Do Rides/Roller Coasters Make You Sick/Lightheaded?

[vrf19977]

I've never felt sick on a ride in my life, never been prone to motion or sea sickness. Guess I'm just lucky.

 

Mine didn't start till my late 20's. Guess it's part of getting old

[vrf19977]

I rarely get sick on roller coasters unless I ride them over and over. For example, riding X2 at SFMM 3 times in a row during WCB ERT made me feel sick, but one ride on it doesn't. I have had similar experiences with Goliath and GhostRider after riding 3-4 times in a row when there was no wait, but I have never felt like vomiting after the ride, just very dizzy and/or sore (in GhostRider's case).

 

Flat rides, on the other hand...well, I can handle some, but not all. I've found that in general rides which rotate on parallel or perpendicular axes don't bother me much, while rides that rotate on skewed axes do. For example, I'm not bothered by a normal tea cup ride because all three axes of rotation are parallel, but I get sick on a tilt-a-whirl because even though it only has two axes of rotation they are skewed. So far, the only exception I've found to this rule is Knights Tournament at Legoland California, but since that is so unique it doesn't really qualify. Additionally, I cannot handle being suspended upside down at all. Inversions don't bother me, and I do fine on rides like the top spin, but on a kamikaze ride where it stops at the top I instantly get sick.

 

Someone above mentioned drinking water, which I find helps. I have a general rule that if there is a drinking fountain between rides, I stop and take a drink regardless of the temperature or whether or not I think I need to. This has worked for me everytime, and so far I have never gotten dehydrated at a park.

 

Dude, you and I are so alike! I can take the teacup ride (it doesn't spin as hard as some other spinning rides, which helps too) but can't handle the Tilt-A-Whirl. A few years ago I tried the balloon race ride and couldn't handle it; something about seeing everything spinning around me, just made me all dizzy, but not nauseous. Drop me 200 ft on a roller coaster and I'm cool, but don't spin me!

 

I also tend to get a drink at water fountains everytime I make a potty stop. Thumbs up to us!

[vrf19977]

Anyone else get sick on carousels but not on rides a lot more extreme? I think a good portion of it is mental just because how dangerous carousels actually are in comparison to other rides.

 

But I won't ride one anyway as my stomach will have none of it!

 

I don't get sick on them, but if I don't focus on something that's NOT moving (like the horses), I'll get a little dizzy. Darn old age, it sucks so bad!!

[mwm1444]

As anyone who's been on a trip with me knows, I'm not big on intensity. I305 with trims was close to the edge for me - in fact, upon blacking out in a midtrain seat during ERT, I gave up after 5 rides - but I'll happily admit I'm a lightweight pussy.

 

Really, I'm a rubbish 'coaster enthusiast, but then TPR trips are about so much more than just the rides, that it doesn't matter!

[Angry_Gumball]

It's strange. I've done all the spinny/pukey rides immediately after eating a decent-sized meal and came off perfectly fine. The strange thing is, that if I ride an Invertigo more than 2 times back-to-back, I will feel somewhat nauseated, probably for the rest of the evening. Granted, I'll still ride the rest of the rides and they will not add or subtract from it. I'm guessing that it would have to do with the flipping motions? Maybe not as I've done an Enterprise ride right after eating lunch and once that's vertical you're doing what would be like multiple vertical loops. So yea, I'm baffled as to why an Invertigo would nauseate me but I can ride all the spin n pukes just fine.

[Six Flags Enthuseast]

The only time I can remember getting sick because of a ride was when I rode Extreme Scream (S&S Combo Tower ride) in 2003, and that was after I ate nearly a whole funnel cake. Like DBru said, I wouldn't recommend that to anybody.

[RandyV]

Never been sick on a coaster or after a coaster but within the last few years I find myself a little more susceptible to grey outs on some hyper coasters. I was feeling a little uncertain while boarding a train on Hulk at IOA recently, but then realized I'd been riding all day in 100' heat without drinking any water. The family and I did a major CA park trip a few years ago and by day 7 we were all pretty much done being turned upside down and every which way...

 

 

[aceospades1250]

The only ride I've ever felt sick on afterwards is Batman The Ride at SFMM. Though I fairly regularly get headaches from X, Ghostrider, and pretty much any rough ride with OTSRs.

[texcoaster]

Possible source of nausea: the liquid in your inner ear that deals with balance and equilibrium can be jostled around (like on a coaster) by forces pulling in lots of different directions for a short period of time. Spinning rides tend to create gravitational forces in a single direction for extended periods of time. Those are the rides that make me ill. Closing your eyes and taking deep breaths will help with the vertigo, but you'll need to sit down for a bit right after the ride is over until your inner ear is settled again.

 

If you or a friend get nauseous from nervousness (like when waiting in line), make sure that you eat something bland and absorbent (like plain bread or saltines) before you go to the park. This will keep the stomach from being upset by the nervous churning. Avoid high fat-content foods as well as dairy. These will make things worse, not better.

[redmenace8]

So far the only two 'rides' that have made me feel nauseous. The first is this maypole 'ride' at a Ren Faire where you sit on this large ring hanging from the pole while facing outward. They wind it up the pole, then release it. The world turns into a blur. The guys running it were actually trying to get people to get sick, encouraging riders to lean forward and giving long, oh so long, rides. I barely saved face in front of my little cousin.

 

The other 'ride', I am embarrassed to say, is the long series of escalators at Universal Studios. I think it is the angle, plus the lengths, and seeing all those other people leaning in just such a wrong way combine to make the experience, um, difficult. I have to close my eyes. I don't mind taking the stairs down, but up, that is another story.

 

I think for everyone, what causes a problem is different. You just have to figure what motion rides do that will set you off and learn to watch and avoid. You will not always be successful, but, that is part of the learning process. Trying can also help you push your limits, when carefully done.

[vrf19977]

Not sure if this counts as a "ride" but I can't handle IMAX movies, either. The steep room, so much screen my eyes can't see the whole thing at once, it's just too freaky.

[Schrecken]

I've had this problem with certain rides ever since I got into my early 30's (before that, only heavy-duty spinning would do it, like a Tilt a Whirl, Rotor, Graviton or similar ride). It started with Vekoma boomerangs (I could ride every other kind of coaster w/o getting sick), because the backwards part would make me queasy. I remember when Deja Vu opened at SFMM - I was there on media day and I was only able to ride 4 times when I got sick (I didn't throw up, just got queasy and had to quit). I did get totally sick on the boomerang at CGA a year or so earlier, but luckily I made it to the restroom before I tossed my cookies.

 

A few years ago I began getting sick on looping coasters, not just boomerangs and spinning flats. I finally broke down and asked my dr. for a RX for the patch, and for the most part, it works really well. The only problem I have these days is indigestion brought on by looping coasters, which in and of itself can lead to nausea, even with the patch.

I went to BGE a couple of years ago and ate a big breakfast that morning and then I got really nauseous on my 3rd ride on Griffon (funny thing it seemed I was OK in the seats closer to the center, but when I got on a far outside seat that was it). I decided to walk around for a while and wait until it went away, but as I was waiting for my friends to ride Alpengeist, it really hit me then. So I tried to find a trash can or some place where people wouldn't be walking, and I ended up puking in some bushes. But the peculiar thing was that the only thing that came up was the orange juice and coffee I had - no food came up at all, even though I had just eaten about an hour ago.

 

Then earlier this year I went to HP and had breakfast that morning before hitting the park. I avoided the OJ but had a cup of coffee. Well, after just one ride on Storm Runner I was really green (I had ridden Fahrenheit three times right before that, but no nausea there). And again, I had to run and find a place to puke. And like at BGW, the only thing that came back up was the coffee.

 

I've concluded that acidic beverages are a no-no, at least in the morning and along with breakfast (I can drink soda later in the day w/o problems). I also carry a small travel pack of antacids around with me in a park (they do work well if your problem is triggered by indigestion) and always wear a patch. Luckily, any problems I might have seem to be confined to the a.m. hours for some odd reason. Also, another thing that helps (for me, at least) - sometimes I get really dizzy from certain inverted coasters (which I fear might bring on nausea), so what I do is to close my eyes for the portion of the ride that causes that sensation. I rode Sidewinder at HP maybe a couple hours after my Storm Runner episode, and I just closed my eyes for the backwards portion of the ride, and that helped a lot. I am also careful not to get really hungry - I make sure I eat regularly because one time I got a little green on El Toro (after several rides) simply because I had an empty stomach and I was getting hungry.

 

This is a frustrating problem to have - rather like someone who loves animals but is terribly allergic to them. But I've pretty well figured out how to beat this vexing problem by noting what triggers episodes and avoiding the things that are the triggers (like acidic drinks).

[3Mutts]

The only ride I have every gotten lightheaded on was the Howler at Hersheypark but that was only because my sister spun the thing like crazy.

[Jew]

For me, I just need to make sure I have a full stomach. An empty stomach will almost always make me feel a little sick on rides.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Jew

[darklingscribe]

Some rides can cause me to grey out and this has only started within the last few years. Before I could ride anything except Goliath and not get tunnel vision, but now other coasters are having more of an effect on me. I don't really know why this is, I have somewhat attributed it to working out regularly which has lowered my heart rate and blood pressure as well as my low carb diet.

 

Hell, in the past year I can often cause myself grey out by simply standing up too quickly. It has become so frequent that it has begun to annoy me.

[Canobie Coaster]

The only rides that make me feel sick are some pendulum rides like swinging ships or Huss frisbees. I'm perfectly ok on the larger and faster pendulum rides like a S&S Screamin' Swing, Technical Park Street Fighter, or a Chance Revolution, but a swinging ship will always cause me to feel a bit queasy probably due to the slower rocking speed. Then in the past two years I've found that Huss frisbees can make me feel queasy afterwards as well.

[BeachsideThrills]

I am usually insusceptible to motion sickness, but got a nosebleed and a headache on the Starship 2000 (or the Gravitron) once.

[witting]

I've gotten sick from the huss condor in Vidampark. everybody who was with me on the cycle got sick and a few puked it wa probaply also because it was more than 45 degrees Celsius and up there there is no shadow.

[Moose]

That's the exact same ride I got sick on, but the weather was muuuuuuch cooler on the day I was there (and puked).

[cfc]

I've never thrown up after experiencing a flat ride, but, in a few cases, I've deserately wantedto --I just can't deal with Round-Ups or anything that resembles a spinning tea cup.

[Meteornotes]

I find I get dizzy if I'm not drinking a lot of water. Hydration is the key, at least for me.

 

Most rides don't bother me, though I don't think I could marathon I-305. I think the "grey out area" would get to me after a couple of rides.

 

dt

[gisco]

I find it a little amusing the number of people who ride coasters that get motion sickness. I don't and never have.

[cmullin]

Never have and hopefully never will. Not even after riding Behemoth 45 times straight after chicken strips, fries, tacos, and two soft serve ice creams.

[i<3coasters]

Something about Silver Bullet gets to me after a few rides. I've heard a few people say it makes them dizzy as well, because of how slowly it seems to maneuver through its elements, but the corkscrews followed by its final helix are what I've noticed has the ability to jar me.

[megametal]

For some reason, in the past 3 years or so, it's been swinging ships mainly that get me really feeling ill. And they don't do so until they turn the drive tires off and just let it swing on it's own, or they start to slow it down. Happens on Frisbees too. Not so much on the giant frisbees, but frequently on things like Fandango at Knoebels or The Claw at Hersheypark.

 

Roller coasters thankfully have yet to make me sick. Starting to wonder if I should start to bring Dramamine with me from now on, as I do love flat rides. Oddly enough, spinning in and of itself do not effect me. Just pendulum swinging.