"HOPE" for Motion Sickness Sufferers?

Ask anybody whose vacation has been ruined by motion sickness: what would they do to avoid a heaving stomach, sweaty palms, and the positively dreadful feeling of unrelenting nausea during their next trip? The most likely answer that you may hear is a resounding "ANYTHING THAT WORKS."

They'll buy wristbands promising acupressure to relieve the nausea. They'll pay inflated prices at airport gift shops for over-the-counter remedies that make them sleepy. They'll swill ginger tea by the gallon. They'll even attempt to ignore the motion by concentrating on the unmoving horizon. In short, those who suffer motion sickness are desperate for "ANYTHING THAT WORKS".

Vacations are intended to be special times unrestrained by concerns of daily life. Exotic photos in travel brochures raise expectations of excitement, enjoyment, and entertainment. However, vacations are expensive. You do not pay money to become sick. Instead, you want to have fun. A product that prevents motion sickness represents "trip insurance" to minimize unpleasant interruptions in your travel pleasure.

NASA conducted a study comparing the efficacy of 16 different motion sickness products and identified scopolamine as most effective in preventing motion sickness in astronauts.

Scopolamine patch is available by prescription in the United States in topical patches and low dose tablets. Both of these products are indicated to prevent motion sickness.

Scopolamine patches (marketed as Transderm Scop by Novartis in East Hanover, New Jersey) have been used by travelers because of their relative ease of use and extended duration of effect. They are ideally suited for average size persons (approximately 160 pounds) going on extended trips involving continuous motion for up to 72 hours.

While the scopolamine patch is effective for some travelers, the fixed dose of medication that it provides may not be appropriate for all. A petite woman may require less medication than that fixed dose. Conversely, a larger man may require more.

Why is dosing flexibility important? In general, doctors recommend that you take as little medication as necessary to treat a condition without getting undesired side effects. Too much scopolamine can make you drowsy and cause dryness in the mouth. Too little would leave you vulnerable to developing motion sickness. Tablets allow dosing flexibility so that you take as little as you need and nothing more.

Another problem when medicine is applied to the skin is that it may not penetrate the skin equally in all people. Skin differs by thickness, coloring, hair patterns, and amounts of sweat produced. The patch must first adhere to the skin in order for the medicine to penetrate the skin. Sometimes it just falls off, especially on persons who are very sweaty. Even if it adheres to the skin, there is a possibility that the medicine may not penetrate the skin. One published clinical study reported that up to 27% of persons tested failed to absorb scopolamine across the skin. So even if it is applied correctly, approximately one quarter of patients who use the scopolamine patch may not get the medicine into their body and thereby be unprotected from motion sickness.

This concern about absorption is not present when taking scopolamine tablets (marketed as Scopace tablets by Hope Pharmaceutials in Scottsdale, Arizona). Once swallowed, the tablet breaks apart quickly and releases its medication for prompt absorption. The first dose should be taken an hour prior to travel. Each dose provides up to 8 hours of travel comfort. With this in mind, you can adjust the timing of each dose so that the medicine is working only when you need it.

Furthermore, the size of each dose can be adjusted with these tablets to ensure that you take an appropriate amount of medication for your personal needs.

Scopace tablets are considerably less expensive than the scopolamine patch. A survey of pharmacies reported dispensing prices of under 30 cents per tablet. The actual cost to fill a prescription may even be less because, as a prescription medication, this medication is frequently covered by health insurance and not subject to sales tax.

You no longer need to avoid travel because of concerns about motion sickness. Relief is available with effective, prescription-strength medicine containing scopolamine.

Motion Sickness:
What Works?

You selected the destination, purchased the tickets, packed the bags, and loaded the car. You are ready for a wonderful vacation, but do you have trip insurance? Not insurance from your travel agent; rather, medicine from your doctor. Motion sickness can ruin a vacation with nausea and vomiting that can make you feel miserable.

What causes motion sickness? Clinical studies suggest that motion sickness arises when the brain receives conflicting signals from sensory organs about the body's orientation. The conflict arises because the two main position-sensing organs, our eyes and the cochlea in the inner ear, adjust at different speeds when we are moved. Our eyes adjust immediately. The cochlea take longer. Until both have adjusted and provide identical signals, confusion regarding the body's position may occur and nausea may develop.

Everyone becomes nauseous if exposed to sufficiently violent movements; however, some people are extremely susceptible. Estimated at one third of the population, susceptible people are prone to develop moderate to severe nausea even with only limited movement.

Debilitating physical symptoms of motion sickness can disrupt travel. In very susceptible people, fear of motion sickness will even preclude travel.

Motion sickness can be prevented. Persons who develop mild conditions can obtain relief with over-the-counter drugs, herbal remedies, and acupuncture-based devices. More potent prescription-strength medicine is typically required by those who develop moderate to severe symptoms. A clinical study conducted by NASA identified scopolamine as the most effective medication tested to prevent motion sickness.

Scopolamine is available through pharmacies by prescription in various dosage forms including low dose tablets (Scopace tablets, marketed by Hope Pharmaceuticals). Each tablet dose provides up to 8 hours of travel comfort. The typical dose is 1 or 2 tablets taken an hour before travel.