Relief bands

manufacturer's response

by Tracey_E - 2023-03-02 11:35:59

They said ask your doctor. They don't recommend one way or the other. 

Non Tens Acupressure Bands

by SeenBetterDays - 2023-03-02 12:50:53

Hi Tracey, I haven't used the tens version but I found the stretchy wrist bands with the plastic stud helped a bit with travel sickness. Presumably, the bands you are talking about are more effective in interrupting the nerve signal as they would be more powerful but maybe experiment with the non tech version if you haven't already. I know motion sickness is not great and you don't want it to spoil your enjoyment of your travels. Hope you manage to get some advice from your ep. Let us know how you get on.

seabands

by Tracey_E - 2023-03-02 14:40:57

You're talking about seabands. I've used them for years and they are great. However, I've still been getting sick even with them. And on a cruise last fall we were in a storm and I got sick while taking bonine and wearing the seabands. I was researching scopalamine patches for my next trip when I found these bracelets. 

I heard from my ep. They said they didn't know. It's probably ok but possible the signal will confuse the pacer and prevent pacing. They have a liberal return policy, I may order one and try it out. I'll feel it right away if it causes missed beats, in which case I'll just take it off and return it. 

more from ep

by Tracey_E - 2023-03-02 15:15:21

I asked if it was ok to order them and give it a try, they said go for it. 

Fingers Crossed

by SeenBetterDays - 2023-03-02 15:43:07

Hope it works for you Tracey. I am pacemaker dependent too so, as you say, we'll soon know if anything changes in the pacemaker signalling. You don't want sea sickness and missed beats, wouldn't be a great combo 😉. 

nope!

by Tracey_E - 2023-03-02 16:51:18

Any sign of missed beats and I'll return it! They have 14 day return policy if it doesn't work. 

Relief Bands

by AgentX86 - 2023-03-02 17:40:18

It's a TENS device so I'll take pass.  However, I don't suffer from motion sickness (inverted isn't going to work) so can afford to be uber-conservative.

I did some web searches to see how these things actually work and came across this:

"However, some users have reported experiencing skin irritation or allergic reactions to the device, and it is not suitable for individuals with pacemakers or other electronic devices implanted in their bodies."

<https://www.reviewopedia.com/reliefband-reviews>

It may be just more lawyerese to civer their hind ends.

Agent

by Tracey_E - 2023-03-02 22:40:26

I spoke with the manufacturer today and they have no recommendation one way or the other. Which (because I'm me lol) took as optimistic because they aren't saying don't do it. 

I also spoke with my ep's office. They don't have any experience with them but said that the signal is small enough it's not likely to cause problems. It's possible it can confuse the pacer and it won't pace or will miss beats but they think that's unlikely. I asked about ordering one to try it out and they said go for it. It has a 14 day return policy, and I'll know instantly if it's causing problems. So, even if it causes an issue they aren't worried about me being in any danger. 

I think I'm going to order it. I don't want to be on bonine the entire length of every vacation. I take it for planes, trains and automobiles and boats too. It's gotten really ridiculous the last few years. I couldn't even keep the bifocal glasses I ordered, I was nauseous within minutes. 

Yes it is worth trying

by Gemita - 2023-03-03 04:23:44

Tracey, first of all I am very sorry to hear about your worsening motion sickness.  It is a truly horrible condition and I know it well.  I am particularly affected during sea travel, although more recently I have started to experience this while travelling on our local Buses, so I guess my motion sickness is getting worse too.  Hubby never had trouble during our sea cruises in the past and was able to enjoy his meals on board during stormy seas, while I was often confined to my cabin.

I believe that visual‐vestibular habituation training is the most effective non-pharmacological treatment.  Other measures such as acupuncture and stroboscopic illumination could be substitutes for medications when side effects are unacceptable.  (See links below).   As we know, motion sickness is easier to prevent than to cure, so I usually start any medication well before the day I travel.

I don’t know whether you have sought the opinion of a specialist to help you consider all your options, but that might be the best way forward since I cannot ever imagine you not wanting to travel. 

Enjoy your next trip Tracey wherever that is and I hope your Relief Bands give some protection.  Please let me know if they help so I can try the same product. 

I attach a couple of links giving more ideas and new experimental treatments in case they are of help.

https://www.bmj.com/bmj/section-pdf/187396?path=/bmj/343/7835/Clinical_Review.full.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6492910/

links

by Tracey_E - 2023-03-03 08:25:07

Thanks for the links, Gemita! A have a few things planned this year :) 

Hi

by Lavender - 2023-03-03 09:52:55

Just popping in to thank you, Tracey, for all your inspiring, courage posts of adventures living with a pacemaker. You are the poster child of bold life journeys, never being held back by a pacemaker! It gives me strength just knowing what you accomplished! 🙌🏼

visual‐vestibular

by AgentX86 - 2023-03-03 14:45:52

That's, of course, the problem.  Gemita, you said that you remained in your cabin.  That's exactly the wrong thing to do.  Inside a rolling room your eyes fix on "stationary" (to your visual reference) objects while your vestibular sustem sensing the movement.  The brain can't resolve the two and the stomach takes the brunt of the confusion.

Tracey, I'm surprised that you can do coasters.  Inversion would make me toss my cookies, though I don't have a huge problem with motion sickness.  I do have a slight balance problem but it doesn't show as motion sickness.

coasters

by Tracey_E - 2023-03-03 15:00:55

Hills are fine and for some reason the coasters that do big spirals don't bother me. Maybe it's because it only lasts a minute or two? I don't do any that go upside down. I like to push things but I try not to cross the line into downright stupid. 

Sitting on deck staring at the horizon is how to handle seasick on a ship. In a car, look straight forward, no left or right and for sure no turning to talk to anyone in the back seat or looking at the phone. Or, be like me and always insist on driving! I think I could write a book on ways to live with it. I have high hopes for the bracelet.

Bracelet ordered this morning, will report in if it works and if my pacer likes it.

AgentX86

by Gemita - 2023-03-03 17:25:10

Actually the only thing that helps me is to lie down, close my eyes, may be even drift off for a minute or two and reset everything.  Helps more than staying on deck fixing my gaze firmly on the horizon but still seeing the big waves coming at me.

What makes it harder is that hubby is such an excellent sailor and never has to leave the cruise dining room in a hurry like me.  If only he would learn not to follow me with a tray of food for me to eat later, or come to the cabin telling me all about the meal I had missed, especially the creamy desserts.

I don't think I will be in a hurry to go on a cruise again, unless Tracey has success with her new bracelet and it works for me too?

Laying down on the coaster

by AgentX86 - 2023-03-04 00:21:00

I'm not that big into coasters.  I've done some, you would consider, minor ones and they were fun but even spirals scare the **** out of me. Anything more than a minor negative-G doesn't work well either.

Laying down with eyes closed does the "same thing" as being on deck and staring at the horizon is the whole point, to allow the brain to resolve what different sensors are telling it.  Closing the eyes shuts off one sensor. Needing to have to stare forward sorta does the same.  I never look at the person next to me because I don't think it's necessary to talk.  I hate drivers who have to look at you to talk.  WATCH THE DAMN ROAD!

About fifteen years ago I worked as a contractor for a department of defense contractor.  My part of the project started out as a designer developing target tracking hardware.  After I completed that work, I was extended to design the cameras that fed the tracking system.

Skip design paragraph if it gets too confusing.  I started to understand the system I was flaberghasted at the design (and the waste but that's another story). This was a stealth ship (DDD-1000 Zumwalt class destroyer) so there was nothing sticking out, like guns or even the bridge.  The control room was in the bottom of the ship.  To get information to the crew in the control room, these cameras looked out "port holes" around the ship.  The design specification was such that there was no physical way the camera could see the entire field of view, so the cameras were mounted to rails and ran back an forth to see the area of interest.  As the rail moved, the camera rolled on its axis.

To the point.  Now, think about the poor schlub in the control room.  He's being tossed around by waves, can't see outside only his instruments, and the inside of the control room. And the displays showing images from the cameras swinging back and forth rolling as the camera moved, not in sync with anything.  There was some attempt to stabilize the cameras by countering the roll electronically.  When I understood this, my jaw dropped.  And the cost!

Destroyers are intended to be targets to protect aircraft carriers but at a cost $4.5B each, they can hardly be considered expendable. Because of the cost only three of thirty two were built.  At least they paid me huge money, though I was only there a year (couldn't take the incompetence and waste anymore).

motion sickness personal triggers

by Gemita - 2023-03-04 03:12:14

Hi AgentX86 and Tracey, you have both started me thinking more about my personal triggers rather than treating the condition once it has started. 

My recent difficulties travelling by bus I think has something to do with the “electric” status of the newer London buses, since I usually have no problems when travelling on the older, non electric buses.  Can either of you explain this when the electric buses certainly feel so much "smoother" when stopping, starting, excelerating?

A trigger on an electric bus is most definitely reading my text messages during the journey, although I can read text messages on the older, non electric buses without experiencing any motion sickness.  Reading my messages during bus travel is something I can eliminate easily enough though in the future to see if it helps.

AgentX86, what an interesting life you have had and thank you for describing what happens in the control room at the bottom of the ship.  Just cannot imagine working in those conditions.  Your entertaining, descriptive account has certainly helped me to see why I would feel worse in my cabin, although clearly lying down and closing my eyes has been a good solution.

Electric busses

by AgentX86 - 2023-03-04 17:54:41

Electric vehicles can ("hot-rodders" excepted) accelerate and decellerate much more smoothy than petrol (gas or diesel) vehicles because the motors are infinitely variable, no transmission needed.  The motors are also generators on many vehicels, and certainly buses, so they charge the batteries with the braking energy rather than dissipating it into heat with the brakes. Brakes are still used to bring it to a complete stop or in an emergency but they're not used 90% of the time. Because of this, the motion will be much smoother.  Obviously, pot holes are the same though the newer busses may have better suspensions.

Electric vehicles have a lot more torque, only limited by the tires, than an IC engine.  This means that they're fun to drive, which is often irresistable.😆 They'll still  be smooth as your heat snaps backward and your neck doesn't.😖