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Can't go on a long car ride without feeling queasy? Don't worry -- you're not a wimp if you get green in the gills in the minivan. Even astronauts (up to 50 percent of them!) get airsick. And as it turns out, whether your summer travel plans include a cross-country flight or the boats at "It's a Small World," an unlikely source might help ease your motion sickness: NASA.
"Motion sickness won't kill you -- you just wish it would," says Dr. Patricia S. Cowings, a research psychologist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. Cowings and colleague Dr. William B. Toscano have a six-hour anti-motion sickness training program called AFTE for autogenic-feedback training exercise. It works even better than the anti-nausea injections given to queasy astronauts.
Turns out, there are plenty of recorded cases of spewing in space, and perhaps the most infamous of them all happened in 1969. All three Apollo 9 crewmembers had nausea, in particular Rusty Schweickart, who still managed to go out in a spacesuit after repeated episodes of vomiting. That's when NASA began to take the issue seriously, and the agency now actively studies ways to reduce motion sickness.
AFTE trains them to control the nausea by controlling body functions like sweating and increased heart rate. These are usually involuntary, but we can learn to control them with biofeedback training. Sure, you can change your pulse by running around and then stopping, but AFTE trains you to mentally ramp up and bring down your physiological responses.
"We don't teach relaxation," says Cowings, "we teach control. It improves with practice, like any other skill."
The astronauts get real-time, high-tech feedback about things like skin conductance to measure sweating, and how much blood their heart is pumping. But even those of us who aren't spacebound can use AFTE ideas. If you're nauseated, Cowings says, "Get your breathing smooth and even, with two seconds of inhalation and two seconds of exhalation. Breathe from low in your abdomen and keep that up as long as you can." She says to relax your arms and legs and think about getting your hands warmer, to increase blood flow.
Common sense says that opening the window for some fresh air, and looking at the horizon instead of down at a book or Nintendo DS makes car trips more tolerable. Some studies suggest ginger reduces nausea. Of course, you can always knock yourself out with a pill like Dramamine or Bonine, if you don't mind drowsiness. But AFTE has no side effects, says Cowings, and "it lasts forever, once you learn."
Do you struggle with motion sickness now, or did you as a child? Tell us about your worst experiences in the comments.
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Motion sickness is Hell! I don't care what anyone says, Once it begins, you're screwed! You can't talk yourself out of it (I can't) You have to hope it hurries up!
All the motion sickness pills only work to a certain extent, then you feel queasy and sleepy. You know what I reallly hate? Some people just don't get motion sick, Yes! I'm talking to you, all of my friends who can ride all the rides that go round 'n round, and never, ever get sick. I hate you! lol
I have been getting seasick since I was a child. Nothing seems to help. I have taken dramamine until the bottle was empty and used the patch and still was sick. Worst of it I love boating. I just cannot go off shore. Any help out there
Try SeaBands. They are a wristlet that you get at your drug store. They work on the pressure point 3 fingers above your wrist. I was like you only I only got seasickness right after I had my tonsils out in 1990. Never use to get sick on trains or anything. Now I use those and the sea sickness goes away immediately for me. Used them on a Cruise for 7 days. Had to wear them sleeping and in the shower so bought several pair but wasn't sick once even when the seas were ruff and the swimming pool was almost emptying out each time a wave hit us. They cost about 7-8 dollars. No drugs or nothing. Try them.
These bands do work, even for morning sickness. I used them when I was pregnant and it really did work. I don't have the band anymore, but I just use my other hand to put the pressure to the wrist and it still works. Didn't believe it at first. It is a must if you get motion or morning sickness.
I could never go on any carnival rides, boats, airplanes etc, until I got myself the wrist band. Like the other person, said - it presses on the point (which controls motion) below your wrist. Wished I would have had it when we went on a deep-sea fishing cruise. Nothing helped then. Now I can actually look out of the plane when taking off/landing. It's amazing!! Another thing that might help, and which I do, is chewing on candied ginger or also taking ginger tablets. Also don't eat any greasy, fatty foods, do things like toast, crackers etc. Hope this helps - I know it was a life saver for me!
By the way, forgot to add to "Motionsicknomore" that you're right in the motion sickness going away even w/o the bands, just by pressing about 3 finger widths below your wrist. This worked for me as one time when we were flying, I accidentally packed my wrist bands into my check-in luggage and was I desperate!!! I pressed one wrist and my husband pressed the other. It really worked!
About 10 years ago, when my son was 5, we went to Busch Gardens with my sister's family. I survived a few mild rides, but my heart sank, along with my stomach, when my son begged to go on the roller coaster known as The Big, Bad Wolf. He was desperate to go, but would not go without me. I had not been on a roller coaster for many years because I really don't like them, and my worsening motion sickness made me wary of the consequences. SO we got on and away we went. Well, I managed not to throw up on the ride, but barely made it to the nearest garbage can. It was very hot and noisy, and I could not stop vomiting. I think I actually passed out for a bit. Finally, they called the aid station, and i lay down in the cool room for almost an hour until I could walk. I felt ill for the next two days. Needless to say, that was the last ride I took.
I had motion sickness in cars when I was growing up. Dad was a new car saleman and the smell of the new car and the motion really made me sick and I had to go to sleep on trips of only 45 minutes. My worst experience though was when I was on Lake Erie on a charter boat to go fishing. The water was choppy and I was throwing up most of the day. Of course I was stuck out there all day because it was a fishing charter. I had been on boats before and had no problem. I always take dramamine now before going on Lake Erie. I was told people got motion sickness on cruises, but I went on one and I was fine.
Been motion sick my whole life. My fondest (sic) memories are being stuck in the back of my moms baby poop colored station wagon with her smoking and the windows rolled up and the a/c cranked with the sun beating down on me. I christened that car more times than I can count. It had a Pavlovs dog effect on me though. I cant smell cigarette smoke without wanting to barf.
Cant get on an airplane without turning green on the flight. Cant EVER sit in the back seat of a car and I mostly have to be the one driving. Went on a cruise once and safe to say will be the last cruise I ever go on because I was in the bathroom most of the trip. The statement in the article, "motion sickness wont kill you....you just wish it would", is probably the most accurate statement I have ever heard. Am really going to look into that biofeedback thing. Have tried everything out there and nothing works without side effects. People who dont experience motion sickness really have no idea how much it ruines your life.
Interesting, I too have less sickness when I am driving. i suspect it is because i already know which way the car is going to move before it actually does. I can prepare and adjust better if I know what is coming.
And I have benign positional vertigo...which means i am 'motion sick' a lot of the time without even being 'in motion' per se. There is nothing benign about it! all i have to do is turn my head to the side and it is like being on a rolling boat. I haven't had much issues with side effects of medications, but none of them work well for me. Including the prescription medications I have been given.
If you do not experience much or any motion sickness, you are truly blessed. Be thankful. It is hell to live with.
Try having Meniere's Disease - motion sick x 100! Anything, even doing nothing at all can trigger an episode. And NOTHING takes away the symptoms, only dulls them or makes you so sleepy you don't care. I had two options in order to control it to a point that I could function daily. I could have had my inner ear destroyed (which would have left me deaf in that ear) or undergo months of PT to "retrain" my brain to ignore the signals it was receiving from that ear. I opted for the PT - 5+ months of intentionally making myself dizzy and sick. I can now drive and hold down a job but that's about the extent of it. Can't even get on the swings with my kids but I've learned to deal. Sure do miss the roller coasters though.
My father has meniere's disease since the early 70's. There was only the surgery option and since then, he has had no episodes. For me, I apparently had a virus/sinus infection in May that affected me in such a way that I could not move my head off the pillow, roll over or anything. My body was spinning but I was physically not moving My Dr. gave me mecklizine and it worked to reduce the spells but I was so sleepy and light headed, I wasn't sure if it was a side effect of the drug or if I was still sick. I still move VERY slowly because I NEVER want that feeling again...
I suffered from car sickness for years as a child. To this day I don't like gelatin or powdered "bug juice" because that was what was often making the return trip through my alimentary canal. One particularly memorable trip was from the Philadelphia area to Long Island NY in the back of a 1968 Ford LTD station wagon. I was all the way in the back in the fold up seats. The sun was blaring in the large windows making me hot and hurting my eyes. My parents always brought along a bucket of some kind when we went on the trips for me to use for trowing up. I was the only one of my 5 brothers and sisters who suffered from motion sickness. As expected, I threw up multiple times during the trip and was given cherry bug juice to help me with the sickness. I don't remember much of the trip. Once we arrived at our destination in Long Island, it took me more than an hour to begin recovery from the headache and flue like symptoms of motion sickness. Before I recovered enough to get back on my feet, it was time to leave. The day was a total loss for me. I was about 12 years old.
Even to this day, if I am sitting in the back seat of a car I will start to feel ill. Oddly, buses don't seem to have this effect on me and neither does air travel. At 16 I traveled in an aircraft carrier with the US Navy for 10 days and was one of only about 5 people of the 30 I was traveling with that did not get sea sick. Go figure.
I never suffered from motion sickness as a child. But as I've gotten older, past my 40's, I'm having episodes of motion sickness.
back in 2006, I took the Lake Express High Power Ferry from Milwaukee, Wi to Muskegeon,MI and threw up the entire 2.5hr trip. it seems going on a boat makes me sicker than flying! I'm often get dizzy just looking at anything that goes around in a circle! YIKES!
I love fishing but used to get sick if the water was at all rough. I went to a boat show and found the following program: www.pumamethod.com It's kind of like a special exercise tape that you just need to follow along to for a couple of weeks then BAM! no more motion sickness!! I'm going to send an email to these guys to see if they'll post on this board as well...
motion sickness is the worse, I have had it all of my life ( now 47 ) and it is just a pain in my backside.
If I drive I normally don't get sick, only when I am a passenger do I get sick.
Nothing over the counter works, it either makes you feel worse or it just doesn't work. I find Pot works just fine. Please only use it if your Not driving.
I agree, cannabis is amazingly effective in reducing nausea (among many other things, including alleviating back spasms, menstrual cramps, anxiety, intraoccular pressure, and more). It's definitely not safe to use it when driving, or to use it in the car when someone else is driving (because it will still affect them to some degree).
Ginger (raw root - obtained at any market - generally health food stores have better quality - peeled and ingested/eaten - about/at least a heaping table spoon in volume)
My experience - within a minute (two minutes max) - tension is relieved, NO dizziness, NO nausea.
I eat raw ginger root daily (a little warm at first for some people, but I like the "warm" herbs).
Ginger
-- Tension, Motion Sickness, Tremors & Digestion
I have suffered motion sickness, especially car sickness, for years. One fine car trip from my hometown to my grandmother's (about 2+ hours) - I couldn't have been more than 5 - my mom decided to hold me in her lap because I didn't feel well. For this kindness, I threw up all down the back of her shirt. She had to ride the rest of the way and, as my mom was a larger shirt size than my grandmother, didn't have a replacement handy. I was fine once we got there. What a terrible, smelly car ride home! I still remember it...
Our Puma Method habituation exercises are patented and about 100% effective. www.pumamethod.com (2003)
Our new web site (currently under construction) will feature the only down-loadable motion sickness remedy!
Next will be an i-app. Imagine the possibilities! SCP
I have always suffered with motion sickness. Recently on a Casino Cruise, I took ginger pills that I bought from the supplement section of the drug store. The cruise was extremely rough. People were getting sick all over the boat, but I felt fine. I swear by ginger pills for motion sickness. I took a total of 5 pills throughout the evening but never once felt ill, even when I had to hold onto the walls to walk. Amazing stuff and all natural!
Ginger (raw root - obtained at any market - generally health food stores have better quality - peeled and ingested/eaten - about/at least a heaping table spoon in volume)
My experience - within a minute (two minutes max) - tension is relieved, NO dizziness, NO nausea.
I eat raw ginger root daily (a little warm at first for some people, but I like the "warm" herbs).
Ginger
-- Tension, Motion Sickness, Tremors & Digestion
Just want to say that the Puma Method exercises really, really work. They are easy, don't take a lot of time and in just a little over a week -- NO MORE NAUSEA OR VOMITING -- ever. And you don't have to keep doing the exercises. It worked for this grandma. Just wish I had found out about it sooner.
What is the Puma Method and how do I get it?
A friend told me about the Puma Method. It worked for him too. The website is pumamethod.com. The guy who invented it, Dr. Sam Puma, made a comment on this page earlier today. If you want to permanently get rid of your motion sickness, this is the way to go.
I was taking flying lessons and was finishing a lunch of fried food. My scheduled flight lesson was about a half hour away. To make a longer story shorter we had a lot of turbulence during the lesson and could hold back no longer. After running ouit of "barf" bags I commenced to open the window. Bad mistake! After landing; the next pilot to use my plane (and take pictures) was faced with a less than desirable situation.
I was a teenager the first time I became sick in an airplane. It was after a stop in Albuquerque where a nice man who had been sitting by me bought me lunch. We got back on the plane to continue our trip and shortly after take off, I threw up the nice lunch he bought me. Since that time, I married a pilot. We have traveled all over the world. I have to take dramamine to travel by air When we travel overseas, I always plan to rest the first day after arrival, so I can sleep off the effect of the drugs. It's something I live with because I love to travel. I have tried every method to remedy the situation, but nothing works as well as good old dramamine. I do refuse to fly in little airplanes.....I don't know if it's the motion sickness or that I just hate them.....either way, I prefer a wide-body jet.
I used to get airsick flying with my dad in our small plane. He'd get mad at me and tell me it was all in my head. Later on, I would get sick on commercial flights too. Eventually I got over it for the most part, at least on commercial flights. But this past weekend we went as a family to Magic Mountain. I went on those stupid spinning chairs ride, the ones on the chains, and it made me nauseous. Going to Disneyland I would always get nauseous on the 'Star Tours' ride. I don't throw up from it anymore, but I get very queasy and it pretty much stays with me for hours afterwards. I kept getting on other rides this weekend, trying to fight it, but I could only handle about a ride every two hours, so I didn't do so well this time. I'll have to try these techniques.
Back in the early 80's my husband was a research subject for NASA on this very subject. Not the most pleasant research to be a lab rat for, believe me!
I know some people are naturally prone to motion sickness, and have felt it myself. But the funniest episode was when my niece--about 12 at the time--was afraid to get in the car to ride from Denver to Kansas City because she would get carsick. We finally equipped her with a bucket and towels and water and convinced her to sit in the front seat. She got in the front seat, and before the car even started, she threw up. That part was definitely not motion sickness; it was psychosomatic. Sometimes that's what it is. And in certain movies and the domed IMAX theatre in Hutchinson Kansas, one can get sick just looking at motion while sitting perfectly still. Is that motion sickness?
Yes, that is indeed motion sickness. Part of the Imax experience is that movement affects you as if you were actually experiencing it. Your inner ear still feels it the same way as actual movement, so yes, it is literally motion sickness.
My Father was a commercial fisherman on the Great Lakes and I started working with him when I was quite young gilnetting. The nets were pulled onto a table through a front/side door with a "lifter" powered by a small gas engine. The main power plant was diesel. Working with my head down to untangling the fish from the nets while the boat rolled and the smell of various exhaust fumes as well as the mixture of oil, water, and some fish slime sloshing around in the bilge, often made me pretty seasick. We were typically out on the water the whole day and it could be miserable and last some time after returning to shore. Dramamine made me so drowsy that it was difficult to work.
worse case for me was on the ride "Mission Space" at EPCOT in Florida - I guess I didn't have the"right Stuff"
When I go deep sea fishing, I get sea sick to the point where my friends started calling me the Chum Machine. I would toss my cookies, take a 10 minute nap, and then continue fishing for about 15 minutes before I started the whole process again until we start to head back to shore. In watching a show on TV where they were trying different things to prevent motion sickness, taking ginger was the only thing that really worked. I can now go fishing without getting sick by drinking a can of ginger ale before we leave port and another can when we get to our destination.
I cannot ride in a car and read anything for more than a minute, before I start getting motion sick, soon as I look up, it goes away.
Try being 5 months pregnant and not being able to take ANYTHING for motion sickness on an airplane! I threw up the entire plane ride from New Jersey down to Disney and even puked in my favorite sweatshirt when we got off the plane! The things we do for our kids just so they will be happy!