Kids and seasickness

[jlajla]

Cruising with my kids (9/6/4) for the first time on Allure in a couple weeks. I am wondering if I should take seasickness precautions for them.

 

If I had that problem (I tend not to), I would go ahead and take something ahead of time to get it in my system, but I really prefer not giving them something if they are not going to need it.

 

Input? Any ideas what options are out there for kiddos?

[Mom2B&Z]

My oldest (now 7) gets bad car sickness but for some reason is fine on a cruise ship. I wouldn't give anything ahread of time to a child, but would make sure I have something packed just in case.

I'm a neurology geek (!), so we tend to focus on giving our brains good information about where we are and what is going on, rather than taking meds. For us, that means spending lots of time outside or where we can look out windows to give our brains the same information through our eyes and inner ear (balance system). Once you get your "sea legs", it isn't as important, but for those first couple of days it can make a big difference.

In Canada, all we have is Gravol, but IIRC you have other options in the US. There's also ginger based products and sea bands to wear on pressure points.

[RCKM43]

Well I would speak with your pediatrician. Mine said that I should start by giving them a dose before we sail and then evaluate from there as to whether they get any more by how they are doing. DD#1 gets car sick on 20min+ drives but DD#2 never does. Well both girls did okay going down to Bermuda so I never gave them a 2nd dose- but DD#2 got very sick coming back and it took a good part of the day to get her feeling like herself again and we had to keep her outside as much as possible. I wish I had given her some when we left Bermuda but since she was fine going down I didn't think about it. I was told that once they are sick the meds don't work at all or really don't do much. My girls were 2 and 4 last cruise.

[cb at sea]

The 4 year old probably will be fine...but the others, if they've had problems on land, they might on the ship. Talk to their doctor!

[SadieN]

Speak with their Dr.

 

We have used Dramamine, Bonine and Benadryl in the past, not at the same time.

 

Ginger in various forms, tart green apples, clear soda and crackers help when queasiness starts.

[rdevine10]

If you want something, why not try sea bands? Then move on to the medications if you need something. We did sea bands and this herbal oil you rub behind your ears (when we were in 9 ft swells) a few weeks ago and it was enough for the kids. DH and I had to take bonine/dramimine. Ginger ale helped as well too... although the ginger tablets were too strong and we got heart burn from them. Next time I might try a ginger gum as well.

 

HTH!

[Mom2B&Z]

I don't mean for this to be inflammatory, but do people really talk to their doctors about sea sickness? My doctor can't even see us for a travel consult, we have to go to a special travel clinic out of town and quite frankly I wouldn't waste my time (or theirs) with such a question. Our kids don't see pediatricians unless there is something wrong with them, our family doctor does all our routine care.

Honestly I would ask a pharmacist or maybe a nurse practitioner, but never our doctor, and I have a really good relationship with her. I would feel like I'm wasting her time. I guess I'm just really curious as to why people feel they need to consult a doctor when other health professionals are just as able to answer the question?

[Mack2]

I'm a pharmacist.

 

 

Gravol (in Canada) and Dramamine Original Formula (in the US) is the same medicine... They are brand names of Dimenhydrinate... They are safe to use for kids from 2-12.

 

Dramamine just released a new product... quick dissolve tablets.

http://dramamine.com/products/kids#

 

 

Bonine and Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula (Meclizine) is a good travel-sickness medication, but they don't recommend it to kids under 12... They never bothered to do the research to prove it safe for kids under 12.

 

Bonine for Kids (Cyclizine) isn't recommended for kids under 6...

Benadryl is used for motion sickness, and can be given to really little kids.

 

If you don't want to use drugs, in the past I liked to recommend Ginger Altoids. But they don't make them in the US anymore.... I ended up buying them on Amazon for my sister who was getting chemotherapy.

 

Sea Band still makes a ginger chewing gum.

[RCKM43]

I don't mean for this to be inflammatory' date=' but do people really talk to their doctors about sea sickness? My doctor can't even see us for a travel consult, we have to go to a special travel clinic out of town and quite frankly I wouldn't waste my time (or theirs) with such a question. Our kids don't see pediatricians unless there is something wrong with them, our family doctor does all our routine care.

Honestly I would ask a pharmacist or maybe a nurse practitioner, but never our doctor, and I have a really good relationship with her. I would feel like I'm wasting her time. I guess I'm just really curious as to why people feel they need to consult a doctor when other health professionals are just as able to answer the question?[/quote']

 

Well I guess it is all about what you are used to. For us - we do what we call well visits (or annuals- but younger kids go a few times a year for well visits when they are really young). At annuals you can ask them any questions that you have. We go to a pediatrician not a family doctor. I am not a fan of PA or NPs honestly and my doctors office only uses NP to weigh and take temperature or check height I wouldn't see one for a sick or well visit. My ped welcomes all sorts of questions - in fact they have a website and the peds all have email address that you can send non urgent questions to as well. My ped responds within 1-2 days to non-urgent questions. Urgen questions are answered immediately or more pressing questions are answered within and hour or 2.

 

Actually I am glad that I did ask mine - as the pharmacist told me they really didn't recommend giving it to 2 year olds unless it was absolutely necessary and to wait until it was needed. And to consider bendaryl instead. Whereas my ped said if I waited until it was needed it would be too late to use it and told me what she recommended.

[RCKM43]

I'm a pharmacist.

 

 

Gravol (in Canada) and Dramamine Original Formula (in the US) is the same medicine... They are brand names of Dimenhydrinate... They are safe to use for kids from 2-12.

 

Dramamine just released a new product... quick dissolve tablets.

http://dramamine.com/products/kids#

 

 

Bonine and Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula (Meclizine) is a good travel-sickness medication, but they don't recommend it to kids under 12... They never bothered to do the research to prove it safe for kids under 12.

 

Bonine for Kids (Cyclizine) isn't recommended for kids under 6...

Benadryl is used for motion sickness, and can be given to really little kids.

 

If you don't want to use drugs, in the past I liked to recommend Ginger Altoids. But they don't make them in the US anymore.... I ended up buying them on Amazon for my sister who was getting chemotherapy.

 

Sea Band still makes a ginger chewing gum.

 

This is great to see! Last time the chewables were orange flavored and DD is allergic to orange. I'm glad to see these are grape!