Give kids Bonine?

[fredms]

Hey - Wanted some feedback from you experienced cruisers. I am taking nieces and nephews (6, 4, 4, 1) - should I start them on Bonine/Dramamine before or wait and see how they do and if they feel sick, give it to them. They do fine on planes and cars, but they've never been on a boat. Any experience would be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[jel0511]

Bonine isn't recommend for chilcren under the age of 12. You could use children's Dramamine or Benadryl. My Ped recommended Benadryl.

 

[disneygatorfan]

Also, Sea Bands are non-medicated and safe for children, I have never used them myself, but have heard a lot of people rave about them, and how they have really helped with sea-sickness.

 

[lrodptl]

Originally posted by fredms
Hey - Wanted some feedback from you experienced cruisers. I am taking nieces and nephews (6, 4, 4, 1) - should I start them on Bonine/Dramamine before or wait and see how they do and if they feel sick, give it to them. They do fine on planes and cars, but they've never been on a boat. Any experience would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Read the instructions on children's dramamine!

 

[momof3luvs2run]

We were on the Wonder last week. On Sunday the ride was very wavy and a lot of people looking sea sick. We ended up buying Dramamine for the kids. They are ages 4, 8 and 10. I gave them each 1/2 tablet - chewable. That is the only time during the 4 day cruise that any of us needed to take anything. By 11 p.m. that night we were out of the gulf and seas were much calmer. That first night was rough though! Both of our servers were sick, so others had to fill in that night.

 

[spotdog]

My sister is a pediatric nurse and says that Bonine (meclizine) is not recommended for children under 12, but regular Dramamne (diminhyrinate) is fine if you follow the recommended dosages for their age and weight.

Dramamine is also not as long acting (4-6 hours), but it can cause marked drowsiness. As an experienced aunt, I would hold off for very young children. Be upbeat and keep them focused on other activities. If they seem disturbed by the motion or complain of feeling weird or having a tummy ache, I would give them the Dramamine.

 

[FredS]

I would most definitely check with my pediatrician. As a practical matter, Bonine seems to be tolerated with fewer side effects that Dramamine, and many pediatricians think it is fine (at a lower dosage than for adults) for older (school-aged) children.

Dramamine and Benadryl both cause extreme drowsiness with my children. Bonine had zero side effects. They had 12.5 mg for each of the first two days, then stopped taking it as they got their "sea legs".

Not sure about children as young as 4 and 1 though........