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Do Your Kids Get Motion Sickness?


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Do your kids ever get seasick on the cruise? And if so, what do you give them? I'm wondering if my DD's would get motion sickness if the seas were a little rough (because I know I have)? They don't get car sick and they like amusement rides (spinning, etc), but could they by any chance still get seasick?

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Do your kids ever get seasick on the cruise? And if so, what do you give them? I'm wondering if my DD's would get motion sickness if the seas were a little rough (because I know I have)? They don't get car sick and they like amusement rides (spinning, etc), but could they by any chance still get seasick?

 

We are cruising with a 3 and 1 yo in a few days. Its our first cruise with kids. I asked our pediatrician about this. He said he doubts little kids will get sea sick, but if they do, he recommended we see the ship's doctor. He said there was nothing he could recommend I give my young kids, but the ship's doctor might have some ideas if we have a problem. I asked if I could give Benadryl. He said I could, but it may cause drowsiness. You should check with your pediatrician since s/he knows your kids and their health histories best.

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Our kids have never gotten sea sick, nor air sick etc

 

They do get queasy if they are reading and we are driving a really windy road..

 

I don't think I have ever seen kids sea sick on ships..

 

Adults with rough seas and too much to drink is another story...

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I also have been told that kids generally do not get sea sick. In May, we took our boys, 7 and 5, on their first cruise. I had every possible sea sickness remedy..... bonine, sea bands, dramamine, ginger etc. It was all a waste of money. The boys did great and we had a wonderful time. Have a blast!

 

Next cruise...Freedom of the Seas 1/20/08!!!!!!

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I asked if I could give Benadryl. He said I could, but it may cause drowsiness. You should check with your pediatrician since s/he knows your kids and their health histories best.

 

Be aware that Benadryl can also really amp up your kiddos. My ob was flying to Greece with his three kids and thought it would be good to give them each a Benadryl to get them to sleep on the plane. Well I don't know how you say "BOING :eek: BOING :eek: BOING" in Greek but according to dear doc the kids bounced off the walls for most of the flight. I highly recommed a pre trip at home dosage just to see what the effects will be!!!

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My youngest (4 at the time) got seasick on our first cruise, but the waves were 12-15 feet that night(so who wouldn't!)

Anyway, on our next cruise 3 years later we started him on 1/2 a Walmart brand motion-sickness pill 2x's a day a few days before we left and continued it throughout and had no problems. The big thing is to get it in their system BEFORE they need it.

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You are right, kids have a different way of dealing with motion. That's why they can do all of the amusement park rides that make US sick. And that's why they can spin around for hours and never get dizzy. ;)

 

But not all kids are that way and you just never know. So take the Children's Bonine with you. Do NOT give it to them unless they need it.

 

Dramamine and Bonine work differently. Dramamine needs to be given before the motion starts. Bonine works AFTER the child starts to get sick.

 

You never want to dope up a child with one of those meds "just in case" they get sick. Wait until the child DOES start to feel queasy. Then give children's formula bonine.

 

And call your doc about your 4 year old before you leave. Some docs may allow you to cut the bonine in half. Some may say to go ahead and give it pending on your child's weight.

 

But only one night on one cruise did my oldest get a little sick. She said her "belly feels weird". So I gave her bonine and she went right to bed.

 

That stuff will knock the kids out. So don't give it unless it's necessary.

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You are right, kids have a different way of dealing with motion. That's why they can do all of the amusement park rides that make US sick. And that's why they can spin around for hours and never get dizzy. ;)

 

But not all kids are that way and you just never know. So take the Children's Bonine with you. Do NOT give it to them unless they need it.

 

Dramamine and Bonine work differently. Dramamine needs to be given before the motion starts. Bonine works AFTER the child starts to get sick.

 

You never want to dope up a child with one of those meds "just in case" they get sick. Wait until the child DOES start to feel queasy. Then give children's formula bonine.

 

And call your doc about your 4 year old before you leave. Some docs may allow you to cut the bonine in half. Some may say to go ahead and give it pending on your child's weight.

 

But only one night on one cruise did my oldest get a little sick. She said her "belly feels weird". So I gave her bonine and she went right to bed.

 

That stuff will knock the kids out. So don't give it unless it's necessary.

 

Thanks! I am not one for giving my kids medicine when they don't need it and would never give them something just in case. But glad to hear that Bonine works after feeling sick because that's what I would rather take myself than be doped up on Dramamine, which always puts me to sleep.

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Thanks! I am not one for giving my kids medicine when they don't need it and would never give them something just in case. But glad to hear that Bonine works after feeling sick because that's what I would rather take myself than be doped up on Dramamine, which always puts me to sleep.

 

No problem. :) I used to do the "Dramamine dope up" too on every cruise and I always lost the first night. This last time we were traveling with a doctor. I showed him the different medicines I had and he told me how the Meclizine (bonine) works differently in the body. And he was so right. I only took it when I needed it. And it REALLY helped.

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I'm not implying to medicate your kids if they don't usually get motion sickness.I unfortunately have a son that gets sick on a car ride more than an hour,amusement rides, boat rides,airplanes etc... Do I medicate my other two for no reason? No. But for this one it makes a world of difference.

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I'm not implying to medicate your kids if they don't usually get motion sickness.I unfortunately have a son that gets sick on a car ride more than an hour,amusement rides, boat rides,airplanes etc... Do I medicate my other two for no reason? No. But for this one it makes a world of difference.

 

I want to clear it up that I wasn't referring to your post. Your child has a proven track record with sea/motion sickness. ;)

 

I am just pointing out the issue that some parents (no not you...lol) want to use dramamine on a first cruise to prevent the motion sickness "just in case" the child gets seasick. But if those same parents just packed some bonine with them, then they could treat the motion sickness when/if the child actually needs it.

 

To further explain, my friend went on a cruise with us and her 2 kids. Instead of waiting to see if the kids would get sick, she loaded them up on dramamine. She had two VERY tired and cranky kids. :(

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I want to clear it up that I wasn't referring to your post. Your child has a proven track record with sea/motion sickness. ;)

 

I am just pointing out the issue that some parents (no not you...lol) want to use dramamine on a first cruise to prevent the motion sickness "just in case" the child gets seasick. But if those same parents just packed some bonine with them, then they could treat the motion sickness when/if the child actually needs it.

 

To further explain, my friend went on a cruise with us and her 2 kids. Instead of waiting to see if the kids would get sick, she loaded them up on dramamine. She had two VERY tired and cranky kids. :(

 

No problem!! I'm tempted to try the ginger pills that I keep reading about, but I'm afraid that if it doesn't work it will be too late for anything else and I'll have one miserable kid. I will be too! LOL!!

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No problem!! I'm tempted to try the ginger pills that I keep reading about, but I'm afraid that if it doesn't work it will be too late for anything else and I'll have one miserable kid. I will be too! LOL!!

 

I have no idea if ginger works. I know others swear by that stuff but all I do is to think back to those pregnancy days when I was tormented by morning sickness and the only thing that would work was a nice dose of real nausea drugs...lol. Meanwhile, everyone else was saying "try ginger snaps, ginger soda, ginger pops" :p

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Just an FYI with regard to Dramamine (in case i missed it in another post). the regular formula (not children's) is recommended for ages 2 and up. When we went on our first cruise this year, I took that for all of us just in case as I didn't want to have too many meds just in case. My 8yo needed it our first sea day and the Dramamine worked well with him, but it made him a bit sleepy. Dramamine also has a less drowsy formula, but it is only approved for ages 12 and up, so that isn't an option for us. For our cruise next year, I plan on taking Children's Bonnin with us as I heard that for many kids it causes less drowsiness.

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My children are basically volcanos. They spew looking at a car. It's really an issue for travel. I stocked up on Bonine before our Med cruise in August.

 

They didn't have one second of problems onboard. I never gave them the Bonine. They were fine. Believe me, if anyone gets sick, they do (and mom isn't far behind ;) ). You know, apples and trees...

 

P.S. As a Flight Attendant, twice I saw wired kids from drugs. The parents didn't try it at home first, instead, using it at 30,000ft and the kids had the opposite reaction making them as jumpy as firecrackers. It's more common than you think.

 

I ended up in the ER with Benedryl. My nurse mom and doctor dad couldn't find my pulse. I told them they were actually lucky that child was only bouncing off the walls!

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I have no idea if ginger works. I know others swear by that stuff but all I do is to think back to those pregnancy days when I was tormented by morning sickness and the only thing that would work was a nice dose of real nausea drugs...lol. Meanwhile, everyone else was saying "try ginger snaps, ginger soda, ginger pops" :p

 

Ginger snaps and ginger soda doesn't really have enough ginger to really be effective. I get cuts of candied ginger (GingerGuy, Spice House, Penzy's) like you use for christmass making. Works well for my DD - but of course her problem is on sinding roads or small boats, not on the ship (even in rough seas).

 

But thanks for the reminder, we are heading off to Venice for a Greek cruise next month and I have to make a trip to Penzy's for ginger -- lots of tendering ports!

 

. . . .P.S. As a Flight Attendant, twice I saw wired kids from drugs. The parents didn't try it at home first, instead, using it at 30,000ft and the kids had the opposite reaction making them as jumpy as firecrackers. It's more common than you think.

 

I ended up in the ER with Benedryl. My nurse mom and doctor dad couldn't find my pulse. I told them they were actually lucky that child was only bouncing off the walls!

 

My late father always seemed to have adverse side effects from just about any med. While there are many different reported adverse effects from Bendryl -- my father when given it prior to an operation became psycotic -- he was hallutinating and had to be restrained. I was just happy we were IN the hospital when it happened.

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I sometimes get a little sea sick, and can't take dramamine or even bonine because it knocks me out.

 

I saw an episode of Mythbusters on the discovery channel where they tested non-medicinal seasickness remedies and the only one that worked was ginger. I have used candied ginger from the spice rack at the grocery store and ginger pills form the health food store.

 

The kids have taken the ginger for the first couple of days on a cruise but generally they don't get seasick.

 

I have to admit that I was one of those parents who gave my kids dramamine the first day of their first cruise.. because you have to take it before you get exposed to the motion.... and it made them very sleepy. But that is what my mother used to do with us... so I just thought it was the only way....Now that I have learned.. I swtiched to the ginger... no side effects.

 

We even did a test run with the ginger at Six Flaggs.

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What IS "Children's Bonine"?? I can't find it anywhere, and according to various online medical info websites, there is no such thing, as it isn't allowed for kids under 12 (and those over 12 take the regular grownup stuff).

 

And yet people report having used it....???

 

This is it, I got it at WalMart

 

http://www.drugstore.com/qxp154238_333181_sespider/bonine/for_children_motion_sickness_tablets_berry_berry.htm

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