Health Information - Motion Sickness

Are there some activities that you wish you could do, but you can't or don't because of the risk of motion sickness? Here are some facts that may help. Sea-sickness, car-sickness and airsickness are all forms of motion sickness. Some people develop motion sickness when they perform certain activities for the first time. Others suffer whenever they perform a particular activity and never seem to "adjust".

Typical examples include reading in a moving car and sailing. Motion sickness seems to be caused by the body sensing new positions or movements to which it has not become adjusted or, based on past experience, it is not expecting. Children and pregnant women are the most susceptible.

Motion sickness is common and usually mild. Most times, symptoms include dizziness, nausea, pallor and cold sweats. However, these may culminate in vomiting. Motion sickness can become serious if sustained vomiting leads to dehydration and/or electrolyte imbalance (such as on a prolonged sailing trip).

There are several ways to help reduce the chances of developing motion sickness:

• Select seating where movement is minimized including: the front seat of a car, in the centre of a ship, forward cars of trains and seats over the wings in airplanes.

• Try focusing on distant objects and reduce head movement.

• Lay on your back if necessary.

• Some medications are available to help alleviate the problem.

Drugs to be used only in adults are:

• Scopolamine: Oral: 0.4–0.8 mg every 6 to 8 hours. This drug also is produced in the form of a "patch" that is usually applied behind the ear and changed every three days. Patches are particularly useful for long trips. The patch should be applied 12 hours before need arises. Do not rub your eyes after applying a patch- -it can cause dilation of one or both pupils.

• Promethazine: Adult: 25–50 mg up to 4 times per day.

• Meclizine: 25–50 mg daily.

Drugs can be used by in both adults and children:

• Dimenhydrinate: Adult: 25–50 mg up to 4 times per day.

• Children: 1.25 mg/kg, up to 25 mg. Can be repeated every 6 hours.

• Diphenhydramine: Adult: 25–50 mg up to 4 times per day.

• Children: 1 mg/kg, up to 25 mg.

To allow the medicine time to start working, take your selected motion sickness medication an hour before it will be needed. Important notes:

Most of the drugs listed above can make you drowsy and reduce coordination. This is made worse with alcohol. It is important not to operate machinery (including driving a car) when taking these medications.

There are certain medical conditions that preclude the use of these medications. If you have asthma, cardiac arrhythmias, gastrointestinal or bladder neck obstruction, narrow-angle glaucoma or liver or kidney disease, consult your health care provider before taking any of these medications.

Disclaimer: This information has been developed for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Should you have questions or concerns about any topic described here, please consult your healthcare professional.