Benadryl?

[becca1125]

I was considering it for help clearing up any congestion they might have so their ears wouldn't pop so bad... Other ideas for the little ones with this? First time flying with them and my ears hurt awful at times (allergies)...

you could try these, I havent needed to use them but worth a shot.

http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog...Id=85184&categoryId=85218&subCategoryId=86218

 

[mom2meiko]

I was considering it for help clearing up any congestion they might have so their ears wouldn't pop so bad... Other ideas for the little ones with this? First time flying with them and my ears hurt awful at times (allergies)...

you can always ask your ped, i'm sure they have great recommendations. when dd flew she was still on a bottle so we fed her at takeoff and landing and she never had an issue. i've also heard just plain drinking/chewing (gum, chewies, etc.) are helpful - it's the act of swallowing that helps the ears.

i've also read on here about something that i think is called earplanes or something along those lines - i believe they are good for over 1 year old (they come in kid sizes and adult sizes i think). they are a type of ear plug that is supposed to prevent ear pain while flying...

hope that helps!

 

[bubbamomma]

The first flight I took with my DD, she was 13 months and a lap baby at that point. We flew from Seattle to Orlando and left at 11 pm. She slept the entire time. I didn't but she did fine. I think at that age they can sleep almost anywhere. Shes 6 now and we have to do dramamine but thats for the motion sickness she gets on long trips.

 

[crisi]

Im not talking free reign of the plane. Im talking like when you go to the bathroom, let her walk, to stretch her legs. Personally, Id be worried if my ped told me to give my child meds when they werent medically needed

And I'm saying that is risky, even for brief periods. Every parent decides what a level of appropriate risk is - you have apparently decided that benedryl is too risky but letting your child accompany you to the bathroom is not. Someone else may make the opposite risk analysis - benedryl, they feel, is low risk - letting their child be out of their seat unbuckled a higher risk. Someone else may find both behaviors too risky.

 

[ilovejack02]

And I'm saying that is risky, even for brief periods. Every parent decides what a level of appropriate risk is - you have apparently decided that benedryl is too risky but letting your child accompany you to the bathroom is not. Someone else may make the opposite risk analysis - benedryl, they feel, is low risk - letting their child be out of their seat unbuckled a higher risk. Someone else may find both behaviors too risky.

I have to say .. Im with crisi on this one. Ive flown enough times to know how fast it can hit and have been thrown around by it before. No way I could have held onto a lil one during those times either.
The possibility of my child losing his mind in a crowded plane is one of the reason we always drive lol. As someone else said, at least DH and I are the only ones that have to hear him.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

It didnt work for DD Check the side of the box : It says it can have a reverse effect on some children. That was my DD.

It doesn't work on either of my kids! Cant even tell they had any. I agree with other PP's and advise a test run. You might be surprised how your child reacts

 

[NJR]

Actually for the childs sanity, if you prefer your child to cry, struggle and be unhappy for three hours, and then have to deal with the idiots on the plane as well that's your choice and one I find sad(personally I'm probalby one of the few people who are not bothered by children crying on planes, after spending years in a self contained autism classroom and years before that in child care it's all just background noise to me). I just don't see why you wouldn't give your child something to make it easier. However you never know some kids love to fly and don't need any thing. But it's better to be prepared then to just wing it at the childs expense.

That's usually what ticks me off. I rarely feel sorry for the parent or seatmates of the screaming kid, I feel bad for the kid. If I was that miserable I'd be begging someone to knock me out.

As many pp have stated, Benedryl often has the reverse effect on children (ie makes them hyper and squirmy, not sleepy). Perhaps some of those screaming children were ones who had been given Benedryl but became wound up and hyper and were then crying and struggling because they had to be cooped up despite their sudden burst of the "squirmies".

OP - Ultimately it will be your decision, but if you decide to proceed please do as many have suggested and try it out before you fly so you are not surprised by the reaction.

 

[becca1125]

And I'm saying that is risky, even for brief periods. Every parent decides what a level of appropriate risk is - you have apparently decided that benedryl is too risky but letting your child accompany you to the bathroom is not. Someone else may make the opposite risk analysis - benedryl, they feel, is low risk - letting their child be out of their seat unbuckled a higher risk. Someone else may find both behaviors too risky.

So do those of you with kids in diapers never get up and change a diaper in mid air? Im sorry but Im not going to let my child sit in a crappy or wet diaper for hours and Im pretty sure other passangers wouldnt want her to sit there with a stinky one either. Again, Im not talking 20 trips to the bathroom so she can "stretch her legs". I talking about a diaper change and a walk to the bathroom.
To each his own though

 

[clutter]

I was considering it for help clearing up any congestion they might have so their ears wouldn't pop so bad... Other ideas for the little ones with this? First time flying with them and my ears hurt awful at times (allergies)...

Actually, we've found that a combo of Benedryl and Motrin to be the most effective. My dd12, who's been flying since she was 3, has always been extremely sensitive to ear pain when landing. (It really depends on the equipment. Some planes are simply better pressurized than others.)

Doctors recommend Sudafed and Motrin, but dd didn't like the taste of sudafed (she still only likes liquid ), so she suggested benedryl one time instead. Worked the best of anything we've tried. (Sadly, since we usually rent a car, I can't try it for me!)

While I agree in general with not medicating unless necessary, the reality is that many young ones are not 'misbehaving' as much as reacting to the discomfort of the changes in air pressure. But then, I had a kid that was a miserable teether and I didn't think it was fair to withhold meds when they clearly helped her.

 

[luvmikids]

I didn't read the previous posts but be cautious because Benedryl does not have the sam e affect on children as in adults. It can cause hyperactivity not something you want an an airplane. Just pack some books, cheerios or some small snack and what ever the babydrinks. We all were babies once right?

 

[all4fun]

I am flying this week with an 18 month old. It is an evening flight 7:30-10:45. I am afraid that the baby won't sleep on the plane and will be overtired and cranky. I have read on here, and many people have suggested to me, giving the baby Benadryl to make her sleep. I went to CVS today and read the bottle. It said for children 4+ only. I did not see any infant Benadryl. I only planned on giving the baby Benadryl if absolutely necessary. What are people talking about when they say that they have given their baby Benadryl on a plane?

Here's some pretty good info on Benadryl along with a dosing chart for younger kids: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/T088800.asp
Not that it should replace talking to your ped or even a pharmacist would be able to give you dosing info.

I agree with what others have said, try it out before you fly because you'll want to know how your LO reacts to it.

I don't know what your situation is, but when ds was that age, we flew several times, and he always fell asleep in his car seat on the plane. I think that was one of the best reasons for bringing his car seat on board and using it, LOL. I'm not sure he would have slept as well in our arms, plus he was (and still is to some extent) a car sleeper too. I personally just never felt comfortable giving him a drug just to make him sleep, but that was a personal choice. Fortunately for us, it was never needed.

 

[cuppycake]

I think what is most important when considering using Benedryl for a flight is waiting to find out if there is a need. I have many friends/family who have flown with children, and out of at least a couple of dozen, only one has had a bad time with ears and flying. Most kids will do just fine....esp if you choose the flight times wisely (based on their schedule).

What IMHO is not a good idea is to drug them before you even know how they adapt to flying.

OP-Best of luck. Chances really are that she'll be fine.

 

[mjkacmom]

My kids have always slept after taking benadryl - I can't even function if I take it. I've given it to them for things besides allergies, such as stomach bugs.

 

[mass02703]

I am the OP. I changed my mind a few times during the course of the week on what I should do. Then I came to a realization. Why am I so worried about what to do on the plane, when I don't know how I am even going to get her there. Progressively over the past month she has gotten car sick. Most recently any time that we are in a car for more then 20 minutes she seems to vomit. 4 times this past week alone. The airport is almost an hour away and we are taking a Limo. My big concern became how am I going to get her to the airport without throwing up in the limo. I called the doctor yesterday and he told me that I could give her benadryl but he actually suggested dramamine instead. This too would make her sleepy and would help with the motion sickness without as much possibility of an adverse reaction. We leave tomorrow, any comments, suggestions or experiences to share?

 

[all4fun]

I am the OP. I changed my mind a few times during the course of the week on what I should do. Then I came to a realization. Why am I so worried about what to do on the plane, when I don't know how I am even going to get her there. Progressively over the past month she has gotten car sick. Most recently any time that we are in a car for more then 20 minutes she seems to vomit. 4 times this past week alone. The airport is almost an hour away and we are taking a Limo. My big concern became how am I going to get her to the airport without throwing up in the limo. I called the doctor yesterday and he told me that I could give her benadryl but he actually suggested dramamine instead. This too would make her sleepy and would help with the motion sickness without as much possibility of an adverse reaction. We leave tomorrow, any comments, suggestions or experiences to share?

Poor thing! I googled Diphenhydramine (the generic name for Benadryl) & motion sickness and found this info:
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec02/ch018/ch018h.html

Motion sickness drugs often make a person drowsy and less alert. In fact, one motion sickness drug, the antihistamine diphenhydramine Some Trade Names
BENADRYL
NYTOL
SOMINEX
, is the active ingredient in most OTC sleep aids. Anyone who performs an activity that requires alertness or concentration, including driving, should not take a motion sickness drug. A motion sickness drug should not be taken with alcohol, sleep aids, tranquilizers, or other drugs that also cause drowsiness and decrease alertness.

Other side effects of antihistamines are less common (see Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs: Antihistamines). Infants and very young children may become agitated and should not be given a motion sickness drug except under a doctor's supervision. Too high a dose in a young child could lead to hallucinations or even seizures, which may be fatal.

Like a pp said, the warning labels can be very scary and can make you think it's totally unsafe to give your LO anything! But I think if you are under doctors orders and you try this at home where medical attention is just minutes away you will be ok. If I were in your shoes, I'd try Benedryl or another motion sickness med prescribed by the doctor, and see how it works around home first. You gotta do what you gotta do. I hope this is a phase that passes quickly for your dd.

 

[bookgirl]

Nausea beats out ears popping every time. Forget the benadryl and use the dramimine. I think you can even get it in patches so as soon as you're off the plane or out of the limo you can remove the patch. I do have a friend who suffered from motion sickness (actually had menigers disease) and benadryl did help with it because it helped even out the fluid in her ears with is what caused the nausea, but she also would use the draminine patches that she wore behind her ear (perscription, but they have them OTC now I think) and I think she said that the patches worked better than the pills. Good luck.

 

[princessmom29]

Someone suggested Dimetapp, it is NOT recommended to give children under the age of 6 cough syrup. Dimetapp contains Dextromethorphan which has been proven to be fatal for many children.

This recommendation is based on the fact that parents often misdose children leading to complications, and the fact that it is largely ineffective in children anyway. Almost every death is linked to overdose.

 

[princessmom29]

And I'm saying that is risky, even for brief periods. Every parent decides what a level of appropriate risk is - you have apparently decided that benedryl is too risky but letting your child accompany you to the bathroom is not. Someone else may make the opposite risk analysis - benedryl, they feel, is low risk - letting their child be out of their seat unbuckled a higher risk. Someone else may find both behaviors too risky.

Leaving a child old enough tohave been walking for a while (from about 2 onward) buckled into a seat for a multihour flight without allowing them up to stretch their legs puts them at as much risk of deep vein throbosis as an adult in that situation. Everyone, kids and adults should move around at least once an hour. To go to the restroom or just standing up to stretch their legs. DVT has a high risk of fatality as the clots travel redily to the lungs or heart through the large veins in the legs.

 

[ldymcbth]

Since your child is so prone to motion sickness, I would go with the dramamine. But again, I would probably do a test dose before your actual trip - just to make sure there's no adverse reaction.

 

[erinch]

My kids both have allergies/sinus things that make flying hard; both were extremely active; both had severe motion sickness. I had to work hard with our pediatrician to figure out meds for flights. The best thing was to work ahead of time with trial dosages so there weren't any surprises at flight time. For us it turned out to be benedryl also helped with motion sickness, but that dramamine did not help the allergy/sinus responses.