[Overflow10]

Anyone ever just use half a patch? I swear I have fished with guys who only use half a patch but the pharmacy says it is not recommended..... A full patch seems to generate a really dry mouth and difficulty focusing close...thought a half patch might be better..

This post edited by Overflow10 05/16/2008

 

[torpedo]

I have used it with ok result. The reason why the pharmacy and the manufacturer do not want you to cut in half has to do with the packaging of the medicine so it will slowly deliver(sustained release) the medicine over 3 days. By cutting in half you may actually be getting more medicine to leak out. In another words higher dose initially and then runs out faster. I am not aware of any studies that confirm this theory but that is the reason behind their recommendation. Torpedo

 

[glenn]

Transderm patches have scopolamine in them. You might want to try tablets called Scopace. For me it's much easier to regulate the dosage.

I don't recommend taking two on an empty stomach. The effects were like a flashback to the 60's. Eating something took the edge off though. But, boy, I was spinning for a while. Actually now that I think of it, maybe it wasn't too bad. It might have been OK if I wasn't trying to concentrate on getting on the boat.

Here's a link I found for more info: http://www.scopace.com/

Good luck.

 

[snordo]

Anyone ever just use half a patch? I swear I have fished with guys who only use half a patch but the pharmacy says it is not recommended..... A full patch seems to generate a really dry mouth and difficulty focusing close...thought a half patch might be better..

I would much rather have dry mouth and difficulty seeing up close than feeling seasick. The patch is made for a person who is 175 pounds. I am a little heavier and supplement it with Meclizine (Bonine) or a beer. I sometimes use Scopace and have good success, expecially considering it starts to works in as little as 30-45 minutes, whereas the "patch" can take 4-6 hours. The drawback for the Scopace is when you wake up in the morning the previous nights dose may have run its' course and will leave you unprotected for a short while before the new dose kicks in. The pill only last 6-8 hours and you may have taken your last dose 4 hours before you go to sleep. And NEVER under any circumstance take too much of the Scopace or it will seem like a bad flashback and will make you feel sick. By the way, I get extremely seasick and have been able to keep it under control.

This post edited by snordo 05/16/2008

 

[darthfoster]

All I know is when I was on my 10 day on the AA in December, late in the evening I started to feel seasick. Having been on boats before with zero ill-effects, it was a complete surprise to me. I didn't bring anything to combat it. Luckily, one of my fellow passengers had a Transderm patch and gave that to me, another had something that's used to combat nausea from chemo, and we had a Dr on board, he gave me something too and told me to go below in about 1/2 an hour and go to sleep. Following their directions, I did go below after the pills started to take effect and slept until first call for breakfast. Woke up feeling great and ready for another day. All I can say is feeling seasick has got to be the worst feeling in the world. I now have great sympathy for anyone that ever has to experience it. So my advice is to find what will work for you and just stick with it!!! If a dry mouth is a side effect, I'll just drink more water.

Anthony

 

[fishybuzz]

The effects were like a flashback to the 60's. But, boy, I was spinning for a while. Actually now that I think of it, maybe it wasn't too bad. It might have been OK if I wasn't trying to concentrate on getting on the boat.


Good luck.

Glenn I just thought you were that way naturally...LOL


nothing a chicken foot or two wouldn't have cured....

 

[singingreel]

I have been using 1/2 scopalomine patches for years. They are quite effective. Just make sure you use sissors to cut it and replace the 1/2 patch every 2.5 days.

This system works for me with no side-effects; cotton-mouth or dialated pupils (blurred vision up-close).

- Jeff

 

[Got2Phish]

Overflow,

I always cut my patch in half and I also get dry mouth. Like sing says, cut them with sissors, and keep the other half in the packaging in your wallet or bag for use later is on a longer trip. The half patch works on a 1.5 day trip.

 

[Wils]

Anyone ever just use half a patch? I swear I have fished with guys who only use half a patch but the pharmacy says it is not recommended.....

A full patch seems to generate a really dry mouth and difficulty focusing close...thought a half patch might be better..

I've been using the patch for almost 30 years now......

"better" meaning more dry mouth and fuzzier vision?

Cutting the patch in half wont solve your side-effects. Drink water and use visine for the side-effects. My worst dry-mouth occurs during the first night out after about 4 hours. I keep a bottle of water in the bunk. After that, all is good.

Buy the scopace pils. THOSE you can cut in half and use as needed with no "leakage" from the cut area. I've been using these for two years on local day trips

If you use the patch, you can peel it off and put it back in the original package on the plastic goodie at the end of the trip and re-use it on your next trip. Keep track of how long you actually are wearing it because they REMAIN GOOD for 72 hours.

As I get older, my close-up vision seems to be getting "fuzzier". Can I blame that on the patch, fuzzy? 8*

 

[teo]

http://www.scopace.com/

This is the website for the pills. Some would adjust the dosage for body weight and get good results. I use scopace and haven't been seasick since.

 

[The Right Kind]

My wife is a pharmacist. I told her about your question and she said exactly the same thing Torpedo said. She says cutting it in half is not a good idea especially for children.

 

[REK]

Do the scop pills effect a person like the patch?

About 4 in the morning, bunkmate flies out of the upper, hits the floor, slams the door open and runs down the hallway. I get out of the bunk and close the door and go back to sleep. Next night, happens again. Third night, again. The third time, I'm up, get dressed and I'm sitting in the galley drinking my coffee talking with a friend. In walks my bunkmate, has a seat. You should have seen the look on his face.....like he saw many dead people. Pale, sweating, freaked out. I ask if he's alright. Says, he wakes up and can't breath. Choking, no air intake. Sits outside in the fresh air trying to breath. Has no sensation of breathing. Actually looks down at his chest to see expansion and contraction. Has to tell himself to chill. Friend, pharmacist asks if he wears a patch. Says he does. Friend suggests he take it off.

So, I see this, I'm thinking I would rather be green and puking my guts out than be where he was. You had to be there, saw what I saw. I had to resort to Bonine once when the water was slamming the bait tank as in over the bow, over the wheel house, all the way to the bait tanks. Not a rain, more like a wave slamming the tanks.

I like being prepared but.........
So, are the pills like the patch? No damn patch here!

REK.

 

[torpedo]

Patch and Scopace have the same ingredient, scopolamine. The only difference is that with the patch you get sustained release over 3 days. Its like taking Scopce 3 straight days. As far as the dry mouth and blurred vision, these are known side effects of scoploamine. How much you are affected depends solely on your body's sensitivity. Many will get dry mouth and some will get blurred vision. Hence the warning about not operating heavy machinery.

 

[Overflow10]

Thanks for all the input. Great to get real-world perspectives and experiences as well as a doctor's.

This is for my wife on a 1.5 day. I think I will pick up some Scopace tablets as well just in case the patch is too much and we need to moderate the dose some.

 

[HAYMAN]

I have used the patch for years. Makes fishing possible for me. 1-11DAYS and never a problem. Dry mouth and fuzzy vision is worth it.
Some people land in that 1 in a million that are effected adversely. I saw a guy go into a rage with hallucinations. Thought he saw Noah and his ark while traveling out on a 1 day..........made him ill too.

 

[torpedo]

REK, what you are talking about is a really rare side effect where the user will get very agitated/uncomfortable and often have involuntary movements( like tics that you can't control). Finally for those with enlarged prostate, scopolamine can worsen and even result in inability to urinate so be careful and talk to your doctor before putting it on. If any of these symptoms appear, remove the patch and more importantly, wipe the area with moist towel/paper to remove the medicine that is on the skin but not yet absorbed. Overall, on shorter trips, Scopace is probably better especially if you have not used scopolamine before. Torpedo

 

[NiceFish]

We do one extended trip each year and I very much struggle with seasickness. The patch helps but I always have to supplement with Bonine. Thinking about trying only Bonine this year. Has anyone used Bonine for a continuous period of 4 or 5 days, and if so, how did it go? It has always helped within a 1/2 hour of taking it. One trick I was led to is to let it dissolve in your mouth rather than swallow it. Gets in your system faster, where if you are already not feeling well and swallow it, it may not stay in your body long enough to help.

Tried Scopace one year. Haven't necessarily given up on it but it defintely made me feel a little jumpy after taking it. Also had a hard time going to sleep when I took it at night.

Patch-
-Have never cut in half.
-Be careful about getting on hands initially or by rubbing it later. Wash your hands good after putting it on. Had some blurry vision for a few days that I attributed to probably rubbing and accidentally transferring. Wash the area as good as you can after taking the patch off. We wear contacts and we just decided to sleep with them so as to not take a chance when taking them in and out.
-The patch is not recommended for children. Children are typically defined as 12 or under by meds. So for 13+, the patch should be ok?