Motion sickness tips?

[pamjoh]

I am looking for tips on how to combat motion sickness. During turbluence, decent and landing on airplane also on cruises. Any suggestions? I am extremely sensitive, my 8yo is somewhat sensitive, 4yo seems to be okay.

Thanks,
pamjoh

[SarahS]

There's some info on motion sickness medications in this article: http://www.independenttraveler.com/r...290&category=5 (scroll down a bit).

I'm not overly sensitive, but I really had a bad experience on a boat in the Caribbean in January. Luckily, on the ride back, one of the boat's crew gave me a couple of Benadryl tablets (I took them maybe 30 minutes before we left). I had no idea Benadryl was good for motion sickness, but it definitely did the trick for me. A side benefit was that it knocked me nearly unconscious for the entire boat ride -- might be good for a lengthy plane ride where there isn't anything better to do.

[Host Bonjour]

Hi Pamjoh:

Have you ever spoken to a doctor about the condition? There could me medical reasons for your feeling the way you do. Airline cabins are pressurized (once in flight) anywhere from 7,000 to 10,000 feet) except of course, while you are on the ground. This all has to do with aerodynamics.

But, since you went into the specifics of WHEN you feel sick, and I have two pilots in my family - I know a thing or two about aviation. The three things you list regarding flying are in fact the three most dangerous aspects of flying and moreover, most difficult for new pilots to learn how to handle correctly. Most larget commercial jets could *almost* take off and land themselves with all the computers on board etc but really, they do still need pilots. Computers can't factor in every variable, they can malfunction, but a well trained pilot still knows how to fly that bad boy! You have to know that commercial pilots have flown thousands of hours and are required spend even more in simulators practicing, for the most part, worst case scenario type situations so *if* anything were to happen, they have been trained to do everything possible to correct the problem and keep the passengers & crew safe (not to mention, keep from losing a very expensive airplane!)

Perhaps you saw a Discovery channel show or something similar thing that went into details about flying......I often wonder if this is a good thing for the general public unless they too have had a few basic classroom hours on basic aviation. It actually is QUITE SAFE and nothing could have proved this to me more than when I went up in a GLIDER; not hangliding, the kind of light plane with no engine; there was a pilot up there with me, a plane towed us up and I pulled the handle to release the tow rope! We were free flying on our own and I was honestly very nervous going up even though I'd flown with my father in small aircraft several times, but we had an engine. After the pilot got us to a certain area and I was done oohing and aahing (there is something amazing about being up high in the air but with no noise; I guess there is no other way to feel like a bird!) the pilot said to me, OK, now you fly! I was like, uh........what? All there is in a glider is a "stick" used to up or down and foot pedals used to go right or left. So I took the controls and then suddenly, when the plane respondend to what I told it to do, I believed in the ability to fly safely and be in control - we weren't up there just by luck. I even have pics of me flying cause he had to use his hands to take the photos (pilot was behind me) so you KNOW I was flying!

I was considered about how he'd land the thing but he did it the same way my Dad would do it; based on the wind direction, he made his approach (an approach that I was familiar with - Downwind, Base, Final) and voila, we were gently on the ground, on the one wheel the thing had and when we slowed to a stop, it just leans over to one side and you pop the hatch and get out. It was and still is one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had.

Another thought I had was the 9/11 attackers; they took flying lessons, but not to learn to take off & land - the hardest parts of flying............how this didn't tip off the idiot flight instructors, I'll never know but there it is. So a lot of things could be going on in your mind.

You should know that every aspect of the plane's movement, from push-back, to taxi, to queueing for take-off to being cleared for take-off, is controlled by "ground control" and then once the bird is in the air, it gets handed off to the next controller, a local area flight controller clearing all planes arriving and departing. The pilot gets his/her instructions as to which direction to fly (irregardless of destination for the first few minutes) and what altitude to climb to. Kinda the same thing in reverse when landing although approaches as they are called, can vary (especially in rate of descent, type of approach etc) but they are being monitored and talking to controllers the entire time.

As for turbulence, the last few times I've flown and there was turbulence (which I actually like if it's not too crazy) I've found that whenever possible, pilots will try to call in a request to change altitude to take the plane out of the path of the turbulence; many times they will tell you this, sometimes they are too busy working on it to tell you but they do try; it makes work easier for the crew and it certainly makes the passengers calmer. A lot of the time they can get clearance to go to a higher or lower altitude to dodge the turbulence and everyone is happy. If they can't, someone from the flight deck willl come on and tell you what to expect, about how long to expect it and not to worry. I understand it is un-nerving to feel a plane shudder or bounce, but it's not unlike most any other modes of transportation when conditions are not ideal. I've been on boats (not cruise ships) where the water was so choppy and rough I WISH I HAD BEEN ON A PLANE! Rough car rides, bus rides (now that's something that'll make me sick - smooth or not) and so really, if it's not a medical problem, perhaps trying to understand the process of flying and that there are so many safety systems in place, to the point of redundancy, that is really is indeed a safe way to travel.

Remember before when I mentioned the pushback and taxi? Well before the plane ever pushes back, EVERY SINGLE TIME a captain and first officer are preparing for their next flight, they run through checklists - even with all the computers, and flying the same plane all the time, they do the checklist EVERY time. It's required. There is also what is called a "walk around" and as low man on the totem pole, it's usually the first officer who walks all around the entire plane with that checklist - he looks at everything he is supposed to look at per the list and maybe a few things that he just wants to see for himself. Next, while the plane is taxi-ing, the pilots are putting the plane through some mechanical checks that most passengers never notice; they check the wing flaps, air brakes, rudder on the tail fin - all kinds of things to ensure they are operational because, they will need these items to function when they are flying and landing. So if you ever get ticked off because a pilot announces that they are going back to the gate on account of a mechanical - be glad; he may have delayed you, but he was smart enough to go back for safety. Most pilots LOVE TO FLY; they don't want to die.

Aside from trying to explain some airplane stuff, tell my glider story and suggesting you check with your doctor as to any possible problems, I suggest trying to focus on creative visualisation techniques for take-off and landing; thinking of a favorite place, some people say prayers, some just close their eyes, some take a shot of JD (wouldn't work for your little one) but your off into the air so fast, you can then start thinking of where you are going which is hopefully a fun destination and consider that one part of your concerns is now over and, heck, now your flying and it's all good! Or, you could think of it as an adventure ride - I love the rush of speed that builds up as we throttle down the runway and then gently lift off, up, up and away. That was one thing about being on the TGV (France's super high speed train) is that it feels, and reaches at some point, an airplane's take off speed, and yet, the darn thing stays on the ground!! So the whole time, you're sitting there with the thrust pushing you back against your seat but, alas, no take-off! One could argue that we are indeed flying, across the land, but well....it was funny.

Wanna know my silly, stupid ritual that I have done ever since I was a kid that my Dad told me to do? When boarding the plan, the jetway always is bigger than the door opening so you can see the actual body of the plane. My Dad, for some reason, decided to tell me to touch the outside of the plane for good luck, and to this day, countless flights from childhood into adulthood all around the world, I still do it! I also usually cross myself and I often see other people of other faiths pray prior to a flight so whatever works, ya do it. My Mom was once on a flight to Puerto Rico, naturally a lot of natives were on board as well and what worked for them pretty well were GIANT bottles of RUM and lots of calls out to "DIOS MIO" and "SANTA MARIA" etc. Worked for them.

I hope some of this helped. Please don't worry; flying is great - it gets you to and from places that decades ago, we could never have visited. Living in I'm more worried about being run over by a bus or some idiot driving an SUV that is WAY TO BIG for our tiny little streets!

Good luck!

[WackyHeathen]

I wouldn't typically recommend this, but if your sensitivity is keeping you from flying, and travel is something that you really value, you might want to see your doctor. He or she may prescribe something calming that could take the edge off.

I'm definitely an advocate of going sans-medication if you can, but sometimes modern pharmacology can be quite helpful.

Cheers,

Wacky

[deanac24]

I get sick everytime I go on a cruise. I went to my doctor and he prescribed Scopolamine patches for me. They really work well on motion sickness.

[nomadchef]

I'm glad I've outgrown my motion sickness. Never was I troubled again since 16. My 8 year old daughter do suffer from it though. Bonamine doesn't work but sweets does wonder to her. I dunno why.

[melyant]

I am sensitive as are my kids and after a couple of trips to mexico which have lots of mountains which make me extremly ill and they also make me vertigoed and my children too (this is a 31 hour trips one way including stops), please if you want natural for you and children look for Quesy pops they really really work I promise, if you don't find these easily then try peppermint candy and also ginger(I know weird, but works) and lemon drops too these are the bases of the suckers and they do work.
Benadryl and Dramamine work but even the drowsy make you sleepy and sometimes opposites on kids.they get a little crazy. I have been trying lots of different things but these wrok.I do take dramamine myself if I don't need to be awake.

P.S. Do not drink any orange juice before travel this has the opposite affect. I will make you nauseous!!

[mitchmatch]

I really love to travel but like you I had this motion sickness too, riding a boat, plane and even buses sometimes... I haven't seen any doctors yet but there are some on the counter medicines out there and I tried it I took 'Bonamine' 2 hours before the flight... and it works well with me...

[helloworldbea]

i suffer from motion sickness at times and peppermint or some sort of mint really helps me. i always make it a point to have some mints when i fly. i think the fresh taste makes the feeling of nausea go away

[waveringhobbit]

Sleep throughout the trip. It's definitely effective. Just make sure to wake up on your stop.

[melyant]

this is why I take benedryl and i just fall asleep in the areas where I would normally get sick.It makes me tired.

[patriciamd]

Take Dramamine or Bonine an hour before the trip. That could help. Also, try taking a nap while there (just make sure not to lose your kids!).

[corleone]

Originally Posted by helloworldbea

i suffer from motion sickness at times and peppermint or some sort of mint really helps me. i always make it a point to have some mints when i fly. i think the fresh taste makes the feeling of nausea go away

Yeah that's true, Peppermint really works for me too. But i think it is depends on the person though.

[bayoisa]

Dramamine and Bonamine seem to help to stop motion sickness. Just be sure to check for non drowsy formulas. If you don't wish to take any meds, you can sleep your way to your next stop.

[rich]

I think you should practice on the Virtual Reality system , and face your fears to overcome them because it is the only way out .

[LadyLuvsTravl]

Don't have a full stomach. This happened to me when we were taking a bus from our resort to the airport and I didn't think the bus driver was driving crazy or anything like that. But I do know it was very early in the morning and the night before we were up eating late (saying goodbyes and enjoying our last night there) but all of a sudden when on that bus, my stomach started feeling like you shouldn't have eaten so late....I tried so hard not to move or even breathe. But it didn't work. So I ended up using my only jacket as a barf bag. And yes of course we were on a cold flight coming home. But my stomach felt much better!