Anti-Motion Sickness Patch Is Coming Back

The Transderm Scop patch--a prescription remedy for motion sickness--is expected back in pharmacies by early December, after a three-year absence that sent former users scrambling for alternative remedies. Major markets, including Los Angeles, will get the first shipments, said Eric Jackson, spokesman for Novartis Consumer Health, the Summit, N.J., manufacturer. Nationwide availability is expected by March 1998.

Production of the dime-size patch, impregnated with scopolamine and worn behind the ear, was stopped voluntarily in mid 1994 to correct a manufacturing problem. The problem, Jackson said, was one of effectiveness, not of safety. Insufficient amounts of the drug were being released through the patch.

“Essentially the product was 85% effective,” he said. “We had to change the manufacturing system to add on an additional step to ensure consistency of the delivery of the product.”

The 1.5 milligram dose of scopolamine inside the patch is meant to be released in .5 milligram doses, each day over three days. The drug is put into a reservoir in the patch and the reservoir is covered by a membrane through which the scopolamine flows, without injection, through the pores of the skin to the bloodstream. “We added a heating process that allows the active ingredient to stay in fluid form,” Jackson said. The result is a more constant and effective rate of release.

The suggested retail price will be the same as before, about $20 for a pack of four. Each patch is worn for three days.

The patch was first sold in 1980. Although it’s not known exactly how scopolamine works, the popular theory is that it inhibits motion sickness symptoms by blocking transmission of impulses from the inner ear to the brain. Among motion sickness symptoms are queasiness, vomiting, fatigue, lightheadedness, sleepiness and hyperventilation.

Not everyone is a candidate for the patch, however. It’s not recommended for pregnant or nursing women, children, the elderly or those with glaucoma, urinary problems, an allergy to scopolamine, intestinal obstruction, metabolic disease, kidney or liver disease. Side effects can include dry mouth, drowsiness and blurred vision. Patch users are advised to avoid drinking alcohol while wearing it.

Another option for some travelers is over-the-counter medications such as Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) and Bonine (meclizine).

Acupressure may provide some relief. To trigger relief, press on a point about two finger widths above the wrist crease toward the elbow on the palm side of the hand between the major tendons.

Those prone to motion sickness are also advised to eat a small meal of low-fat foods before departure. Eating small amounts of food every two hours or so can help ward off symptoms.

Should symptoms occur, it can help to go outside if possible. Fresh air can help alleviate discomfort.

While the patch was off the market, many travelers turned to compounding pharmacies--those that specialize in formulating medicine not commercially available or discontinued--to purchase scopolamine gel. This was applied in a pre-measured dose behind the ear or on the wrist and sometimes covered with a bandage. Demand remains high for the gel, according to Elaine Blieden, a pharmacist at Panorama Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Panorama City. The gel, about $39 for 10 doses, is more convenient in some ways, she said. For instance, the dose can more easily be tailored to trips of less than three days, the amount of time covered by the medication in one patch.

For updates on the patch availability, call Novartis at (800) 452-0051.

The Healthy Traveler appears the second and fourth week of every month.