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Kramer

Nausea In Skydiving?

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Does anyone else get nauseous when they skydive? I made my second jump this weekend, and felt like I was going to puke for about two hours after the jump. Is this normal? If so, what can I do to help it?

For the record, I took some Dramamine before my third jump, and didn't have a single problem. I don't think it was so much the "motion sickness" that made me sick after number two, as much as it was the nerves from line twists, a bad landing, etc.

I just wanted to know if anyone else gets naseous after they jump. No one at my DZ seems to after I polled a few of them. Thanks.

-Kramer

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

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I have never gotten nausea myself as a result of skydiving, but I see students that way now and again.

I think it's the nerves mostly, coupled with some spatial disorientation. Just my humble opinion.

For you I think it will go away once you become more accustomed to your environment. Hang in there!
Arrive Safely

John

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I only have 60 jumps... I used to get motion sick after several jumps, I think it was moreso from the canopy ride with crazy turns at altitude, rather than anything else. I take Dramamine in the morning before jumping now and I'm fine. But still after 4 or 5 jumps I start to get a bad headache, not sure if it's from the pressure change or the stress of packing in the hot afternoon or what. But I take Tylenol for the headaches. :)
www.WingsuitPhotos.com

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I only have 40 jumps, but a bunch of things stopped happening to me after a dozen or so jumps: no more extreme fatigue, no more burned out feeling, no extreme ear pressure, etc. My body just sort of got used to skydiving. I noticed the students that were close to my progression agreed on this as well. I hope after a few more jumps you don't notice it anymore.

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let my inspiration flow,
in token rhyme suggesting rhythm...

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make sure you're eating all day long, skydiving takes a lot of energy and of course drink a lot of water!!!

__________________________________________________
"Beware how you take away hope from another human being."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes

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The afteraffects of adrenaline can cause nausea as well.



I tend to agree with the adrenaline rush theory. Most likely, low timers get sick because they have NEVER had so much adrenaline pumped through so quick in their lives. You'll learn to get used to it, you'll learn to LOVE it;)
The older I get the less I care who I piss off.

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Do you get motion sickness at other times? Such as sea-sickness, or car-sickness?



No, never. There isn't a roller coaster on this planet that I would ride and get sick on.

I'm starting to think it's more a combination of adreneline and dehydration. I had nothing but two glasses of milk to drink that morning. That'll probably screw you up pretty bad right there.

Thanks for the advice, and keep it comin if you got anything new.

-Kramer

The FAKE KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMER!!!!!!!!!

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I don't really get Nausea but I sometimes get a little disoriented. I only have 21 jumps, and when I am at the dz I feel great. I find myself that after 4 or 5 hours when the adrenalline has worn off my head starts to spin and everything is moving which causes me to need lie down.


"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools." Napoleon Bonaparte

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Riding in a small plane can take some getting used to if you haven't done it before, there's more bank turns and getting buffeted around. The horizon can go this way and that. If this has never happened before, are you sure you were really feeling 100% that day ? Sometimes other things can whack your balance and I'm suring jumping would only aggrevate it.

Jay's absolutely right about eating and drinking lots of water and liquids, a day of jumping, especially in hot weather, can drain it right out of you. Headaches are often caused by dehydration, which is also the biggest cause of the beloved hangover.

Not so sure if taking dramamine's the best way to go though, if it makes you drowsy that's not good.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

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I got nauseous a little on my first two (tandem) jumps, and so I took dramamine while on AFF, but never had a problem, and then stopped taking the dramamine and still no problems.. I had really bad linetwists a few jumps ago and got kinda dizzy kicking them out (had plenty of altitude and was flying straight), but no nausea.

Jim Wallace told me that the 'sea band' wristbands work really really well for tandem students, so if you're nervous, that's probably a good way to go since it doesn't have the nasty sideeffects of Dramamine...
7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez
"I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

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I'm starting to think it's more a combination of adreneline and dehydration. I had nothing but two glasses of milk to drink that morning. That'll probably screw you up pretty bad right there.



I noticed the same thing when I started to jump. I use to be pretty nervous on the days I would jump and I would not eat very much in the morning before heading out to the DZ. As a result I would start to feel a bit dizzy and would get headaches from dehydration. So now that I am not so nervous anymore, I make it a point to get a good breakfast and keep eating and drinking troughout the day and my headaches and nausea have gone away.
Hang in there, you will get use to it and it will be fine pretty soon.

"We see the world just the way we are...

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I have had that happen a couple of times and it happens usually when I get under canopy. I have attributed it to spending too much time at the bonfire the night before (dehydration) and not breathing in freefall, because it usually only happens when I am freeflying. I know that I am not relaxed and I am fairly certain that I am not breathing at all. Ever try to run a mile when you are out of shape and dehydrated. Its a similar feel to me. Bellyflying is my primary mode of flying and I have never had a problem, but when I am not breathing and really tense I get a feeling that I am going to puke under canopy. You may want to think about your breathing and see what happens. good luck.:)

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I've only been nauseous once. It was around jump #120-ish. I had just put out a load of IAD students and then bailed after the last one was out. I took maybe an 8-10 sec delay then opened my Stiletto.

I cranked a couple of turns and something was in the back of my mind telling me something wasn't right. I then got extremely nauseous. I got into pattern and pretty much rode double-fronts the rest of the way to get down as fast as possible without having to spiral off altitude.

As soon as I landed I dry-heaved for several seconds. I had just changed to a new allergy medicine and I thought that may have been it, but I ended up with a full-blown case of the flu two days later. The nausea was probably caused by the early stages of getting sick.

I never want to be under canopy with that feeling again.[:/]
Sky, Muff Bro, Rodriguez Bro, and
Bastion of Purity and Innocence!™

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Some of my teammates make me sick. Stupid humor aside, Read Chuck Yeagers first book, in it he describes how his first few rides in an airplane made him violently ill, he got over that to become a very successful fighter and test pilot and still flies in his eighties. Don't give up relax, breath, have fun.


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For me. I use to get sick under canopy spins (from not eating and/or adrenyline rush). I sue to take non-drowsy dramamine for 40+ jumps then one day I forgot the dramamine and I had no problems. I now seldom use dramamine (1 02 in last 200 jumps) and have no problem. I guess needed a chance to get my body use to it. (like Yeager did with the jet pilot)

Take a little dramamine for a while and have fun!:)

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Am I GLAD I'm not the only one who feels nauseous after my tandem jumps!!! I've only jumped twice with 2 different tandem instructors and felt nauseous after. BOTH had to do the canopy-spins that makes me really sick as I'm (weirdly) scared of dizziness. I guess I have to get used to it since I'm going to do my A License next May! I surprisingly don't get car or sea-sick! Gotta stock up on the nausea-prevention pills! :D

Happy skies!! B|

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Was going to start a thread on this very topic, and was relieved to find one had been started already! Obviously I'm not alone.

I did my first tandem a few days ago. The suit up - no problem. The ride up - no problem. The door exit - nervous as hell, but exhilarating nonetheless! The free fall - unreal! The deployment - no problem. The canopy ride - thought I was going to lose my cookies. I had to close my eyes for the last half of it (opened them prior to landing, of course). I thankfully didn't puke, but was nauseous and disoriented for about 30 minutes after landing. I initially thought "great, so much for pursuing this sport", despite my TM's reassurance that it was not uncommon for new jumpers to feel queasy.

Well, reading these posts has been very reassuring! I now attribute my nausea to several factors.

1) Didn't eat much of anything the day of my jump.

2) Didn't drink enough fluids.

3) Adrenaline overload.

There may have been other factors as well, but I believe these three were the primary culprits. I will be sure to eat well and drink lots of water prior to jump #2, maybe try some ginger ale on the way to the DZ. I've used Bonine for rough boat rides without any side effects (no drowsiness), but I am interested to see how the sea bands work!

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. I was afraid that skydiving was no longer an option[:/] Glad to learn that what Zi experienced wasn't an anomaly!

The mind is everything. What we think, we become. - The Buddha

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I had the worst experience of my life!

I was all excited starting the AFF course, did all the theory with my instructor for 7 hours and 2 days ago I did my first tandem jump. The ride in the plane was fine the Free Fall part of the jump whas awesome! When the canopy opened all hell broke loose. Is there a word to describe a feeling much more than nausea? Something like nausea PLUS 1000%. I felt such discomfort I actually passed out for a few seconds, I felt totally drained with no power and trying to focus and hold my puke. As soon as we landed I threw up two three times on the landing zone. I could barely walk and lied down for an hour. I couldn't even drive from the dizziness, it was a two-hour drive to home and I stopped three times to vomitt and take a half an hour nap in my car each time. Driving very carefully I made it home. Next day I still felt a bit dizzy and the day after that I'm okay but not 100%. I really wanted to progress in skydiving but I'm not sure I can make it anymore. I don't know if Dramamine will help and I'm really scared to try it and bear the same experience. Anyone else like me? any thoughts will help thank you!

Edited by Bobby GR

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