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Shoulda i give my kids anything for sea sickness?


gozagswoohoo
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The first cruise i ever went on (11 years ago, before i had children), my grandmother got HORRIBLE sea/motion sickness. It was a nightmare, and she was miserable for 5 days.

 

We now leave for a cruise in 3 days, and I have two boys, ages 6 and 9. I’m thinking that kids are probably MUCH less succeptible to sea sickness, but I just see images of my grandmother doubled over in her room for 5 days and i get terrified.

 

Have your kids ever had issues on a cruise? Should i give them anything preventative? Walmart has mostly just tablets for age 12 and up...

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Have they ever been on a cruise before? If not, I would see how they do first. Pack some Children's Dramamine just in case.

 

We have 2 children, ages 8 and 7. They are already Gold VIFPs on Carnival and have sailed RC and NCL, too. Not once have they had an issue with motion sickness.

 

If you are on one of the newer, larger ships, the motion issue will be diminished, but it also depends on where you are going. I would prepare for but expect no problems.

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Call your doctor. I don't think Dramimine would hurt the nine year old. Not sure on the 6 year old. Also Ginger Candies help with seasickness as well as Granny Smith Apples (yes they really do work) you will find them in the buffet area. Make sure to eat the skins there is something in the skins that help. My 9 year old had motion sickness took and apple when up on deck in the fresh air and felt much better.

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I like meclizine (Brand name Bonine). It’s OTC and I think for me that it is less sedating and more effective than Dramamine. I typically do not get sick on board the ship at all. However after I get home I have “sea legs” for a few days. It’s not debilitating but a little annoying. I think “guest services” on the ship can give you some meclizine or Dramamine if you forgot to pack it. Remember that the overwhelming majority of people do not get sick onboard. The modern cruise ship is so large that it takes a lot of “the roll” out of the ocean. Good Luck.

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When we first started cruising, we used sea bands for us and our kids who were 10, 15 & 18. They worked well and we did have a particularly rough sea day on one of the cruises. I no longer use sea bands, just take a ginger capsule morning & evening. Check the label or check with your pediatrician to be sure, but ginger is very safe & is used sometimes by pregnant women to help with morning sickness.

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We gave our kids who were 10 and 14 at the time of their first cruise pills before they got on the ship. They were fine but one night my daughter did feel the ocean and started to feel sick but I did have the pills on me gave her one and it wore off after a while. I don't like a lot of pills so the bands may be a good option.

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My kids first cruise they were 9, 11 and 12. Two of them were sick like me the first two days. Sick enough we didn’t have an appetite but not sick enough to throw up. My husband and our other kid were perfectly fine. My husband never even feels the boat move and I still feel it moving two days after being back home. I didn’t bring any sort of meds that cruise so we just spent as much time out in the fresh air until it subsided. Since then I have been on two more cruises and haven’t gone without the sea sickness pills you can get at the pharmacy with no prescription. I take one every night starting the day before we travel and half of one for the kids who get sick like me. Works wonders.

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Dramamine and Bonine have a chewable, flavored product out for children (get the less drowsy kind for daytime use). DS is 15 now but has been cruising since he was a toddler, he does not normally have issues with motion sickness but on occasion if things got too rocky rolly, would give him one and it worked pretty quickly. Also, we always have at least a 6 pk of warm (room temp) ginger ale in cabin, that can calm a queasy stomach pretty quickly as well.

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Dramamine II the NON drowsy kind has the exact same ingredient as Bonine .

It is called Meclazine and you can buy that generic at any pharmacy.

IF your children get car sick then they may well get seasick.

IF your children do NOT get car sick then they probably won't get seasick.

Ginger, and green apples work to prevent nausea but some sea sickness is related to inner ear issues and that sort is not helped by those methods.

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I get motion sickness (cars, cruises, doesn’t matter). I usually start taking generic brand Bonnie and ginger pills a few days before the cruise, during the cruise and a few days after (land sickness is no joke!) as long as i do this i am fine...it has gotten better over the years and I haven’t had to rely on the meds so much as the ginger and lavender oil.

 

 

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My kids were 8 & 10 when we first cruised with them. I gave them each a Bonine the night before the cruise and then one every night before bed while on the cruise. One day my daughter felt queasy ( we have 20 foot swells that day so half the ship felt that way) and I gave her one that afternoon as well as some ginger ale. She was up and running around with the other kids within an hour. They sell them at the drugstore. Talk to your doctor to make sure it is ok, but my opinion is why risk it when a small tablet once a day could prevent it. Have fun on your cruise.

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I always bring Meclizine and some ginger candy for my family. We don't take any unless someone feels the need to. Each person is different and it depends on how rough the sea is. I myself use Meclizine on days I go to theme parks to ride the rides or on very rough sea days. Things that spin, either it be the tea cup or a roller coaster make me queasy.

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I would talk to your doctor and make sure they are OK with something like Bonine since it is non-drowsy. But I would not give it unless the seas get rough or they are looking "off."

 

Personally, I am more likely to get car sick than sea sick and bought sea bands for a recent road trip. Had no motion sickness. So, if you are worried, have them wear those.

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Unless your children have had motion sickness on previous outings, you may be worrying needlessly. I have heard that a person is less likely to get seasick if they've eaten something than if they have an empty stomach. I don't know if that's true or not, but it could be the reason that food is available 24 hours a day.

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Last year, I gave my then-4 year old a chewable Bonine starting 2 nights before we left (it may have been half, I don't have the dosing directions handy), and then the first 2 nights of the cruise. He used to get carsick when he was young, but once his car seat got turned around, that ended; I still wanted to err on the side of caution. I stopped after the 1st 2 nights because he was fine, the seas weren't that rough on our particular sailing, and he didn't like the taste of the medicine, so I figured why torture him for preventative measures?

 

I'll bring them again with us on our next trip in May, may or may not start the dosing 2 nights before again.

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My kids were 8 & 10 when we first cruised with them. I gave them each a Bonine the night before the cruise and then one every night before bed while on the cruise. One day my daughter felt queasy ( we have 20 foot swells that day so half the ship felt that way) and I gave her one that afternoon as well as some ginger ale. She was up and running around with the other kids within an hour. They sell them at the drugstore. Talk to your doctor to make sure it is ok, but my opinion is why risk it when a small tablet once a day could prevent it. Have fun on your cruise.

 

 

 

This is exactly what we did with our children in 20 ft waves. Worked like a charm. And they liked the taste of the ginger ale.

 

 

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I don't have kids - but I have horrible seasickness. This time in addition to prescription and OTC drugs, I used sea bands and Motion Eaze - a behind the ear oil. I have worked in clinical research for over 20 years and I don't take anything without doing my own research and I'm pretty skeptical over "remedies" not tested by the FDA. That said I do think the Motion Eaze and the sea bands helped. You can order them together off Amazon if you're interested.

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The more you tell them they may be seasick, the more likely it is that they will be. Seasickness (and motion sickness in general) is susceptible to auto suggestion. Therefore, I'd wait and see if they need medicine before you give them any; obviously they may get sick even if they have no idea it's coming, but then again, they may not.

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Not sure why folks start taking meds days before the cruise but I suppose that is to get your body used to the drugs. I would think that starting before the ship sails after embarkation would be early enough.

 

The rationale for starting medications before the trip is to down-regulate the motion-sensors in our vestibular system (yes, I'm a physician).

 

Personally, I don't get car sick but I am very prone to sea sickness. If the seas get above 4", I'm sick...and essentially incapacitated. Green apples, fresh air, and ginger pills just don't cut it...other than to provide me something else to "lose" later.

 

For children, I wouldn't give anything unless they had issues. If they do, the Children's Bonine or Dramamine are fine. We usually take the Bonine because it comes in a nifty little travel pack! My children have not had any sea sickness issues yet...but we still travel prepared.

 

For myself and anyone who is very likely to become sick, I begin taking a Dramamine tablet nightly 2-3 nights before the cruise (depending on whether I'm on call). Starting the morning of the cruise, I take a Bonine (aka Meclizine) each morning and a Dramamine each night. With this regimen, I have been able to tolerate huge swells without issues!

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