NATURAL REMEDIES: Motion Sickness

If you are one of the lucky travelers that does not get motion sickness, you are blessed! I however, may get a little seasick at a window table at a beachside restaurant! Not really, but I do have trouble with motion sickness, which can be a problem for someone who travels as much as I do.  I do follow some basic rules; I don't read when riding in a car and I sit by an open window on a boat or ferry. I also travel with a few essential NATURAL items that help me combat motion sickness.

GINGER:

Ginger, in almost any form, is great for battling motion sickness.  Ginger Tea, Ginger Candies, Ginger Powder, Ginger Ale (if it’s made with real ginger, like the drink “Ginger Brew”) or just chewing on a slice of fresh ginger, are all  really good ways to keep your stomach feeling well. In one of my favorite Natural Health Reference Books: The Green Pharmacy  by James A Duke, several studies were sited where two groups of people suffering from motion sickness were given either Dramamine or a half teaspoon of Ginger Powder. The group taking the Ginger Powder lasted twice as long as the group taking Dramamine before they felt unwell. This year, I think I will try some Organic Ginger Powder when I am in Europe, and see how that works for me.  Ginger Powder sold in capsules as well as in the spice section of almost any market. Ginger Tea Bags are also very handy to take along when traveling. Personally,  I LOVE Ginger Chews by Ginger People. Ginger People make several different types of ginger candies, all are great and really good for digestion or to battle an iffy stomach while traveling. I chew a few after each meal. 

Ginger Chews by Ginger People are one of my favorite ginger candies
to travel with to help with motion sickness as well as digestion.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES:
COCCULUS is great for that unwell feeling coming on during a bit of turbulence on a plane. The best way to use this remedy is to take one 30C tablet before you begin moving (in a car, boat, or plane) and one every 5-10 minutes for 20 minutes if you are still feeling unwell, and then begin taking some NUX VOMICA.

NUX VOMICA is my go-to remedy. It is great for anytime your stomach isn’t feeling quite right, whether because you indulged a bit too much, ate a bit too much, or ate something that didn’t make you feel quite right, NV is the perfect remedy. As far as motion sickness, take one tablet of 30C NUX VOMICA after using COCCULUS, again repeating every 5-10 minutes for 20 minutes. NUX VOMICA is also great because you can take it once you’ve started feeling a bit unwell and it should help with nausea almost immediately. For me, it’s like magic.

Cocculus is good for any type of motion sickness

Nux Vomica is my favorite homeopathic remedy for
motion sickness and all tummy troubles.

Aromatherapy: PEPPERMINT

I LOVE peppermint. It is the first thing I use when I travel on a plane or car. I always have a peppermint candy in my mouth before a plane, train or car starts moving. PEPPERMINT is also a great aromatherapy remedy. I carry a little vial of PEPPERMINT OIL with me when I travel and take a whiff of it when I’m feeling a bit queasy from travel. It’s perfect aromatherapy.

My favorite peppermint candies with no
food dyes and all natural ingredients
found at Trader Joe's

Peppermint oil is available at most health
food stores.

RELIEF BAND

I’ve saved the best for last. This little Relief Band has changed my life as far as dealing with motion sickness, especially seasickness, which I find the hardest motion sickness to overcome. The Relief Band was recommended to me over a decade ago by a yoga student of mine in Malibu., CA. After class one day, my student, Chris, was telling a few of us about how her husband just took up sailing and LOVED it, but she wasn’t able to join him because she suffered from seasickness so badly. But that all changed recently because she found this magic little Relief Band.  At the time, I was just about to leave for Australia for 3 months with my kids and I was worried that we may miss out of some wonderful boat trips and “ocean experiences” because all three of us have quite bad seasickness, so I was really interested in hearing about this “band”.  She told me it looked like a large battery operated watch that you wore on your wrist. You had to place the Band very carefully in a certain position, and it sent tiny electric shocks up your arm, and your motion sickness would disappear. When I first heard this, I was horrified and intrigued at the same time. I went home and did a bit of research and found out, it did indeed send a tiny shock up your arm! Actually, those little rhythmic electrical pulses that radiate up your arm stimulate the median nerve,  which is the nerve that controls the part of your brain that makes your stomach contract and thus, makes any dizziness and nausea go away. For me, the ReliefBand works BRILLIANTLY.  I highly recommend it, and hope no one gets scared away by the idea of small electrical shock every few seconds! It really works!

Now for the bad news: 

1)  they are difficult to find

2) they don’t make them like they used to.  

Let me explain…

Several years ago, after a few years of using my ReliefBand religiously when traveling, I stupidly left mine on my luggage handle while getting off of a plane one day and lost it. I was frustrated because it was so expensive but I knew I’d have to bite the bullet and just get a new one. Problem was, when I went to look for one they were nowhere to be found. I looked and looked and panicked and kicked myself for losing mine then finally tracked down the company that made them only to find out there was a problem with the patent and they weren’t making anymore at the moment. OH NO! I checked the website constantly over the next few months, and then years, until finally THEY WERE BACK for sale! So I bought TWO.

I’ve been happily using them ever since, and love them dearly, but there is still a little problem. Last week, while on a weekend away, I placed my ReliefBands in the backseat pocket of a rental car I was in with friends… and accidently there AGAIN! (I really have to learn to hang onto these things!)  Believing I would never see them again, I went online to see if I could find another ReliefBand, and I actually did find them on Amazon.com, but they are a bit different. First, they are a bit more expensive, now up to $120.00, but the worst part is that they are no longer made so you can change the battery. That doesn’t sound so bad but if you accidently leave the ReliefBand on, or use it often, as soon as the battery dies, you are out $120! I was really disappointed to hear this change and don’t really understand it. Luckily, the car rental place found my ReliefBands and are sending mine back to me!

So I do want to recommend these Bands because they are really remarkable. They really relieve motion sickenss and are easy to take when traveling. If I had lost my Bands and had to buy these new ones, I would. There is nothing else like them to help ease the effects of motion sickness.