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air sick

Started by hatentx, October 06, 2008, 01:05:59 AM

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hatentx

So after my introduction to flying today in a 172 I noticed that my lunch set most of the trip I'm my throat.  I got sick feeling flying in Iraq but thought of it as just being hot and stale air in the helicopter.  What is it that ya'll have found that helps not wanting to puke all flight?

Eeyore

A barf bag in my pocket and a piece of gum in my mouth.

IceNine

The wrist pressure bands work very well.

And ginger root pills are AWESOME herbal supplement buy online
"All of the true things that I am about to tell you are shameless lies"

Book of Bokonon
Chapter 4

Eclipse

Eating a full, healthy meal before going up - seriously, an empty stomach is a killer.

Keeping your head on a swivel looking outside the windows to insure your visual perception matches your
physical perception as much as possible.

"That Others May Zoom"

SJFedor

and a nice bottle of cold water. or many of them.

Steven Fedor, NREMT-P
Master Ambulance Driver
Former Capt, MP, MCPE, MO, MS, GTL, and various other 3-and-4 letter combinations
NESA MAS Instructor, 2008-2010 (#479)

Trung Si Ma

Freedom isn't free - I paid for it

hatentx

Well today I ate a good meal before going up. 
Forgot about the ginger pills in my bag along with the gum and water.
I did notice that the bow in the airshield was messing with my head.  so I looked out the side as much as I could, no I was not the only pilot was flying with a buddy and he was giving me the crash course while I wait for my CFI to come back in town.  Well I guess I will try what I forgot about being in my bag.

What is the bracelet thing do and isn't it kinda expensive?

IceNine

12 bucks, there are some that are even cheaper, I used 3 different styles this one works best.  I like the adjustibility.  The one's that are elastic are way too tight if you have big wrists, BTDT

http://www.biobands.com/order.htm


That site also explains, but it uses acupressure to relieve the sickness.  It seems hoaky but it works
"All of the true things that I am about to tell you are shameless lies"

Book of Bokonon
Chapter 4

jeders

For me, some ginger root tea before I go up and some water while I'm up. Also a barf bag in my pocket for those really rough days
If you are confident in you abilities and experience, whether someone else is impressed is irrelevant. - Eclipse

PHall

Saltine crackers, or any salty crackers/chips will help settle your stomach.
But looking out the window at the horizon helps a lot.

There's always Dramamine too.

hatentx

non drowsy Dramamine puts me to sleep so that isn't the best idea for me.  I know I should have done more drugs in high school I just don't have the tolerance. ;)

scooter

There are them that got air sick, and them that are gonna get airsick.  ;) You will eventually get over it but none of us are immune, ever.

O-Rex

Quote from: scooter on October 07, 2008, 11:07:17 PM
none of us are immune, ever.

Particularly when you are breathing JP4 exhaust backwash on a hot day: some things you just don't get used to.

Pick one of the remedies above, most will help, but by all means, keep that barf bag handy!!!  Been out of the Military for a few moons, but I'll bet the long-standing rule of "you puke it, you clean it." still holds true today.

BigMojo

I haven't had issues in a plane yet, but a couple times I've had issue on boats. I've tried all the other homeopathic remedies listed here, and if those don't do it for you, this did: http://www.transdermscop.com/about-transderm-scop.htm It does make you a little drowsy, but not nearly as bad as dramamine.

They are trans-dermal Scopolamine patches. They look like a dime sized band-aid that you place behind your ear. They are available by prescription, and while not cheap, should be covered by insurance.

I am not a Dr. or a medical practitioner, so, this is simply my uneducated opinion and personal result.

Ben Dickmann, Capt, CAP
Emergency Services Officer
Group 6, Florida Wing

Smithsonia

#14
Dramamine 3 hours before the flight. Prilosec 1 hr before the flight. Take tums with you. Put one under the tongue and let it melt. No heavy drinks, coffee, too much water, etc. Part of the problem is confidence. Once you get vomit up your gullet it sets up a feed back system... calling for more nausea. If this doesn't help. Do it again. Then do it again... if it doesn't get better after 5 or 6 flights then you've got a problem that can't be easily helped. Spin training or equalibium adjustment is all you have left.

Skin temp can be a problem. Don't get too hot. Medium to cool helps. THERE IS NO ONE SHOT CURE ALL. Best to take steps ahead of time and build your confidence. Let your eyes lead the turn of your head. If you are scared you will swing your head around much more with your eyes locked... it's part of the hyper alert posture that nature built inside us all. Relax, breath, relax, breath. Keep your eyes outside and on the horizon. Good luck. By the way... everything above has worked for everybody I know. Barf bags just in case... but a nose plant in a used bag will make nausea worse... so take a few bags.

I've flown for 30 years and done quite a bit of aerobatics. It's best to plan ahead and have some tools to help.
With regards;
ED OBRIEN

♠SARKID♠

I dealt with nausea the entire way through the flight academy at Oshkosh.  About half way through the week I started taking dramamine and it helped but even after a week of straight flying I couldn't shake it unassisted.  I never threw up, but once it got so bad my pilot dropped me off at our practice field, continued flying with the other cadet, and I took a nap on a bench outside the FBO just to try and calm my guts

Major Lord

Besides Dramamine, Bonine is an over the counter medication that was prescription-only not too long ago, and contains a drug called Antivert. Its fairly effective for your problem. Benadryl is also used to treat motion sickness, but it can be sedating, so some people take a dose the night before high-risk exposure. Wrist bands, ear clips, acupuncture, etc work by suggestion only, so if a placebo works for you, go for it. I personally think witchcraft should still be illegal.....Ginger works great for treating reflux, ( stomach  contents coming part way up and burning) as mentioned above. Avoid any alcohol ( I know, how many S/M's have mentioned not to take drugs and alcohol to you this week, right?) Stay hydrated, and strangely, don't wear cheapie sunglasses. The optical distortion coupled with movement can make things worse.

Major Lord
"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

a2capt

Another thing that a lot of folks find is that once they actually start flying more and more themselves and the instructor does less, the issue becomes a moot point.

Probably because they're being acclimated to it but also the sensory feelings of why they are feeling what they are feeling because they have a hand in doing it with the controls.

wingnut55

#18
from the age of 4 to 19 I could not fly more than 15minutes, barf boy. I carried a 5lb empty coffee can, filled 1/2 full many times. As a student I would fly, land open the door puke, and take off. When I joined the Air Force my boss a Flight surgeon pulled me in and used hypnosis. Now I knew at the time it was Horse Doo, but what he made me realize that a big part of it is within your mind, this stands to reason that the smell of avgas was easily my Pavilovs Dog. SO guess what , mind over matter: I was able to control it, my primary reason, so I could fly with the Hurricane hunters of the 54th weather Squadron. In time it has almost completely gone away. 8 hours of Archer, no problem. If I do get sick I can barf inbetween radio calls and not lose a adjective talking on the CAP radio.

If your really serious the USAF still uses a special chair that rotates and twists, they use this on a pilot who suddenly develops motion sickness. Through a session of serious rapid turning and rotating they can cure you. If not it can ground a pilot. Check with the people who put on the Altitude Chamber classes they use the Chair. I know Beale AFB still uses it, Brooks AFB, Texas and others, if you sweet talk them they might do it.

Warning
according to the FAA
Pilots who are susceptible to airsickness should not take anti-motion sickness medications (prescription or over-the-counter).These medications can make one drowsy or affect brain functions in other ways.

Google it, it seems that plan old  "lots of flying" works the best.


JoeTomasone


For me, a very light meal of something non-greasy (cold cereal works well), keeping my eyes out the window when the aircraft is turning or in turbulence, and forcing myself to concentrate on the task at hand have all worked well for me.   Never had a close call in an aircraft, and the only time I've ever lost it in any type of craft was on a fishing trip in pretty rough water as a kid - and given the nature of the rolls we were taking and my age at the time (6?  7?), I have no shame there at all.   :)

Much of it, to me, is mind over matter.


DC

I always find it helps to stay busy. The only times I have ever gotten airsick were when I was in the back seat doing nothing. Some kind of task that requires some degree of concentration gives me something to think about other than the "You will blow chunks, resistance is futile" message being sent to my brain...

I have never had an issue when in the front seat or in a large aircraft, so I can't speak for those scenarios...

I know people that swear by the wrist bands....

SarDragon

When I was younger, I did roller coasters frequently, and had no problems with nausea or puking. Stopped doing it for a few years, and yowza, "where's the barf bag?" when I started up again. I talked to my doc about it, and said, "the more you do it, the easier it gets". Stopping was the worst thing I could have done.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

notaNCO forever


hatentx

You kid but I thought about it

Tater

Lots of great ideas here but exposure is what will cure the problem.  Erich Hartman and Chuck Yeager barfed their guts up in pilot training and almost washed out.  The ideas presented will definitely help but it is different for different folks.  My own experience is that the more I fly the less of a problem it is.  I've done the full aerobatic thing and was ready for a big greasy burger and I've barfed on a mission right before a find.  I have talked to fighter pilots who have told me the same thing.  After being away from the g's and maneuvering for a while some (if they would admit, of course) will get a little pukey.  Bottomline, don't get discouraged, press on!  The more you do, the easier it gets.  We have a guy in our squadron we named Trashbag, because a airsick bag just wasn't enough.  He puked on every trip for the longest time.  He became one of our greatest.
Roy Knight
Airplane Driver
Fallbrook Squadron 87
CAWG