Preventing Seasickness

We were full of it, teenagers newly graduated from high school who thought ourselves indestructible. The deck mates warned everyone that day of menacing seas and inclement weather and that the long run to open water would be less than pleasant. They didn't even bother to discuss the pitching of the 80-foot boat once we arrived, knowing that the people experiencing seasickness would have long since been feeling the effects. Having witnessed many incredible trips in the salt, I never once considered it possible to get sick at sea. We thought ourselves to be salty dogs and scoffed at these seasoned veterans as they told us that this would be a bad day for those that contracted seasickness. We paid our money and mumbled to each other about the poor fools that got sick while doing something as fun as fishing.

It was somewhere on the way out to the bluefish grounds through the 12-foot rollers that the first few got sick. Soon, more than half of the 25 anglers who deemed themselves hardy enough to fish in bad weather were crowded around the many 35 gallon trash pails that littered the boat's giant cabin. All were emptying their guts. You'd go between puking and lying curled up in the fetal position trying to will your body to eradicate the nausea that consumed you.

For those that have not contracted the affliction, it is somewhere between food poisoning, the flu and a bad hangover. Combine nausea, cold sweats, and dizziness with aches and pains and the inability to shake the symptoms, and you have the basic gist. I can attest to these facts, as I was obviously one of the sick.

The thing about seasickness is that while it is a physical ailment, for those that experience the syndrome, a mental aspect creeps into the equation that somehow makes it easier to get sick the next time. It is as if you expect to get sick, so thereby make sure that it happens. It can take a lifelong saltwater fisherman and leave him at the dock. It's with this travesty in mind that this column brings to focus the array of remedies on the market-from age-old motion sickness and nausea fighting agents to today's impressive prescription drugs.

Essence of Seasickness

In a simplistic sense, motion sickness occurs when the eyes and inner ear start giving different signals to the brain. The eyes are able to instantaneously adjust to the pitching of the boat on water, while it takes the ears a little longer to process the message. The motion of the boat on the water also stresses the brain in areas responsible for balance and this may disrupt the system.

Some people are completely immune while others gain immunity through exposure. For the unfortunate, symptoms can begin as soon as a foot is set on the boat. The severity of seasickness is influenced by the irregular pressure of the bowels against the diaphragm caused by the rising and falling of the boat. Oftentimes, vomiting will not alleviate the symptoms and will make it harder to stop the nausea.

Fortunately, there are many credible remedies on the market and you can take precautions while on the water to minimize the frequency and intensity of episodes.

Basic Prevention Tactics

There are a few things that one can do to stop or at least slow down the onset of seasickness. They include:

1. Stay outside in the open air if possible. If forced indoors, face forward and look out a window, while not fixing the eyes on one point. Don't go below deck.

2. Don't read or engage in behavior (i.e. card game) that causes you to focus on a specific point. Keep your peripheral vision on the horizon.

3. Eat and drink lightly, and try to stay away from fatty and spicy food. Eliminate the big, greasy breakfast the morning of, and reduce the amount of alcohol the night before and during the trip. Stay away from caffeine the day before and of the trip. Drink enough water to stay hydrated.

4. Stay positive and busy and eliminate thoughts of getting sick.

5. Keep warm, relaxed and comfortable. Lie down, but only if this allows you to continue to see the horizon.

6. For some, steering the boat can help.

A Few Natural Cures for Mild Seasickness

Here are some of the natural cures available today:

1. Cocculine is a homeopathic remedy comprised of ingredients that all help in stopping nausea.

2. Ginger is found in forms like soda, lollipops, pickled slices and tea. We have found ginger cookies and crystallized ginger to be effective in soothing an upset stomach. Some experts advise taking ginger the day before as well as the day of the fishing trip.

3. MotionEaze is a natural remedy comprised of herbal oils like lavender, peppermint, birch, frankincense, chamomile, myrrh and yiang-yiang. The company suggests that a drop behind each ear can give hours of relief.

4. Vitamin C taken in a 3000-5000mg dose is supposed to bring immediate relief. Vitamin C cuts histamine production, which is the root of seasickness.

5. Wrist Acupressure has been found to help eliminate seasickness by stimulating a meridian nerve in each wrist. Sea Band is a brand of product on the market for this purpose.

Advanced Prevention Tactics for Moderate and Severe Seasickness

Modern medicine offers several solutions for seasickness sufferers. Always check with your doctor for drug interaction conflicts. Try the following:

1. Scopace is the prescription tablet form of scopolamine. In contrast to the scopolamine patch, which delivers a fixed dose, Scopace tablets allow you to adjust the dosage according to your needs. In 2007, Fish Alaska magazine conducted an unbiased, independent test to confirm whether Scopace tablets are effective. We asked a fisherman who we knew was tragically afflicted with seasickness and had tried other treatments without success to discuss Scopace with his doctor. His doctor prescribed the medication. When he used Scopace, he enjoyed several days on the water with absolutely no symptoms. Of all the products out there, this is the one that we believe works the best. Scopace is available by prescription through pharmacies. Product information is available online at www.scopace.com (or from Hope Pharmaceuticals at 800-755-9595). We suggest that you share this information with your doctor when requesting a prescription.

2. Meclizine is an antihistamine and is the drug better known in its brand names Dramamine, Antivert and Bonine and is widely used and successful. Many, including members of the magazine staff, use this product and avoid seasickness but experience drowsiness and end up sleeping for portions of the trip. Antihistamines work to eliminate histamine, which has been linked to inducing seasickness.

3. Emetrol is an anti-nausea, over-the-counter drug that is a sweet liquid based on Coke syrup.

With all of the remedies available on the market today, there is little reason for a fisherman to have to stay on the docks when the water gets rough. Try a few of the natural remedies and don't be bashful in asking your doctor whether a prescription for Scopace will work for you. You have been dreaming for a long time of being out on the open water fighting that barn-door halibut, voracious lingcod or brutally powerful Chinook. It is important to take the right steps so that you can focus on catching that trophy fish.

Marcus Weiner is publisher of Fish Alaska magazine.