Adult car-sickness...help!

[cheeseandchive]

Having never suffered from it as a child, I seem to have bizarrely developed motion-sickness as an adult. Majorly inconvenient as DH and I are in the middle of mammoth journeying around the UK with lots of long drives. joy.

I have been getting really severe nausea, sickness and headaches lasting up to 48 hrs after a long journey. Driving helps but I don't want to do it all the time - does anyone have any tried and tested tips for alleviating car-sickness?

Face forwards absolutely nonstop, finding a fixed point eg tree on horizon. No map reading at all. chew mint gum. Sea bands on wrists. If you don't need to drive again that day, pills (but all anti motion stuff makes me sleepy so can't drive after it). Regular small snacks eg breadsticks.
I am 36 and despite my mother assuring me it was all in my mind and I would grow out of it, I never have.
I always drive on country roads and let dh do the motorway stuff which is less emetogenic.

Anti-carsickness tablets from the pharmacy. Only thing I've ever found that does any real good.

Thankyou - will give all of that a go! Yes, imagine it would be much better for DH to do the motorways and me the country roads. Just need to start having the discipline to face front all the time! Will give anti-sickness tablets a chance too.

Thanks!

Some other things to try:

Sniffing a fresh cut lemon. Even if it doesn't help with nausea, the car will smell nice.

Make sure the car doesn't get too hot and stuffy.

Do not have any dangly things hanging from the rear view mirror.

Chew raisins to help with nausea.

Eat easily digested food during the journey, little and often, and drink water.

At fuel stations, try not to breathe in fumes. Get DH to do the filling and rejoin him when it's complete.

See your GP as there could be a middle ear problem, or other medical condition causing this.

Stugeron is a good motion sickness medication for adults.

Scopoderm patches, only available on prescription from your GP. They worked wonders for me.

Definitely travel sickness pills such as stugeron. Always face forward. Sit in the front. Windows open.

I second seeing your GP. I am really travel sick but it usually stops very soon after I have stopped travelling.

Any chance you could be pregnant?

I never grew out of it either but it was 10 times worse when I was pregnant. I had to do all the driving the whole time.

The above suggestions are all ones I'd agree with, spearmint pools are particularly good too.

One thing that it might be if its come on suddenly (and you aren't pg) while you are doing lots of driving is migraine caused by odd neck positions and the odd light conditions at this time of year. I'm migraineous anyway, but find a lot of driving can crick my neck and bring them on.

IME, it would be odd for regular car sickness to last for so long after and to come on suddenly. POAS and then go to your GP.

oooooh dear, have got me thinking I might need to do a test! Have been feeling pretty ill/sick this week and vomiting a few times...but only had my coil fitted a few weeks ago so really hoping not!

Thanks for all the tips - found that focussing on the car directly in front really helped this time, and not looking at my phone/satnav etc. Will look at the pills/patches if it continues (and as long as I'm not pregnant...nervous laugh)