Seasickness

No one wants to be this guy below.

If you have ever been sea sick, you know the feeling. There is no rhyme or reason as to who is going to get it and who isn’t, but here are some tips.

Don’t be too hung over. I know that is hard with the ever flowing all-inclusive bars, but go lightly the night before.

Dramamine or Bonine work well for many people. One captain I knew suggested one the night before the trip and one the morning of the trip. I think that is too much. Just makes you sleepy and dehydrated. For big guys, you might need two in the morning. Regular size people and most women, one. Children should use the children’s dose or half an adult dose. If you think of it, bring the medicine with you. It is much cheaper than here and you will have the instructions in English, not Spanish.

Know your triggers. If you have any idea what tends to make you motion sick at an amusement park or in a car, avoid that food the morning of your trip. For me and my family it is fruit or fruit juice. When asked what to eat before the trip I tell people to eat what you would eat if you were hung over. Many people know that feeling and if you are lucky enough not to know that feeling, you will be just fine.

We are seeing more and more people wearing patches. You get these by prescription from your doctor before you travel to Mexico. They work very well, but they tend to cause dehydration. So for people wearing patches, drink plenty of water before, during and after the trip. If you are drinking beer, make sure you have water between every can.

Wrist bans can be purchased at any drugstore, Target or Walmart. They come in a little plastic box and are elastic with a plastic button that sits on the pulse point of your wrist. They are very popular with pregnant women and people who don’t want to put medicine in their bodies. The benefit is that you can put them on when you get on the boat, and take them off when you step off. No after effects of sleepiness.

If you want to go native there is a plant that the Mayan’s use. We use it as a house plant in the US and Canada. Tradescantia pallida, also known as Wandering Jew. You will see it growing outside all over Mexico.

As one local puts it, the plant will stop you from throwing up, plug you up if you have issues, cause you to go if you can’t. It is a milagro (Spanish for miracle) plant.

Finally, if you know just looking at a boat makes your stomach do flip flops, don’t ruin it for everyone else. Hang out on the beach or head to the spa.The other members of your party will enjoy the time and take pictures for you to see and maybe bring a filet back for dinner.