Scopace, anyone?

I've been mostly using a generic Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) to prevent seasickness, but lately it hasn't been working as well. Not sure what that means.

So when I was in to the doctor's for my annual (all's well) I asked about it, and she ended up prescribing some Scopace. So I'm going to try it this weekend. Scopace is the tablet form of scopolamine, which is often used as a patch. I've used the patch in the past, more for long-range trips, and it worked OK not great.

Wondering if anyone has tried Scopace?
Bill

If you run a search you'll find some previous conversations on this...

I tried it once and it worked great... no drowsiness that I get with the OTC varieties and not a hint of motion sickness while riding up HWY 1 (which always makes me sick if I'm riding and not driving).  Worked fast too.

Scopace is the only meds for me from now on. I have tried numerous types of meds for motion sickness and each trip I still got sick. It was the main reason I
have flip my kayak involuntarily. Anyhow, FisHunter and Fishshim was the ones that
recommended it to me.

Jedmo

Yup   

 Works Great... But, There is a reason it is prescription only   

 Last Islander trip, I popped a pill as soon as we got there, while at the pizza parlor,

 Started feeling real good, a little too good....    I talked to Pal about it and he said ya could get addicted to it...

  Did a little more searching on this and from what I have found, It appears this works by use of

 Amphetamines,  it works well, but if ya find yourself starting too chop it up and snort it,  Well,

ya might want to find another antinausea gig.......

>if ya find yourself starting too chop it up and snort it...

Happy too if I'm seriously seasick...

I used to get seasick quite a bit, but the more you go out, the less you get sick.  I kind of think the more you use a crutch, the longer it takes to get strong.  It took about 2 years of extensive fishing to get past it, but I'm pretty resistant to seasickness now (didn't take anything for islander trips and had no problems).  Every time you go out it'll get better and eventually you'll be fine except for conditions you probably shouldn't be out in anyway.

If you do take sea sickness meds, start taking them the night before going out - that allows your body time to get used to it.  Otherwise you take it and start feeling funny due to the meds at the same time you start feeling funny due to seasickness, and it turns into a hurl-fest.  As a bonus most (except scopace) make you drowsy, so it helps put you down when visions of lingcod are keeping you up.

>if ya find yourself starting too chop it up and snort it...

Happy too if I'm seriously seasick

 I think my point was missed,

I meant if you start snorting it, and your not going fishing....

 Never had any problems on the yak, but put me on a big boat like the Islander, I won't last 5 minutes,

 with scopase, I took it about a hour before boarding,  no worries....

I've started using Scopace and it does work great for preventing sea sickness, but for me it definitely makes me feel "doped up" after a couple hours. I HATE that feeling and I'm currently trying to determine if being sea sick is worse than being loopy. It doesn't make me sleepy like other drugs do, but my doctor was also hesitant to prescribe Scopace to me because there are some studies and warnings out there that scopace can cause short term memory loss and confusion. I haven't experienced it myself, but I'm being careful about when I use it.

 

 Ah yes, the "Magic pill"  Adam was kind enough to supply me with 1 at the previous Paradise BBQ hookup and as he said it took bout an hour to start working.  Perfect timing as I spent that time preparing.  It worked great!  Never once did I feel any hint of queasiness, I was able to tie swivels, hooks whatever on the water.  Great stuff.  Now, I realize the bay waters are not open ocean, so there weren't huge swells or even little ones, other than the ferry wakes.  None the less, what small stuff that was there, had I not been "Medicated" I surely would have chummed.

If I may add. Bring plenty of water with you. My mouth kept getting dried
last time I used the Scopace.

Jedmo

I used the ear patch this year and liked it.

With regards to "getting your sea-legs,"  it always take me about 3 days on the water to get them - which rarely happens.

The illegal green stuff works well on nausea.  I've tried it for that and it works good, but then you have (1) to be stoned, which I dislike, and (2) you have to deal with the legal issues.  I suppose you could get one of the prescriptions, which are handed out pretty freely up here in Mendo.  But you'd still have problem (1):  You're dopey when you want to be concentrating on what you're doing.

I guess there's no magic bullet.

Life saver. The OTC's didn't do squat for me. The patch made me super sleepy and the worse dry mouth ever. Pill seems to have no side effects. And I only need one for the day!

the pill works.....i would've never been able to put in over 180 miles on the ocean without them...along with my MedicalGreenMeds, a container of drinking water, a sandwich and lots of fruit......yeah stoned,salty&Hooking Fish!

Here's a previous thread with some good info (from some of the same folks who responded here)
http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,15220.0.html
Be sure to read Marmite's responses for a physician's insight, and his post about the the vasectomy, just for a good story!

Thanks everyone for all the tips & stories & the link to vasectomy on the water!

I've tried Meclizine but found it ineffective. Haven't tried it in a while but may try it again, by taking one the night before, then again the morning of. I hadn't thought of that.

I like the idea of building up a tolerance - my problem is that as I have gotten older I find I am more susceptible, not less. I recall many times in my younger days being out with no meds of any kind & having no effect. Lately I've gotten queasy even after taking dramamine, and even on a pretty mild day. Maybe I just need to go out more often!

Anyway I'll post back on how the Scopace works for me. Glad to hear that a lot of folks like it.
Bill