By Jennifer
Larson, NurseZone feature writer
People prone to carsickness or seasickness often pop an anti-nausea drug before braving the front seat or the bow of the boat.
They and people who suffer from nausea due to medical conditions or chemotherapy have many drugs on the market to choose from: Zofran, Scop-Dex, Compazine, Ativan, even the common over-the-counter medicine
Dramamine. Many people take these medications with absolutely no problems or
concerns.
But
some patients may feel uncomfortable taking a drug to help them feel less
queasy. That’s the idea behind a device called ReliefBand, the first product
manufactured by Woodside Biomedical Inc.
A
deep-sea fisherman conceived the idea for the device in the late 1980s. Larry
Bertolucci wondered if there were alternative ways to treat seasickness. He
created a device and tested it on himself and several other fishermen.
The
device looks like a watch with the face turned inward towards the wearer’s
body. It fastens around the wearer’s wrist and sends electric signals to
stimulate the media nerve in the wrist. A special conductivity gel rubbed on the
wrist helps relay the electric signals.
According
to the manufacturer, the nerve impulses travel up the nerves to the spinal cord
and brain to block the electrical messages signaling nausea.
The
device received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about two
years ago. According to Woodside officials, it is the only commercially
available electronic medical device for its indicated prescription uses that has
FDA approval.
The
ReliefBand is available with a prescription to people with post-operative nausea
or nausea from chemotherapy and pregnant women with morning sickness. The device
is the only FDA-approved device available for morning sickness-related nausea
and vomiting, said Tom Mann, executive vice president for operations.
Some
health insurance plans cover the cost of the prescription device. For instance,
Aetna will cover it without a preauthorization for nausea related to
post-operative, morning sickness, and oncology treatments, but other health
plans have different restrictions and conditions.
However,
a non-prescription version is available to motion sickness sufferers.
There
are two models for sale: the Explorer model, which sells through chain
drugstores for about $79-$99, and the slightly fancier Adventurer model, which
sells for $119-$149 at stores like Sharper Image. They have the same features
and five different settings, but the more expensive version has a leather strap.
The Explorer model has a canvas strap.
Woodside
is currently examining other uses for the device, which can only be marketed for
the currently indicated conditions.
Jan. 11, 2002. © 2002.
NurseZone.com. All Rights Reserved.