Sea sickness

Hook-up · 04-25-2002, 11:59 PM

Okay maybe this has been done before and I do not know why I am ashamed to admit but I get deathly sick with out medication on Big Blue. It does not keep me from fishing, but I was wondering what people use to keep from getting sick. I have heard all kinds of stuff over the years: It is all in your head, it is an inner ear thing, it is diet related (a flight surgeon told me this), etc... I have used the over counter stuff, some prescription stuff (pills and the transdrem patches that you put behind your ear). I have tried ginger, B6 (the vitamin) and even those sea band things that go on your wrist. I have taken the pills the night before and the morning of, eaten lots and just a little. I still get sick with out the prescription pills or prescription patches.
What do you other potential pukers use? Has anyone heard of anything new like some type of surgery, new shock treatment or ???

Hook-up · 04-26-2002, 12:07 AM

Oh yeah, I still go every chance I get. I can not stay away. I do not get sick if I take the medication, but simply wish that I did not have have to take them. What do the Navy boys do? Maybe I need to sign on for 6 months of throwing up to get over it? With my luck I would have to work for a few days straight when I got back to dry land, then I would lose my sea legs and **** all over again. Lets hear it, can I mix some gasoline, shrimp oil and peanut butter together and grease my hair down or what? Any ideas?

Pitch Pocket · 04-26-2002, 06:52 AM

I don't know if they still use it, but the Coast Guard and NASA use a drug cocktail of Promethazine (antihistamine) and Ephedrine (decongestant). Promethazine is a prescription drug only and Ephedrine has been recently banned from over the counter sales. They've uncovered some unsettling side effects (like people died from taking it). You can still get it by prescrition, but my doctor said he wouldn't give it to his family.

Pilar · 04-26-2002, 07:11 AM

Sore subject for many and the reason I seldom have to share the fishing grounds with anyone.

I would absolutely avoid alcohol before (even the night before) you ship out. Drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration. Eat something if you get hungry. It seems like I am more prone to motion sickness if I have a headache, hunger, digestive problems or am tired.

It is in your head. The inner ear to be exact. Your senses are in conflict when you are rocking and rolling. The inner ear is telling you one thing and your eyes another. The result of this conflict is sea sick. You get all sweaty and tight in the gut. You start the spiral of .. man this sucks .. I'm getting sick ...

STOP RIGHT THERE!

Stop looking at your hands or laying down or whatever you are doing. Find a boat on the horizon and watch it. Take slow deep breaths. Concentrate on that boat you are watching and try to count the people in it. Or better yet drive the boat and distract yourself that way.

This really works! Looking at the deck or depriving yourself of a horizon will worsen the effects of sea sick. The classic deal is when you stop and tie up your gear once you reach the fishing grounds. You were all good until the boat stopped. Then you spend 5 minutes looking at your hands and the deck in the boat. The villian creeps up on you while you are doing this and Bam you are sea sick. Try looking at the horizon every few seconds and notice the difference this makes.

You will get used to it eventually. The first trip every year is a little rough for me. But within a few hours I'm right back where I belong.

The medication is good too. It gives you confidence and quells the disagreement between your sense of balance and your eyes. Confidence is the cure. Once you get one trip under your belt with no sick you will quit obsessing about it and do something else, like wacking and stacking big fish.

Threemuch · 04-26-2002, 07:22 AM

I have only gotten sick once, but I have come close plenty of times and had many, many, many sick crew. Pilar is right, if you distract yourself, and try to stare at a point on the horizon or some other unmoving object (like a mountain or a rock) and take deep breaths, it will help. Lay down or close your eyes or go below and you are finished. Number one place I see people turn green is untangling crab gear. Stinky baited pot, line hopelessly tangled, boat stopped and rolling, your looking down at the whole mess and....whorf!

If the drugs work, use em. I hate the drugs because for me, they all have bad side effects. Booze is bad. Drink lots of water, and make sure you have something starchy in your stomach. No spicy food, no acidy juices. Sea Bands (grey bands with plastic pressure points) are worthless in my opinion.

Funny thing about sea sickness is that once you hit shore, your sick crew rarely remembers just how bad they felt. They look at the cooler full of fish and go "WOW, that was FUN! When are we going again?" somehow not remembering how they were on a first name basis with death a few minutes ago, trying to make a bargain for early release from this mortal coil.

Anyone ever try the electrical stimulous bands? I was thinking of getting a pair for my wife or any other sick crew I have. Sure would be great to have a drug free remedy, but something tells me it's probably wishfull thinking.

rcl187 · 04-26-2002, 09:44 AM

I'm probably the worst person in the world with sea sickness. Untill I was about 15 I could handle anything that the weather had to throw and if I'm driving or in the front passenger seat looking strait forward (and sitting on my knee's) I still can but the minute I stop to tie a knot, start fishing of doing anything other than look strait ahead I get sick.
I've spent the last 3 commercial fishing in alaska and still get really sick. The first 2 years I just dealt with it and nothing I took actually worked. The captain felt bad but since I still managed to pull my share of work (I don't know how I actually managed to do this) he kept me on. Last summer I found a drug called meclizine that actually worked. I've built up a slight immunity to it having taken it everyday for 4 months and now take 3 to 4 times the recommended dose but it works very well and makes fishing alot funner.

Pete · 04-26-2002, 05:06 PM

Many people feel queezy on the ocean - turn green - but don't get ill until their stomach acid starts to bubble. The solution, which I've seen work amazingly well for several people, is Pepcid A/C before launching! Cheap and effective.

pirk fan · 04-26-2002, 05:49 PM

I use the NOAA bouy reports and marine forecasts to plan trips, If the waves and swell are under 5 feet, and the wave period is over 10 seconds, it's like a lake out there and I usually don't have a problem. If the wave period is 6 seconds or so, with suitably low swell and wave height (choppy seas), I can go for a bit but sooner or later it's going to get to me. The steepness indication tells you something about how choppy it is. That's when having your own boat pays off, when the seasickness comes on, just head back in. Something about running the boat under power, almost never feel sick while I'm driving and under way.

The downside is a lot of trips get cancelled because the ocean fails to cooperate

Joe Schwab · 04-26-2002, 06:13 PM

Here are few hints from one who really gets s.s.
Like a lot of you running the boat does not bother me in the least. Looking down baiting hooks, tieing gear is lethal.
I have found lemon drops extremely helpful. Eat the whole bag! Mint lifesavers also ward off the briny flu. Ginger snaps and water work.
The use of dramamine the night before promotes a deep sleep for me and another hit in the morning, I'm good for the day.
I'm going to try the electronic wristband though. The reports I have had on it are very good.
I've never had it bad enough to stop me from going back out.

:grin:

BlueWater · 04-26-2002, 11:03 PM

The looking down thing is what always gets me as well. So I pre tie more rigs than I think I will need so if I get a tangle I can just put it aside and clip on a new rig.
I have also found it is better to have something on your stomach than nothing. Good old PB&J does the trick for me on the big pond. When I don't eat something like this when I go out it is usually bad news. In my boat if you get sick it is no big deal and I think it is like that for most others also. Just toss your cookies (out side the boat please

) and get on with it. :smile:

One more thing I want to talk about though. Most of the OTC motion sickness meds are the same as OTC sleep meds.

So as a rule if your are going to take them please do so with care if you are the one driving at O'darkthirty to the fishing grounds. I recomend taking them the noc before and then if you must take one again once you get to the ramp. Safety first you know. Trust me I am a professional. :grin:

Have fun.

BlueWater.

STGRule · 04-27-2002, 04:25 PM

I give a great big second and third to the meclizine. I can now go out and NOT get sick. I have tried everything else mentioned here and more. The lemon drops came the closest to helping, but still

. The meclizine has no side effects for me and I can enjoy all of the trip now. I can even eat lunch :smile:

Capin' Dan · 04-30-2002, 01:35 AM

Guys, I keep a sea sickness kit with me at all times. I usually use the scoop the night before and pop a pill dramamine, I drop a second pill about 2 hrs before I head out. the depending on the sea and the state of sea sickness I'm in as to weather I hve to break out the seasickness kit.

What does a sea sickness kit have in it

Clean towels
Some type of bad to **** in and then the cure all
A 9 mm with hollow points this is a garantee cure when all else fails. It just takes you out quickly before you **** your backside hole out your frontside hole if you know what I mean.

I hope all goes well rememebr there will be plenty of us right there besid eyou chumming also. Right Mr. fisherman.

Dan!

Pilar · 04-30-2002, 05:49 AM

:shocked: Whoa!

Roeboat · 04-30-2002, 06:36 PM

I'm one of those lucky guys that has spent a life on the water and only been briefly seasick once. I am usually running the boat or active most of the time. My son gets seasick fairly easy and can get mighty miserable. Some of my buddies jokingly refer to me as Cptn Bligh because I rarely turn back until the boat is limited. I carry lots of water for the unfortunate pukers (and I really do understand their misery...it gets downright nasty out there at times on the big blue and it can be a long run home). The meclizine medication sounds like it has a following. Is it an over the counter medication and is it suitable for children? I've noticed my boy complains of a bad stomach before the illness strikes hard so the pepto solution may have a lot of merit also. I tell people to look at the horizon, not to look down, etc., but by that time the damage is usually done. And funny thing, turn the boat around and they sometimes get well in a hurry, especially my boy. He is already asking when we are headed to Westport. It really would be nice to have something to ease his upset stomach for someone that loves to fish as much as the youngster does.

rcl187 · 04-30-2002, 09:32 PM

The meclizine used to be by prescription only but they've changed it to an over the counter drug. Many stores don't carry it and of the ones that do a good majority keep it behind the counter. Just ask the pharmisist for the 25 mg tablets. Prices were about $12/100 tablets last time when I bought it in bulk.

bullhead · 04-30-2002, 09:49 PM

Well all that's been written is fine advice. I've only been sick once, so I know how terrible it is. I can tell you that I've had friends that just plain get sick no matter what. Some of these guys are the toughest dudes on land you'd ever meet. Once on the water, and the boat comes to a stop, it's game over...barf city!

So, the bottom line after years of watching them try everything, the only thing that really works for people like this are the scapalomine (sp?) patches. They were like a miracle drug when they came out and they're relatively side effect free...from what I'm told.

If they work for you, go with it and never look back. It's not worth experimenting the next ten years over it. Enjoy your time on the water!

It's not mental believe me. It's just the way some of us are wired together.

Bullhead

[ 04-30-2002, 10:52 PM: Message edited by: bullhead ]

rcl187 · 05-07-2002, 01:22 PM

fish-on ~ that could get expensive really quick. Let's keep it simple and say 1/2 J per "cure" and it lasts what a max of 4 hours so thats atleast 1 J per outing and since there's 3 people in the boat and all of them are going to want to prevent sea sickness we're up to 3 J's per outing. Since I like to fish as much as possible say 10 times a month that's 360/year. That's proabably a couple ounces which equals atleast $500 - I say go with the dramamine or patches :smile: besides i don't think the game officers would follow this train of thought very well

fish_on · 05-07-2002, 11:44 PM

I have it on word from a doctor that a few puffs off a J will cure and prevent sea sickness. Before you get defensive on this...he was told this by a charter captain in Alaska after being very sea sick for 2 days. He took the capt's advise found a guy on the street and had a good trip the rest of the time, no more pukeing.