birding-aus

A question to pelagic-birders about motion-sickness patches

To: "Robert Inglis" <>
Subject: A question to pelagic-birders about motion-sickness patches
From: knightl <>
Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2005 17:59:32 +1000
G'day Robert,

Having done the odd bit of a chukking myself, I have come to the conclusion that best approach is to take a small bucket that you can throw up [in comfort] without having to hang over the rail [not a good thing when you are on the top deck]. I don't know why such buckets aren't standard equipment on pelagic trips. Generally you get an intermission [eg 10 minutes] between heaving sessions, so if you have a pail, you can establish an alternating pattern of birding and burleying. You just need somewhere to put the camera while you are reaching for the pail.

Regards, Laurie.

On Tuesday, September 27, 2005, at 01:21  PM, Robert Inglis wrote:

I can hear the groans already ;-).
"Not another thread about sea-sickness!!"

Believe me, I do understand the reaction and I don't wish to start another interminable and boring
thread on that subject.
I don't wish to know about all the real or theoretical treatments which may or may not work for me
or anyone else.

The situation is that I would very much like to participate in pelagic birding and to be able to take an active part in the obvious enjoyment and excitement that the 'pelagic mob' gain from this activity. As it is, by the time we get to 'the spot' the only activity I am capable of indulging in
is 'wishing I wasn't here'!!

The fact is that I suffer very badly from motion sickness and have done so all my life. I have tried a number of medications, diets and techniques to alleviate the problem but nothing has
been sufficiently effective to give me any encouragement.
Except, perhaps, for scop patches.
I say "except" because I tried the patches many years ago and I seem to remember that they were
quite effective.
The memory banks are working on old software and a bit overloaded these days so the memories may have some read-errors and I can't remember what the weather conditions were like on those trips.

I have tried three pelagic trips out of Southport (Queensland) this year dosed up on motion-sickness
tablets but the weather gods decided to really try me out.
The first trip was rough, the second trip was rougher and the third trip was bloody rough!
Consequently the medication failed me in short time each trip.

In a final attempt to resolve my dilemma I have recently tried to get some scop patches but my local pharmacist tells me that they haven't been available in Australia for some years. Amazing! My avenue of last resort seems to have come to a dead-end.............. However, I have heard a rumour that some pelagic-birders may be using patches.

My question is:
Are anti-motion-sickness patches (the type that are placed on clear skin behind the ear) available
in Australia?

If so, where?
If not but pelagic-birders are using them, how do they get them?

I understand that there has never been a requirement for a doctor's prescription to purchase these patches in Australia and when I discussed the subject with my local GP he did not say they were
banned here.
So, I am sure there would be no danger in giving me the information I seek here.

If I receive responses to my question which I think are useful and worthy of reporting I will post a
summary on this forum at a later date.

PLEASE NOTE:
I have resorted to this forum in preference to the Birding-Aus Blog mainly because I simply don't
understand the Blog.
Anyhow, believe that this topic is directly related to bird-watching and especially related to my
ability to expand my own bird-watching and bird-photography activities.
However, in the interest of not annoying or boring those members who have no problems with motion-sickness or are not interested in pelagic-birding (poor misguided souls) and in the interest
of limiting irrelevant/unnecessary posts it might be best to
respond to me direct at:

If anyone wishes to comment on the ethics or rightness or wrongness of posting a topic such as this on this forum would they please communicate to me directly on the above e-mail address rather than
clog up the Birding-Aus forum.

Ever hopeful,

Bob Inglis
Woody Point
Queensland
Australia




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