Benydryl for kids motion sickness...

[Red71]

I had to pick my dd up from school today for being sick , took her to the pediatrician. While I was there I brought up what did he recomend for kids motion sickness. He said Children's Benadryl? Is that crazy I asked him to repeat himself even. I mean I can see how it would help a bee sting, but never heard of it for motionsickness, any one? Anyone actually use it?

 

[yodasdabomb]

I can't say for sure what it would do for motion sickness and don't have kids but...
I took benedryl many times for allergies when I was young and still do once in awhile. It may have just been my reaction to it but... everytime I did take it meant a whole day of being sleepy and fuzzy headed. I would suggest finding something else. I am sure you don't want you child half asleep for the whole vacation. Perhaps test it before you leave and see if your child has the same adverse reaction?

 

[laurenk]

My pediatrician told me the same thing. He said the ingredients are almost the same. He also said that there is a liquid form of Dramamine, the pharmacist should have it. I think I will try the Benadryl, at least I know how my kids react to it. They don't have adverse affects, but like yodasdabomb said, it does make some people feel off.

 

[my3kids]

The 2 products are very similar. My child recently has a case of dizziness, and the doctor also said to give Benadryl.

 

[mickeyboat]

My pediatrician also recommended Benadryl. She said that traditional motion sickness medications can act unpredictably in children. Although many posters have reported good luck with them with their kids.

Denae

 

[Doctor P]

My doctor, who is extremely good with pharmacology issues, when I asked him about this last year, said absolutely not to Benadryl for motion sickness. He said that pharmacologically the Benadryl works well for systemic reactions and the like but it does not work very well on the inner ear and therefore does not work well for motion sickness. Perhaps it will be better than nothing, but I'm not so certain based on the advice I received.

 

[1stNoel]

Dimenhydrinate is the drug in Dramamine. Dimenhydrinate Hydrochloride is the formulation of Benedryl, and it's also the drug found in Unisom and other OTC sleeping aids. My pharmacist tells me the Hydrochloride ingredient is the part that makes you really sleepy. It's an anti-anxiety drug, but when you take too much you will have the opposite effect - it's like speed.

Hmmm, trapped in a small cabin all night with a bunch on kids on speed? No, thanks.

 

[4nana]

Yikes, surprised at all the different opinions.

Our ped highly recommeds benedryl for air plane flights for ear pain/motion sickness. It supposedly helps keep the tubes clear. We used this for our grands and ourselves on several flights and it worked like a charm w/o putting us to sleep. Also used on cruise one night when ship was rocking with no probs.
Best of luck!

Godspeed ^i^
~ Sandie

 

[zaxmom]

I was told I could take 1/2 a unisom when I was pregnant with severe morning sickness. Benydryl and sleeping pills like Tylenol PM all have the same stuff in them. I don't know how much it worked for my queasiness, but I sure felt better when I was asleep. I get car sick when I am not driving and when we went on our last cruise I took Bonine every morning. I did not have any seasickness really. I could not drink alcohol without feeling sick, but I could eat and still have fun. I was able to let my Dh drive the whole way home as well. I take it on every car trip now.

 

[jin diesel]

I'm a firm believer that, for the most part, everything is psychosomatic. If you chose to believe Benadryl will work, and convince yourself and the kids of it - then it will work. Sometimes even a gummi bear will do the trick!

 

[gottaluvdis]

I agree about the psychosomatic aspect of medications to a degree. My DD complained once about motion sickness on the first night of our cruise, so I gave her 1/2 chewable Dramamine and she was fine. She also felt better with the Sea Bands. Not sure which remedy, if either, worked, but she was fine afterwards. I had Benadryl with me, but didn't use it for motion sickness.

 

[outahere]

We were on the 4/17 Eastern and it was very rough. When DS9 woke up the first morning (8 - 12 foot seas) he felt a little queasy and had a bona fide case of sea sickness within an hour. He was unable to keep anything down. We called the health clinic and they recommended chewable Dramamine and a good sleep. We gave him a whole one and he went to sleep for about 4 hours. He felt fine after that. We did give him 1/2 a tablet each morning and night for the rest of the cruise, just in case. BTW........ our pediatrician told us that Benadryl would not work well for motion sickness.

 

[Crazy8]

YES!!! i know it sounds crazy but go for the childrens benadryl!!!!! It has some antihistamene ( i think thats what it is.. sorry about sp_ in it that helps calm the nerves. Also. ..peanut butter Take some peanut butter crackers.. that helps too!

 

[FredS]

Originally posted by 4nana
Yikes, surprised at all the different opinions.

Our ped highly recommeds benedryl for air plane flights for ear pain/motion sickness. It supposedly helps keep the tubes clear. ...

Not trying to be argumentative, but this doesn't make sense. An antihistamine isn't the solution for congestion, a decongestant would be. Benadryl is great for allergic-type reactions, but even though you have to factor in the side effects. Usually it is extreme drowsiness, but you get the occasional "bouncing off the wall" reaction. I think it would be my last possible choice for treatment for motion sickness for a child. (Except maybe the patch!)

We used Bonine (half dosage) for the first couple of days, then the kids obviously got their "sea legs" and didn't need anything.

 

[Kitster]

Dimenhydrinate is the drug in Dramamine. Dimenhydrinate Hydrochloride is the formulation of Benedryl

Ok, I'm not sure what the phamacological make-up of Dramimine is, but Benadryl is made of Diphenhydramine hydrocloride. One of the side effects of Benadryl is sleepiness.......another common side effect is nausea, especially when taken on an empty stomach. I for one would never use something that might make me sick to my stomach to combat motion sickness.

I do use Benadryl for allergic reactions to mosquito bites and sometimes to help me sleep. I'll be taking some Ginger Snaps with us for our November cruise because I know they help with an upset stomach. Ginger ale works great too.

 

[disneyholic family]

my daugther had severe motion sickness pretty much from the day she was born....she couldn't set foot in a car or bus without dramamine.....until she was about 12, she took 'original dramamine'.....from age 12 on, she lived on dramamine 2 (a different active ingredient than the original one, i think the same as bonine)....

both of them worked on her...the dramamine 2 lasts for 24 hours....
that's what i'll be taking on the ship for her, DS and DH (i can't take anything for motion sickness due to drug interaction problems)...