this last year.

I'm the type of person that can't really ride in the backseat of a car for long periods, so I needed it. I only had to go see my doctor and it was covered by my insurance. Although, if you pick up at CVS or Walgreens, ask them to check out the goodrx code, it was cheaper that way.

I was able to ride nearly everything. Simulators still got me pretty good, especially Star Tours. The first time I ride FOP, it was great. The second time, I was on the bottom row and it was not so great. So try requesting to be on the center row for FOP if they'll let you.

 

[Boopuff]

I swear by my patch! I took a cruise (the Big Red Boat - way back before Disney launched their own boat) I was dying the entire time. Dramamine knocked me out and I felt foggy. After that trip I went to the doc and was told about the patch. Saved my life!! I have been on boats, rollercoasters and lived. However, every miracle has a price - I still can not, will not go on simulators or spinning rides. I'm afraid to try Sumugglers run but I may just put on the patch and go!

 

[Chrizwald]

I swear by my patch! I took a cruise (the Big Red Boat - way back before Disney launched their own boat) I was dying the entire time. Dramamine knocked me out and I felt foggy. After that trip I went to the doc and was told about the patch. Saved my life!! I have been on boats, rollercoasters and lived. However, every miracle has a price - I still can not, will not go on simulators or spinning rides. I'm afraid to try Sumugglers run but I may just put on the patch and go!

Smuggler's was easy enough for me. Although u was an engineer and not looking at the screen for the full time

 

[JeninTexas]

Dramamine Less Drowsy works great for me. I take it in the morning and ride whatever I am afraid I will have problems with within a couple hours of taking it. I usually only have motion sickness with spinning rides or simulators. I used it to ride FOP on our last trip and it helped a lot. We rode it 3 times. The first time was at an after hours event and I hadn't taken anything. Once on the ride I started to feel nauseous so I had to close my eyes for the rest of the ride. The next 2 times, I took the Dramamine and was fine. I never noticed being drowsy or having any side effects from it.

 

[TeacupsForever]

I've never gotten motion sickness from a ride, but I do get it on cruise ships and long-haul flights. My husband ran out to buy dramamine for me a few weeks ago before a transatlantic flight, and he accidentally picked up a version I'd never seen before: Dramamine Natural. Turns out it's just a heaping dose of ginger! It worked for me and didn't cause any drowsiness. Maybe that's worth considering? I've also used Seabands before, which are stretchy bracelets that work by activating a pressure point on your wrist.

 

[KC1028]

I swear by these patches from Amazon. I get terrible motion sickness, and these patches have worked for me at Disney, Universal, and Six Flags. If I know it will be a high intensity ride day, I sometimes take Bonine as well in the morning.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Oh I wish drugs worked for me! I hate when flights are long.

 

[fla4fun]

Meclizine is what works best for me. I get very nauseous in the 360 movies and simulator rides, as well as spinning rides. But one meclizine a day and I am good to go. I just get the generic at the store and it works as well as the brand name for me. Regular Dramamine (the original stuff) made me sick as soon as I took it, before I even started moving and once I started moving, I was miserable. I was thrilled when I tried the meclizine and it worked so well.

 

[Heather07438]

Meclizine is a godsend at turning off nausea or a vomit cycle from motion sickness, even after the fact.

The 2 things I always pack for WDW (and luckily don't use often) is moleskin for blisters and meclizine just in case someone has a bad reaction to a ride. They both get brought in to the parks with us to collect dust, lol. But when we need them, ahhhh relief!!!

I'm have no medical credentials but a method for reducing side effects is taking half the prescribed amount. Not for medications that your health relies on, but OTC meds for allergies, sleep help, pain reliever, motion sickness. If you expect to be full blown then by all means take a full dose, but a half dose is often enough to make a difference especially when you don't normally take it and haven't built up any tolerance.

 

[xipotec]

Just for reference, so people know what drug they are taking currently in 2020.

Meclizine= (Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy, Dramamine N, Antivert)

Dimenhydrinate= (Dramamine regular Chewables and original, Gravol products)

Ginger= (Dramamine Non Drowsy, Bonine Non Drowsy, Dramamine N) Yes, there are 2 different Dramamine Ns.

Diphenhydramine= (Benadryl)

Scopolamine (TransDerm Scop *** Prescription only***)

Always check the ingredients for the active drug (Meclizine, diphenhydramine, etc), and remember brand names are always changing. The brand names are for marketing purposes.

They are using Doxylamine in some also.

 

[SamanthaH]

They are using Doxylamine in some also.

Currently in the US, doxylamine (1st generation antihistamine) is being marketed as a sleep aid and used in Unisom and various cough/ cold preps. It is yet another sedating option. There are better choices for motion sickness and as an antihistamine, unless it is used at bed time.

 

[xipotec]

Currently in the US, doxylamine (1st generation antihistamine) is being marketed as a sleep aid and used in Unisom and various cough/ cold preps. It is yet another sedating option. There are better choices for motion sickness and as an antihistamine, unless it is used at bed time.

Correct, we just got some off branded product showing it in “anti motion sickness”

 

[chaboyd]

I’m a pharmacist with terrible motion sickness. Like the above poster mentioned, Transdermal-Scop (scopolamine) is the most effective motion sickness medication we have on the market in the US when put to clinical studies. It is prescription only. It is important that she applies the patch behind her ear at least 4 hours before riding any rides. It can be left on for 72 hours. Some people can not tolerate the patch due to drowsiness, dry mouth, and blurry vision. Other over the counter remedies are dimenhydrinate (brand name: Dramamine) or Meclizine (Bonine or Dramamine N). It is important to check the ingredient label for the active medication which is dimenhydrinate or meclizine). Brand names change. Dimenhydrinate and meclizine both can cause drowsiness, dry mouth, and blurry vision. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) can also be used. These should be taken at least an hour before riding any rides. There are many people who find their own remedies such as ginger, sucking on apples and lemons, wrist bands, and counter maneuvers like sitting in the front of a roaster. In clinical studies, these remedies do not stand up very well, but may work for some people. It is also very possible that no medication works to combat her motion sickness, even Transderm Scop. The remedies we have today are not effective for all motion sickness sufferers. I find my vacation much more enjoyable if I avoid the rides that make me sick. Space Mountain once made me lose 24 hours of our trip!

Thanks for the info Samantha and all. I never used to be bothered at all, but now that I am an old lady (turning 50) there were several rides that really got me a couple of years ago. Hoping to go back in August to DW and I want to still be able to enjoy all the rides.

 

[palmtreelover08]

I get severe motion sickness. I take Bonine and it doesn’t make me sleepy- as long as I eat a decent meal with it. I cannot explain why that is. Without the pill - I would not be able to ride many of the rides- but with it- I can ride Everest, Rock and Roller Coaster, Flight of Passage, and Rise of the Resistance once. I still cannot ride / Star Tours, Tower of Terror or Teacups if we make them spin. If I try and ride any of the more extreme rides more than once in a short period of time- it does not go well- especially Everest. Ps- I also feel much better riding in the front row of Everest. The backward motion does not seem as severe (to me). To gauge my motion sickness level- I need it to be a passenger in front of a car, in the back of a car, bus, or on a boat. I would not take a cruise if they paid me to do it.

Pss- the non drowsy stuff gives me a migraine. Can’t explain that either.

 

[Starwind]

Just for reference, so people know what drug they are taking currently in 2020.

Meclizine= (Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy, Dramamine N, Antivert)

Dimenhydrinate= (Dramamine regular Chewables and original, Gravol products)

Ginger= (Dramamine Non Drowsy, Bonine Non Drowsy, Dramamine N) Yes, there are 2 different Dramamine Ns.

Diphenhydramine= (Benadryl)

Scopolamine (TransDerm Scop *** Prescription only***)

Always check the ingredients for the active drug (Meclizine, diphenhydramine, etc), and remember brand names are always changing. The brand names are for marketing purposes.

FYI for Canadians, the Scopolamine patch is available "behind the counter" at pharmacies without a prescription.

SW

 

[Starwind]

Pss- the non drowsy stuff gives me a migraine. Can’t explain that either.

Could it be one of the other ingredients in the products ?

For example, many of the non-drowsy meclizine products, especially the chewables, contain aspartame, which gives me an instant severe migraine [aspartame in any item does this to me, even at trace amounts]. The Dramamine Less Drowsy doesn't contain it and I am fine with it and actually sometimes use it for migraine-related nausea. YMMV.

SW

 

[magicband]

I’m pretty sensitive to motion, even star tours gets me feeling pretty funky afterwards. Last trip I decided to give sea bands a try and I was very impressed. I went on FOP, something that surely would have got me feeling off, but had absolutely no issue. I couldn’t believe walking off of that ride feeling completely normal. Even Tower if Terror gets me, but this time again I was totally fine. Might not work for everyone, but worth a try! I bought mine from the gift shop at Kidani, so I’m sure most resorts sell them.

 

[DrunkJam]

We are in the UK. My daughter gets really bad motion sickness, and takes Kwells or Joy-Rides, both of which are hyoscine hydrobromide, which i *think* is scopolamine in the US. These are OTC in the UK, and seem to be effective (she needs two spaced doses for a transatlantic flight)
She needs them for ANY car journey of more than about 20 minutes, any long distance train journey and, her school won't take her on ANY bus journey day trip without them, (they did it ONCE)

 

[Deb & Bill]

I had a fresh patch on after our Disney Cruise (survived the cruise, but still felt sick from time to time - one and done) and wanted to try Space Mt. It was horrible and I vowed never again. I can't spin, go up and down, jerk around. Also no simulators (I got really sick on the Aladdin's Ride at Disney Quest many years go - had to close my eyes and even that didn't help much, so I got off the ride). So there are a lot of rides I just can't do. I also tried Dramamine, Meclizine, ginger cookies, ginger, seabands. One of the very first rides I tried was Big Thunder Mt and it also was horrible and I spent the rest of the day lying in bed. She just might be like me and can't do most of the attractions. She just might like people watching; it's almost as fun as doing the attractions. Sometimes more fun.

I also get vertigo from time to time, usually because the crystals in my ear fall out of place. Then I have to go to the ENT and get them moved back into place.

 

[loves to dive]

I take Bonine when I dive (I learned the hard way you can indeed throw up in your regulator). It doesn't make me drowsy but you do need to take a dose the night before to get it into your system then take another the next day. Works great for me, doesn't impair anything and no more nasty regulators.