Best sea sickness remedies for kids 3&4

[Tinky]

My kids have never had problems with motion sickness in cars or planes but i'm not sure about the boat. Bonine is not an option the patches scare the wickers out of me, and I dont think they would leave the bands on. Is dramamine the only option for little ones? We gave 1/4 of a tablet to my niece (3) about every 12 hours on a recent trip and the poor thing slept all the time. It made her mouth dry and she was so sleepy. Are kids less suceptible to seasickness?
Ideas, thoughts, input?

[hydster]

I can give you 2 suggestions.....

1) talk to your pediatrician! I know that Bonine, Dramamine, Meclizine are all antihistimines like Benadryl and that they are NOT recommended for children under the age of 12. Talk to your pediatrician about it. I am sure the pediatrician can give you much more accurate advice about this than anyone here (unless they are a pediatrician) and no offense to anyone on this board but I would trust my ped more than anyone here.

2) Ginger tablets are safe, natural and have no chemicals in them. They are safe for children of all ages and come in either pill or candy form! They dont have any of the side effects that "traditional" motion sickness pills have in them and dont make you drowsy. You can buy them at any health food store. When we took our kids recently we took a stash of them with us and never used them once. My kids are 8, 7 and 3.

Here is some information about Meclizine (the active ingredient in Bonine, Dramamine, Antivert)....

Meclizine hydrochloride
Meclizine hydrochloride (Antivert)
Meclizine hydrochloride
(MEK-lih-zeen)
Pregnancy Category: B Antivert Antivert/25 and /50 Antivert/25 Chewable Antrizine Bonamine Bonine Dizmiss Dramamine II Meni-D Ru-Vert-M (OTC and Rx)


Classification: Antihistamine (piperidine-type), antiemetic, antimotion sickness


See Also: See also Antihistamines and Antiemetics.


Action/Kinetics: Mechanism for the antiemetic effect may be due to a central anticholinergic effect to decrease vestibular stimulation and depress labyrinthine activity. May also act on the CTZ to decrease vomiting. Onset: 30-60 min; Duration: 8-24 hr. t1/2: 6 hr.


Uses: Nausea and vomiting, dizziness of motion sickness, vertigo associated with diseases of the vestibular system.


Special Concerns: Safety for use during lactation and in children less than 12 years of age has not been determined. Pediatric and geriatric clients may be more sensitive to the anticholinergic effects of meclizine.


Side Effects: CNS: Drowsiness, excitation, nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, euphoria, vertigo, hallucinations (auditory or visual). GI: N&V, diarrhea, constipation, anorexia. GU: Urinary frequency or retention; difficulty in urination. CV: Hypotension, tachycardia, palpitations. Miscellaneous: Dry nose and throat, blurred or double vision, tinnitus, rash, urticaria.


How Supplied: Capsule: 25 mg; Chew Tablet: 25 mg; Tablet: 12.5 mg, 25 mg, 30 mg, 50 mg


Dosage
•Capsules, Tablets, Chewable Tablets Motion sickness.
Adults: 25-50 mg 1 hr before travel; may be repeated q 24 hr during travel.
Vertigo.
Adults: 25-100 mg/day in divided doses.





I found this at http://www.nursespdr.com/members/database/ndrhtml/meclizinehydrochloride.html
in case you want to read the whole thing!



Heidi

[GeorgeG]

Keep them busy so their mind isn't focused on the motion so much (it's often difficult to tell the ship's even moving).

Watch what they eat and drink. Foods that, in quantity, can upset a stomach on land will do so a little quicker at sea.

Make sure they get enough fresh air.