When do you give children Dramamine?

[Bound4Bermuda]

I asked this on the Family board, but since this group is very active and helpful, I thought I'd ask it here, too.

 

I was just wondering if you give your kids Dramamine for the entire cruise when "it's time" for another dosage, or do you just give it to them if/when they complain about seasickness? (If so, is it "too late" to recover at that point?)

 

I got the less-drowsy Dramamine for the teens/adults that's only once per day, so it seems simple enough to just take one before bedtime (if necessary). And I got the chewable for children Dramamine for my 2.5 yo. However, her dosage would be every 6-8 hours, and I'm not sure I want to be "pumping her full of drugs" for the whole cruise. Then again, she's 2.5, so I don't expect her to be able to tell me she's feeling queasy, so I think my only indication would be if she were actually vomiting and/or someone else is feeling seasick and so she might feel that way, too.

 

Just curious what other parents do with their little ones. Thanks!

[Kellie Poodle]

I think your pediatrician would be the person to ask.

 

If they were my little ones, I wouldn't dose them up until they exhibit signs of seasickness. With the stabilizers and all on the larger cruise ships, it's rare to have weather that is so rough and even if it is, generally the little folk do better than the older people.

 

If you are flying to the cruise ship, pleas give them Dramamine before you board. That way they will sleep and not disturb the other passengers.:)

 

(If you don't get the smiley, it's a little sarcasm. Don't flame me - we've all been on a plane where we wish some one had given their kid Dramamine and the child was sleeping instead of screaming)

[Bound4Bermuda]

LOL. I totally get it! :p We'll be driving. But, yeah, I don't want to drug her up so she'll be drowsy or out of sorts the whole trip. But then again, I worry that if I don't give it to her, then she might feel terrible without me knowing it, too! :rolleyes: But, yes, I figured there's a greater than average chance I'd get flamed for asking on a chat board instead of/in addition to asking the doctor, but I know it is safe to give it to her. I just want to know personal experiences: Were your kids better off or worse off on Dramamine? The doctor can't tell me that, you know what I mean? :o

 

I think your pediatrician would be the person to ask.

 

If they were my little ones, I wouldn't dose them up until they exhibit signs of seasickness. With the stabilizers and all on the larger cruise ships, it's rare to have weather that is so rough and even if it is, generally the little folk do better than the older people.

 

If you are flying to the cruise ship, pleas give them Dramamine before you board. That way they will sleep and not disturb the other passengers.:)

 

(If you don't get the smiley, it's a little sarcasm. Don't flame me - we've all been on a plane where we wish some one had given their kid Dramamine and the child was sleeping instead of screaming)

[familycruzer]

Bonine has less side effects. You might also want to try sea bands too.

 

Can your kids do rides at the amusement parks without getting sick? Are they nervous about getting sea sick? I personally would give them a chance to see how they react to being at sea. My kids have been cruising since they were 6 and 9 with no problems and they are now 16 and 19.

 

I work in a pharmacy and the advice most given to those wanting to safe, are told to start before traveling begins to start getting the medicine into the system. Once you are sick, its harder to get better.

[marci22]

I wouldn't give a 2.5 yo dramamine unless she was obviously uncomfortable, for ex. not eating, or if she was gagging. You can check on the family boards but in all my years of reading these posts, I don't think I've seen complaints about a seasick toddler. If you have horrible weather and rough seas, that might be a different story.

[algorithmannie]

I would only give medication if the child looks like they need it. I'm really sensitive to motion sickness, but usually only end up needing medication 3-4 times per trip. I'm the worst in the evenings when I'm not on the open outdoor decks.

 

If your toddler isn't acting like herself, then ask if her head hurts, or her tummy hurts etc. She can probably tell you if she feels yucky.

[happythoughts]

Most children including toddlers do not experience motion sickness. That being sad, my dd has been cruising since she was 1 yr old and does get motion sickenss on the morning of day 2 (day 1 being the first day boarding the ship) and she gets sick whenever the seas get rough. I always waited to give dramamine until she felt sick but it never helped at that point. This past year, I was able to give her bonine for kids (you must be at least 6) and I gave it to her before we started to sail and when the seas were rough. worked like a charm

 

Unless you know for sure that your child is prone to sea sickness, you should probably hold off on giving the meds. If you know there is a tendency to be sick, then you should see if the dr thinks its ok to start giving the meds before you depart.

[Sail n Ski]

Early and often! :D Only kidding, no flaming please. I have little kids too! Seriously, I wouldn't give them anything unless they really need it. My seven year old has been on three cruises (the first one at the age of two) and he has never needed anything. The ships are very stable. Unless your daughter is prone to sea-sickness (or get's sick from amusement rides, the park swings, etc.), I wouldn't worry to much about it. Remember, kids are remarkably resilient.

 

Now for the plane ride . . . that's another story! ;)

[The Flying Pirate]

I agree check with your pediatrician. As a pilot we are asked about motion sickness meds all the time. I have found that for people that are only mildly prone to motion sickness just take ginger. As it helps with the motion sickness and prevents the medicine induced grogginess and allows them to get used to the motion of the ship. Unless the weather is really terrible or windy the ships motion is usually so slight that most people don't have a problem. I agree with your plan to not drug her up to feel drowsy during the trip. In some cases the "cure" is worse than the disease! Try natural ginger, they make ginger snaps etc and they really work well. (Just make sure they are made with real ginger and not ginger flavoring)

[bob123]

Years ago I purchased a ReliefBand for a small ship (Clipper) cruise in the Caribbean. It's an electronic device the sends pulses into your wrist onto the median nerve, which apparently tells your brain to regulate your stomach normally. It definitely works. I bought it for $85 back then, and the cheapest I found on the internet now is $199. My wife, who is prone to seasickness, swears by it. But then, my wife said she felt the ship rocking last year on our Alaska cruise- while we were still in port!

 

There you have it.

 

bob123

[Marie51]

Does your child usually get car sick? If not I wouldn't even worry about it.

[The Flying Pirate]

Does your child usually get car sick? If not I wouldn't even worry about it.

 

That is a good point, if the kids don't get car sick they usually do fine in boats and airplanes too.

[paintwife]

I am prone to car sickness but am very sensitive to meds such as Dramamine/Bonine as it makes me drowsy and "spaced out". So when I began cruising and was worried about seasickness, I got on CC and did alot of reading for other people's opinions/experiences. At that time, I read where many many people suggested ginger capsules. And it doesn't have side effects such as drowsiness. I started doing that (they suggested beginning a day or two before the cruise and while on the cruise) and it's worked great for me for 12 cruises so far.

One time, I forgot to take it the day we departed and the seas were rough and I had to leave dinner and go to the cabin. My cabin steward was there and he said, "I know what you need and I have alot of cruising experience - apples." He called room service and the person there agreed and they sent me apple juice and green apples. I can't vouch for that, cause I ended up asleep for the night and woke up feeling fine. I have read since then that the apples help, but don't know for sure.

I wouldn't give my small grandkids a drug that could make them drowsy unless I knew for sure that they needed it. But wouldn't be afraid of the ginger. But that's just me. Check with your doctor first and see what he/she recommends.

[nyer]

My 2yo granddaughter cruised for the first time this past summer. We didn't know if she would experience any seasickness, so went prepared. I went to a health food store and bought liquid ginger.

My daughter gave her the ginger in her apple juice on her first sea day. After that she didn't give it to her and she didn't seem to need it.

They were cruising from Cape Liberty to Bermuda (which is what I think you are doing.)

Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

[Aggie]

My kids have been cruising since they were 2 years old and at 13 and 15 will be on their 8th cruise over Thanksgiving. They have never had a problem. We asked the pediatrician and he said that childrens middle ears and ear drums are more pliable and as such adjust more easily to motion. His suggestion was to have medicine available and watch for signs of stomach upset.

 

The ginger helps as does the apple if you have trouble. If you are going to use apple, cut it open and let it sit for a half hour of so until it just starts to turn brown. That is when it works. Don't have any idea why. By the way, baking an apple does the same thing, so baked apples work too.

 

Thank you for posting the question, I have been sitting here smiling at all the memories that are flooding into my head of the great times on cruises when they were that small. Still loads of fun...just great to see the world for the first time thru thier eyes.

 

Have a great cruise!

[crusinmama06]

Can I give you some advice, DO NOT give the children dramamine unless they need it.

 

I thought the children's version wasn't for under age 6 and you said she was 2. Do they ride amusement park rides without getting sick? I know some parents on the family board asked you the same question. If the answer is yes, then they will be fine.

 

If they get sick riding in a car -- then they may get sick on a cruise ship.

 

Take it from someone who used to pre-medicate herself. I used to spend 2 full days of my cruise being very sleepy -- all because I thought I would get sick. When I finally realized that I felt better not taking the stuff. I went and bought bonine. You can take bonine after you get sick and it works. You don't need to pre-medicate with it.

 

I buy children's bonine. It's tough to find -- but I keep it on hand just in case. I have never needed it.

[nyer]

Can I give you some advice, DO NOT give the children dramamine unless they need it.

 

I thought the children's version wasn't for under age 6 and you said she was 2. Do they ride amusement park rides without getting sick? I know some parents on the family board asked you the same question. If the answer is yes, then they will be fine.

 

If they get sick riding in a car -- then they may get sick on a cruise ship.

 

Take it from someone who used to pre-medicate herself. I used to spend 2 full days of my cruise being very sleepy -- all because I thought I would get sick. When I finally realized that I felt better not taking the stuff. I went and bought bonine. You can take bonine after you get sick and it works. You don't need to pre-medicate with it.

 

I buy children's bonine. It's tough to find -- but I keep it on hand just in case. I have never needed it.

 

That is exactly what my granddaughter's pediatrician told my daughter. No dramamine and try to find children's bonine.

 

As I said in a previous post, she chose to just go with the liquid ginger though.

[familycruzer]

One more option that I swear by for the amusement parks and small boat rides ...

Hylands Motion Sickness Pills. No side effects and all natural.

http://www.hylands.com/products/motionsickness.php

[Sugar*Magnolia]

I would also go with the ginger remedy. Liquid for that age for sure. If there are no signs on car rides and small amusement rides, dont worry too much- just be prepared.

[MrsPete]

I agree that your pediatrian is the right person to go to with this question. That'll be your definitive answer.

 

Car sickness and seasickness may be similar, but one is not really a complete predictor of the other. My youngest daughter and I have awful problems with car sickness, yet neither of us has had one moment of seasickness. I'd come prepared, but I wouldn't assume that it'll happen.

 

Finally, another vote for ginger. I don't know anything about the liquid stuff, but I took crystallized ginger for our last cruise (I was concerned about whether my first-time cruiser nieces might need it), and it was GREAT. No one needed it on the ship, but we did use it for car sickness. I took some myself and was AMAZED at just how fast my stomach reacted -- it was maybe 30 seconds 'til my nausea went away -- again, I'm talking car sickness here. The ginger-relief was faster than any medicine I've ever taken.

 

And one last thought: Although I wouldn't give a child medicine "just in case", I wouldn't hesitate to slip a little of that liquid ginger into her drink at every meal. I see no downside to using ginger as a preventative measure rather than a reliever of symptoms.

[elfie]

As a pediatric Registered Nurse I beg you not to premedicate your child. The side effects make for a very miserable child and a miserable child equals a miserable time. Not to mention their little livers and kidneys need to metabolize that potentially unnecessary medication. As far as not knowing if the 2.5 y/o is feeling sick, trust me you'll know. They quiet down, fuss more, they stop eating...kids this age are smart, they listen to their body.

 

I'm bringing sea bands and ginger on our upcoming cruise, and hoping we won't need either.

[Bound4Bermuda]

Thank you all for the advice! Sofia does get carsick--has thrown up in the car far too many times. :rolleyes: But I'm going to avoid giving her the medication unless she really needs it. I've tried looking for ginger capsules/liquid, but I haven't found it in any pharmacies I've tried. I believe I someone on this board mentioned that GNC carries it, so I will try there. I'm not sure if Ginger Altoids are "real" ginger and have the safe affect, but I can at the very least pick that up or some candied ginger. Thank you all for the help!

[Carolrd]

Thank you all for the advice! Sofia does get carsick--has thrown up in the car far too many times. :rolleyes: But I'm going to avoid giving her the medication unless she really needs it. I've tried looking for ginger capsules/liquid, but I haven't found it in any pharmacies I've tried. I believe I someone on this board mentioned that GNC carries it, so I will try there. I'm not sure if Ginger Altoids are "real" ginger and have the safe affect, but I can at the very least pick that up or some candied ginger. Thank you all for the help!

 

GNC carries the ginger candy, but check in advance. I was there last night and they are ordering for me.

 

Carol

[familycruzer]

Thank you all for the advice! Sofia does get carsick--has thrown up in the car far too many times. :rolleyes: But I'm going to avoid giving her the medication unless she really needs it. I've tried looking for ginger capsules/liquid, but I haven't found it in any pharmacies I've tried. I believe I someone on this board mentioned that GNC carries it, so I will try there. I'm not sure if Ginger Altoids are "real" ginger and have the safe affect, but I can at the very least pick that up or some candied ginger. Thank you all for the help!

 

 

Try a local nature food store for the candied ginger or liquid. The Altoids may be a bit stong in flavor for someone so young.

I forget what ginger ale is available on board but its another option.

[CP3o]

Whatever amount of whatever drug the ped recommends, test it out on some random weekend so you know the side affects ahead of time.