scopolamine patch

Just wanted to share my personal experience in case it’s helpful to anyone else:

I was recently prescribed the scopolamine patch to help manage nausea and motion sickness related to an inner ear condition. I know it works well for many people, but I had a very unexpected and intense reaction that I thought was important to share.

After wearing the patch for three days, I replaced it with a new one before going to sleep. When I woke up, I noticed my vision was extremely blurry. I could see things at a distance—like the TV or people across the room—but when I tried to focus on anything close up, like my phone, one of my eyes would turn inward toward my nose. It was disorienting and scary.

I removed the patch immediately. As the symptoms continued to worsen throughout the day, and after speaking with some friends, I went to the ER to get checked out. They did a CT scan with contrast and, out of caution, transferred me by ambulance to another hospital to monitor me for a possible stroke.

The whole experience was frightening. I had persistent dizziness, nausea, double vision, and a severe headache. I truly had no idea this kind of reaction was even a possibility, and if I had known, I would’ve opted to stick with the meclizine/Zofran combo I’ve safely used for years.

I’m sharing this not to scare anyone, but simply to raise awareness. The patch may work well for many, and I’m glad it exists for those people, but for others, especially those with certain sensitivities or preexisting conditions, it might not be the right fit. Please use caution and listen to your body.

I’m happy to answer any questions / and accept any suggestions y’all may have 🥰