Seasick

“Seasickness: at first you are so sick you are afraid you will die, and then you are so sick you are afraid you won’t die.”   – Mark Twain

(For the purposes of this article, I will use “seasick” as a general term for all motion sickness.)

Boats. Planes. Cars. Ohhhhh. There isn’t a word for what travel sickness feels like. Many authors have made valiant efforts at describing the feeling of seasickness, but having experienced it myself, I’m not convinced they have nailed it.

Diana Gabaldon’s Jamie Fraser when crossing the ocean “thought then of nothing but death, and that with a fervor of longing.”

Spike Milligan, the British-Irish actor, comedian and writer suggested, “A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree” (Anon. 2021). (According to this website, many authors have expressed the same sentiment in similar ways.)

The Motion Sickness Guru** (Anon. 2021) has some unusual recommendations to cure seasickness, including taking a bit of earth or mud with you and to sit on it during the voyage. (Even if this one worked, it sounds a little messy.) 

I have better suggestion, with no mess of any sort. Homeopathy!

The World Traveller’s Manual (Lessell and Greenwood 1993, p. 39) talks about beginning treatment two days before traveling for maximum efficacy. Their prescription is a mixture of a few remedies and I’m sure it works well. The authors state their focus with this protocol is on prevention of established seasickness.

But, the Banerjis, as usual, have simplified things with their protocol.

Tabacum 200c, one dose every hour before starting a journey; three doses to be taken (Banerji and Banerji 2013, p. 122). By beginning the remedy prior to travel, the Banerji's goal is also to stop the seasickness before it starts, but if those initial doses weren't sufficient, take the remedy again.

Homeopathic Tabacum makes so much sense! Just think about all those cartoons and old TV shows where we would see someone take their first drag of a cigarette and they would turn green and double over with nausea — it’s like seasickness on land! 

"Nausea, giddiness, deathly sinking, vomiting, icy coldness and sweat … prostration of the entire muscular system" — those are the first symptoms mentioned in Murphy’s Materia Medica (2006, p. 1896) under homeopathic uses for Tabacum.

Is Tabacum the only homeopathic remedy for travel sickness?

Nope. For starters, as mentioned above, The World Traveller’s Manual suggests using a combination of remedies: Cocculus indicus 30c and Petroleum 6c as well as Tabacum 6c. 

Are these remedies only useful for nausea as a result of travel sickness?

Nope. Nausea of any kind, from any cause. Run of the mill nausea, morning sickness, nausea as a result of anxiety, nausea as a result of vertigo … even nausea caused from smoking tobacco!

What’s the difference between these remedies? 

All three of these remedies are strongly indicated in seasickness with nausea, but Tabacum is a little more indicated.

Tabacum is more highly indicated when:
 - Seasick with nausea
 - During vertigo*
 - During vertigo with noises in ear
 - SEVERE motion sickness and nausea
 - Empty, weak, “goneness” sensation in the stomach
 - With horrible anxiety
 - With vomiting
 - During pregnancy
 - With cold sweats*
 - constant desire to swallow saliva

Cocculus indicus: is more highly indicated when:
 - Seasickness is better closing the eyes
 - Sensitive hearing, or noises make it worse
 - During a headache
 - During vertigo*
 - During labor 
 - From sleeplessness (think jet lag and how horrible that makes you feel!)
 - Air travel*
 - From the smell of food
 - Looking at moving objects makes it worse
 - Riding in a car*
 - Sitting up in bed
 - While smoking
 - During a cough
 - Great salivation*
 - for those who get seasick while swimming*

Petroleum is more highly indicated for nausea when:
 - Air travel*
 - Riding in a car*
 - Accumulation of saliva in the mouth* 
 - With increased appetite
 - Eating helps
 - With cold sweat*
 - Constant nausea
 - While standing
 - During stool
 - Sudden nausea
 - for those who get seasick while swimming*

* (If the same symptom is mentioned under multiple remedies, that symptom is equally indicated in both remedies.)

As you can see, there is a good deal of crossover between these remedies. If one doesn't work for you, try the next one.

Ugh. Just thinking about all this makes me feel a little queasy.

The next time you are planning an ocean voyage (or a plane trip or car trip if you’re sensitive to them), be sure to slip a tube of homeopathic Tabacum 200c in your bag and in your mouth a couple of hours before your travel begins. It will likely make your trip much more pleasant.

**This website does have some homeopathic suggestions, too, I was happy to see!


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits
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REFERENCE LIST
Anon., 2021. A Sure Cure for Seasickness Is To Sit Under a Tree – Quote Investigator [online]. Quote Investigator.

Anon., 2021. Motion Sickness Trivia - Outlandish cures, quotes, barf bag fun... [online]. www.motion-sickness-guru.com.

Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Gabaldon, D., 2002. Voyager. New York, New York: Bantam Dell A Division Of Random House, Inc.

Lessell, C. B. and Greenwood, L., 1993. The world travellers’ manual to homoeopathy. Essex: Saffron Walden.

Murphy, R., 2006. Nature’s materia medica : 1,400 homeopathic and herbal remedies. 3rd ed. Blackburg, Va.: Lotus Health Institute, November.

Ratera, Dr. M. M., 2016. First Aid with Homeopathy. Kandern, Germany: Narayana Verlag.‌