Hashimotos and sea legs medication

[McPammy]

I’m going on a sailing holiday in October. We had a couple of days on a boat recently. Only on the boat for a couple of hours each day. I felt quite unsteady afterwards like everything was moving around me, sweating and strong sick feeling I’m a little concerned about our sailing trip in October and on a boat for a week, sleeping on it etc. I had this feeling for 2/3 days afterwards. I’m wondering if anyone else gets this. Is it a thyroid connected issue? As balance is a big part of the thyroid function. Anyone had success with a particular brand of sea leg/sickness medicine please.

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

I'm thinking this is tied in with B12 levels... I used to struggle for days after a boat trip but since I've sorted out my B12 levels it isn't such a problem

I think some sea sick pills contain Vit B6 so maybe it 's a B thing?

[McPammy in reply to TiggerMe]

I get regular 3 monthly B12 injections so my B12 is always very high. I don’t think it can be low B12 for me.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to McPammy]

3 months is not very regular

You could make sure you get next jab just before the holiday

Are you taking daily vitamin B complex too

[McPammy in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi. Yes I take a B complex also to keep my B’s balanced. I get my bloods taken before my 3 monthly injection of B12. It’s always high, even before the injection.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to McPammy]

McPammy, I'm no expert on B12, but am aware that once you're on B12 injections, serum levels are meaningless.

There's also some thing known as Functional B12 Deficiency.

Functional vitamin B12 deficiency

Some people can experience problems related to a vitamin B12 deficiency, despite appearing to have normal levels of vitamin B12 in their blood.

This can happen as the result of a problem known as functional vitamin B12 deficiency, where there's a problem with the proteins that help transport vitamin B12 between cells.

This results in neurological complications involving the spinal cord. nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b....

So it may well be that your sea legs are related to your B12 issue, and as suggested by SlowDragon , I'd make sure to get an injection immediately before going on your sailing trip.

[Anthea55]

Sea sickness is normal. Your balance mechanism has to get used to the change from land to sea and back again. Not connected to thyroid in my opinion.

Have you tried the travel wrist bands? Once correctly placed you can wear them full time. They are based on the accupressure principle and also don't affect any other medication you may be taking.

Also when you are on board ship it helps to look at the horizon, not the ship. That helps your brain to make sense of the motion.

[McPammy in reply to Anthea55]

I was thinking it’s probably normal. However, 6 people on the boat with me lately had no issues. It was just me with sea legs.

[mountainice in reply to Anthea55]

We were on a boat last year hired by our son in Tenerife to look at pilot whales. Very hot, and we sat at the front of the boat. My husband was ill afterwards and could not eat dinner and we had to be taken off the boat. I was absolutely fine because I followed instructions to look at the horizon, and it worked!

[Anthea55 in reply to mountainice]

Look for a place in the boat with the least movement. So avoid the front and back of the boat. Also avoid booking those cabins at the top of the ship. Older cruise ships had their dining rooms lower down in the ship where there was less movement.

[mountainice in reply to Anthea55]

It was a smallish boat, hired with two crew to go out for a trip to look at pilot whales, so that is why we all sat at the bow. It was extremely hot and we didn't take drinks out there, so I don't think that helped my husband.

I have never been on a cruise, but wouldn't mind trying one day - husband not so keen. I have emailed your info to myself about cabin placement, just in case!

[Lalatoot]

nhs.uk/medicines/hyoscine-h... patients are mentioned as not being able to take this travel sickness medicine.

[Anthea55 in reply to Lalatoot]

Hi Lalatoot,

That's really interesting and we should all be aware of it. It shows that people with a number of different health problems, including thyroid, should not be taking travel sickness medicines containing hyoscine hydrobromide. This includes brand names: Kwells, Joy-Rides, Kwells Kids, Travel Calm, Scopoderm

Here's your link, but without the word 'Thyroid' on the end, which it picked up by mistake.

nhs.uk/medicines/hyoscine-h...

[Lalatoot in reply to Anthea55]

Thanks

[McPammy in reply to Anthea55]

Yesterday I had a telephone consultation with my GP to get the correct travel sea legs medication. We talked about my thyroid condition and I mentioned that the pharmacist said to speak with my GP to understand if there are any contradictions. He’s only gone and prescribed the hyocine patches that you can put behind your ear. I wonder if it’s ok to use hyocine if your thyroid is under control?

[Anthea55 in reply to McPammy]

Personally I would email your GP, sending the link. Point out that it is a link to the NHS website. Say that you would rather not use the hyocine patches and ask for an alternative prescription.

Worth a try. If no luck from your GP, show that link to your pharmacist.

[humanbean]

I've taken OTC sea sickness pills before but don't remember the brand. I didn't have any problems with it.

boots.com/sitesearch?search...

If you look at that link it offers ORS Hydration Tablets in the same link as seasickness tablets, and if you think you might be sick it would be worth taking some with you. I think ORS stands for Oral Rehydration Salts. It helps to replace essential electrolytes after vomiting and diarrhoea.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_...

Another option that you might be interested in is Dioralyte which is a powder that requires dissolving in fresh water.

[WitchingHour2point0]

I've often wondered this, McPammy. I've been getting travel sick for as long as I can remember and sea sick... Well, I can't even stand on a Jetty without feeling ill!

BUT my travel sickness got very much worse as my hypothyroidism hit it's undiagnosed peak. It's improved since I've been on T4 and the introduction of T3 saw further improvements.

So in my case, hypothyroidism definitely made my travel sickness worse.

Best of luck on your trip!