Dramamine vs. Bonine

[tmocker]

Which do you choose for motion sickness?

I've always used dramamine in the past, but keep hearing about Bonine. My 8 year old child will also need some for the cruise.

Thanks.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Dramamine Less Drowsy Tablets and Bonine Tablets are medically the same. Both are 25 mg/tablet of meclizine hydrochloride. Motion sickness medications with meclizine hydrochloride are labeled for use only by adults and children 12 years of age and over. Consult a doctor before giving Dramamine Less Drowsy Formula or Bonine to anyone under 12.

There's also Dramamine Original Formula (dimenhydrinate), which is medically entirely different than Dramamine Less Drowsy Tablets. Dramamine Original Formula is approved for children 2 and older.

Any of these medications can cause drowsiness to some degree, but dimenhydrinate is likely to cause greater drowsiness than meclizine hydrochloride.

 

[nicurnc]

Something else to have on hand, Emetrol. Comes in liquid form and helps a lot with nausea. I read a column over the weekend, a doctor recommended it for divers, but it's something I gave my kids when they were little. Just never thoght of it as something to help with motion or sea sickness It's also non-drowsy.

Loretta

 

[Incharge]

Is Emitrol a prescription medication? If not, where can it be purchased? I have also read where you should bring ginger snaps for children as well as adults, because ginger apparently is good for nausea. Has anyone else heard this?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Emetrol® For Nausea is "for relief of nausea due to upset stomach from intestinal flu, stomach flu, and food or drink indiscretions."

See http://www.pfizer.com/do/counter/digestive/mn_emetrol.html

So it's not a motion sickness medication. A motion sickness medication should prevent nausea, not relieve it.

Then again, some passengers could benefit from having Emetrol® For Nausea around for those "drink indiscretions."

 

[tmocker]

Our last Disney cruise had a very rocky first night - even the room service lady told me that it was one of the worst she'd experienced. She advised me to stop drinking any liquids and to eat some crackers. Taking the dramamine, eating a few crackers, and avoiding the liquids did eventually help. I also sacked out on the couch for about a 1/2 hour after eating the crackers and that seemed to help as well.

No one had ever told me to avoid liquids before, though. But it seemed harmless enough to try!

 

[Incharge]

I am going to remember that about avoiding the liquids. I'll tell you, anybody who has not experienced sea-sickness needs to consider themselves darn blessed. That is one of the worse feelings I have had in my life! I will try whatever it takes.

 

[tweetsie]

Thanks so much for the tips. I am making my list for our October 4-day DC.

 

[eeyorekjs7]

I just felt that I needed to comment on Emetrol. I was extremely sick to my stomach one day at work so I had my husband go buy me some Emetrol. I couldn't even get half of it down and I felt much worse afterward. It's very gross and when you're already sick it's not worth it to make yourself feel worse.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

My neighbor just returned from a 5 night Carnival cruise and he and his wife used "the patch". They both and a problem focussing at close distances for a couple days, which they were told was a common side effect. My DW took dramamine the first night out on our Dec Wonder. Myself and DD's were fine.

 

[plutojudy]

I like to take ginger to prevent seasickness. I take two capsules with meals and at bedtime. I buy the ginger at GNC.

 

[nicurnc]

Horace-
I know I had always used Emetrol the way you had mentioned. This was from an article on diving. The doc had recommended as a preventitive. It is thick and never helped me when I felt bad, but my kids liked the tatse of it and it always relieved the queasies and throw-ups
It is available over the counter and is non-narcotic.

Loretta

 

[Doctor P]

Emetrol definitely works for nausea and I have used it even for nausea induced by vertigo. Don't think it will prevent the effects of motion sickness, but it might help as you start to feel queasy. I must say that I bought some on my own hunch for next month's cruise.

 

[bnickle3]

my ob had me use emytrol during my pregnancies....it really helped the nausea abate. In fact, it worked so well for me I wanted to name the baby Emytrol. Or Epidural, I was quite fond of both....*g* (My children are relieved that "Kate", "Emily" and "Andrew" won out.)

If you want to try the emytrol, the lemon flavor isn't very pleasant but there is a cherry that's not bad.

Brenda

 

[rw2dodge]

My dh and I both used "the patch" on our Bermuda cruise three years ago. It worked GREAT! We did have focusing problems on but nothing that was bothersome or stopped us from doing anything. I was just wondering if this patch is available for children or is dramamine the best bet. My ds 12 gets awful car sick and I expect that he'll probably get seasick also. Our first Disney cruise is set for 4/04.

 

[joyfull]

No one in my family gets car sick or air sick. We can all go on rollercoasters no problem. But with all of this talk about sea sickness I am worry. So I guess I will go buy one of these products to have just in case. I wonder what % of people get sea sickness?