November 19, 2005

Underway: Seasickness

Hatched by Sachi

I work for the United States Navy as a civilian engineer. What I do requires me to be on ships a lot, but most of the time, I simply visit the ship at a port or shipyard. In fact, in four years of my Navy career, I never had to go underway untill this fiscal year started, and I joined a new project team.

When I thought of riding a ship, the first thing that worried me was seasickness. I am prone to some types of motion sickenss: I get car sick, air sick, and even a Disneyland ride can make me sick. I heard horror stories from my co-workers, some of whom said they carried around "barf bags" everywhere they went. Some guys were sick even before the ship left the harbor, and one guy was actually helpless with seasickness while the ship was still tied to the pier!

One of my co-workers got so dehydrated, he had to be treated with an IV drip. Needless to say, this job is not particularly popular amongst many of the engineers... and I think some of them use their weakness as a weapon: since they get seasick, they don't have to go underway for weeks at a time, without even being able to call home, like I have to.

The problem with getting sick on a Navy ship is that, for obvious reasons, you can't get off the boat. If the ship is not too far from land, they can helo you out; but otherwise, you're just stuck. And the on-board medical personnel cannot do much for a civilian; they're not authorized to give you anything much more than aspirin, unless it's a medical emergency.

The first time I went underway, I was really worried about being seasick. I brought enough Bonine pills to last for two weeks and took them religiously for the first week. Although Bonine is not supposed to make you drowsy, I felt like I was half asleep all the time. Every time I sat down, with the combination of the Bonine and the rocking motion of the ship, I was out like a light... and the Navy takes a dark view of people falling asleep on watch, military or civilian.

I finally had to give up and stop taking the pills -- and then it turend out that I don't get seasick at all! Even in a rough ocean, when some of the sailors themselves were down on the floor holding their heads, I was perfectly fine. At one meeting, a young officer was giving a presentation. Suddenly he stopped in the middle and fled to the bathroom. (What do you do if you find out you're prone to seasickness after you enlist in the Navy?)

Dafydd tells me ginger pills work well, according to Adam and Jamie on the show Mythbusters: they were the only non-pharmaceutical cure that actually worked for Adam Savage, who has a terrible problem with seasickness. I should recommend that to my coworkers. That way, they will have no more excuses for not going underway, and I won't have to go so often.

Hatched by Sachi on this day, November 19, 2005, at the time of 6:49 PM

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Comments

The following hissed in response by: RiverRat

Sachi,

By way of background, I've fished Alaskan waters professionally in my youth, spent 4 years in the Navy, and lived at least 6 months a year on my 42 ft. sailing yacht for the last 10 years. I have about 35,000 NM as Captain or Navigator on ocean sailing yachts.

Here's the point. Everyone get seasick at some point and it's usually in the first few days at sea. For most people ginger doesn't work. I think it's like many things including acupressure wristbands. The placebo effect.

Stugeron is the best but hard to get in the US but readily available in Mexico (read Tijuana for you). Take a full dose the day before departure, a half dose on day one at sea, and a a quarter dose on day two at sea. Thereafter nothing until things get really rough. The moment you start feeling nauseous take a half dose and reduce again until to you're comfortable with the increased motion.

The greatest cure for most people is more time at sea; one the most beautiful and challenging environments on earth. After a few voyages you'll know what type and intensity of motion most affects you and can effectively manage any affliction you may have.

Also, after a lengthy and rough passage get ready mal de terra. It's as real as mal de mar.

The above hissed in response by: RiverRat [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 19, 2005 9:56 PM

The following hissed in response by: Sachi

Thank you for the helpful hint.  

>Also, after a lengthy and rough passage get ready mal de terra. It's as real as mal de mar.

I am guessing, but this means "landsickness?" Actually, I noticed myself leaning on something whenever I am standing. Because I feel like the land is moving. Is this "mal de terra?"

The above hissed in response by: Sachi [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 20, 2005 1:46 AM

The following hissed in response by: RiverRat

I am guessing, but this means "landsickness?" Actually, I noticed myself leaning on something whenever I am standing. Because I feel like the land is moving. Is this "mal de terra?"

Yes it is. At it's worst it can make you nauseous.

The above hissed in response by: RiverRat [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 20, 2005 5:05 PM

The following hissed in response by: punslinger

I always suggested sardines on soda crackers.

The above hissed in response by: punslinger [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 20, 2005 8:43 PM

The following hissed in response by: Patrick S Lasswell

In my eight years on destroyers I learned that the best method is to rest well the night before getting underway, take the pills before getting underway, get plenty of rest while adjusting to the motion, eat regularly, and stay focussed on tasks when you can't rest.

It helps to remember that being underway is not the same as being in motion. On the way back from six weeks in the Carribean in March of 1994 we hit a storm off the Bahamas and it just about laid out the whole ship. I remember walking back from the bow the first morning and passing a friend who was not looking at all well. He asked me how I could look so fresh. I explained that I had just finished vomiting and that I was on my way aft to get cleaning gear. There was no point in dwelling on the unpleasantness since I had a good fifteen minutes of deck cleaning ahead of me. The only way I was going to make it through 900 seconds of chasing loose bile in the bow of a Spruance class destroyer rolling through a storm was to maintain a positive attitude.

The above hissed in response by: Patrick S Lasswell [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 21, 2005 8:12 PM

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