Help! I am worried about DD(7) and myself getting seasick!

[princessesrule4]

Hi! I am fairly new to the boards so I apologize if this has been asked recently although I couldn't find a recent similar thread!
I am very worried that DD and/or I might get seasick! We are thinking about the 3 or 4 night cruise. Does taking Dramamine all day, everyday help? I don't want to be a party pooper because the kids and DH really want to go on a cruise, but I don't want DD or I to be miserable! Does anyone else have a child that gets seasick or has gotten sick on a cruise? Is there a kids Dramamine and does it work? Thanks so much for any help!

 

[xoxokpxoxo]

Hi, when i went on my first everyone felt a little seasick the first night at dinner. After that everyone else got used to it. To solve the problem at dinner we all took dramamine. Don't worry about it though, you get used to it quickly.

 

[Lynderella]

There is a children's dramimine, but I spoke with our Dr. before we left and she gave me the dosage of an regular adult tablet based on the weight of my kids. First cruise for the 4 of us and two other families (all kids under the age of 5) and not one person took the medicine. We were pretty rocky the first and last night, but I never felt dizzy or sick. But, it also felt good to have it, just in case.

I was worried about sea-sickness, but we had so much fun and were so busy we didn't have time to think about it. Night was definitely where I noticed the movement more, so I took a Tylenol PM and rocked to sleep. Pack it to be safe and enjoy your cruise. Wishing you smooth sailing.

 

[mickeyboat]

We packed a whole medicine cabinet, and used none of it. My pediatrician recommended Benadyl for my girls, 3 and 4. She did not recommend traditional seasickness medications for young children. Check with your doctor. I brought along Drammamine for myself. There are also Seabands available and other natural alternatives such as green apples and ginger.

If you choose medication for yourself, try it out before you leave home. Some people (myself included) have been known to have strange reactions. You'd rather have a reaction at home than on board.

The only time I felt a little woozy was in the theaters and the restaurant. If I got some fresh air, or at least looked at the horizon out the window, I felt better immediately.

Good luck to you.

Denae

 

[torismom]

I just returned from a royal carribean cruise. (test before my disney cruise
I would use bonine instead of dramamine. I tested the two before the cruise and the the dramamine made me out of it and taking the bonine I was alomost normal. I also wore the patch. I know for me it was a lifesaver even dealing with the side effects.

 

[jrabbit]

Everything you EVER wanted to know about Motion Sickness

This information was posted by Hydster 9/20/2004. It is the most complete information that I have seen (and I agree with all of it - especially the part about trying the meds out at home BEFORE you leave on your trip)
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So I revised my motion sickness stuff and added a few tips given from WVMD (it was his idea and a darn good one at that)and so now here is the new REVISED motion sickness information.

Sea Bands and Relief Bands

Sea bands are a terry cloth type band that you wear on your wrist. It has a white knob that if positioned correctly CAN put pressure on the wrist pressure point. Here is a website with a picture of a Sea Band

http://www.etravelergear.com/noqmotdiswri.html

These bands are very cheap but beware that since they rely on hitting a specific spot in your wrist it is possible that they will not work very well. They did not work well on me or my husband as our pressure point is too deep. The spot it is supposed to sit on is called the NeiGuan Pressure Point (P6) if you want to research that pressure point.


The Relief Band is a sort of watch looking contraption that actually shocks your wrist with a shocking impulse that is supposed to help with motion sickness as well. It is quite pricey and in the same sort of category as the Sea Bands where if they work I hear they work great but if they don’t work well you hopefully have another method with you. Here is a website with what these are:

http://www.reliefband.com/

We found them at a local store for about 70 dollars but ended up returning them as they didn’t work for either of us.

These two options are nice if you don’t want to take any medication but please beware that there is a chance that they will not work and make sure you have a backup method.
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The Transderm Scop patch is a patch that contains scopolamine and you put it on behind your ear and wear it continually for 3 days at a time. Can have irritating side effects but, most people complain of a dry mouth. Wear the patch for a day or two prior to going on the cruise to see if you can tolerate it. It is a prescription only medication. Drug clears rapidly from the system - hence the need to wear the patch - so side effects should be resolved in 4-6 hours after removing the patch. You MUST be diligent about washing your hands after they come in contact with the patch and if you accidentally touch it and touch your eye(s) they can dilate your pupils and give you symptoms much worse than seasickness alone! These patches work well for some but have a higher rate of allergic reactions than other forms according to my pharmacist (take that for what it's worth). Their website is http://www.transdermscop.com/site2/
I would suggest that you read the side effects in the patient information section. I didn’t try this out at home before we left on our first cruise and I ended up in the cabin sick with a nasty headache, upset stomach, dizziness, dilated pupils and miserable. Turns out I am highly allergic to scopolamine and didn’t know it! I would suggest if you plan on using this you try it out at home first to make sure that you are not allergic to it. I have also heard that there is a new scopolamine product called Scopace that gives the same benefit as the patch but with fewer side effects. Ask your doctor if you want to go this way if they think it is good for you and your body.
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Then there are the over the counter drugs like Dramamine, Dramamine Less Drowsy, Bonine and the active form of Bonine and Dramamine Less Drowsy which is Meclizine.

Dramamine is a dimenhydrinate and it has the ability to make you really really sleepy! I'd suggest trying these methods out at home before you go as well to see how they react especially if they make your extremely tired and if you drink how you react with alcohol. Original Dramamine can be used in small children although not under the age of 2 but can make them extremely tired and agitated. Here is their website
http://www.pfizer.com/do/counter/di..._dramamine.html


Dramamine Less Drowsy and Bonine are actually Meclizine. You can generally buy Meclizine over the counter (although some pharmacy's keep it behind the counter) but without a prescription and the Meclizine is generally cheaper. We get 100 Meclizine tablets for 8.00 where we get 12 Bonine for 8.00 so the difference is a big deal to us! Meclizine, Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy are all antihistamines such as Benadryl. We usually start taking this medication 2-3 days before we leave and continue to take 1 pill every morning until we have been home for at least 2 days. Our pediatrician told us we could give a 1/2 of a 12.5 mg pill to our older kids and my dd needed it but my 2 boys did not. They didn’t suffer from motion sickness at all but my 9 year old did suffer. I would also suggest trying this out at home before you go as well. Better to lose a weekend than a whole trip! Here is an online pharmacy (prices are outrageous) but it has some good information on Meclizine http://www.online-health-pharmacy.c...y_meclizine.php

Antivert - Prescription version of Meclizine - no difference in strength/ingredients - just price!

Claritin = Loratadine - Not as effective for most people - makes very few people drowsy

Any antihistamine has the potential to help with seasickness. Remember if you are already taking an antihistamine - start at the lower doses of meclizine - as there can be an additive effect

Alcohol can intensify the side effects of all of these medications!
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There are also Ginger tablets or candy that you can take with you to help with nausea and generally you can buy them in any health food store. As with the relief bands since they are "natural" and not a drug it would be hard to try them out before you go so make sure you take a backup method as well. Also some people find that mint is helpful as well. I believe these are in the same kind of category where ginger and mint have a calming effect on the stomach. Another short term trick is to eat a green apple. Our servers told us this on one of our cruises and it did help when I was already feeling ill. It kept my stomach somewhat calm UNTIL the meds took effect.
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For children, Benedryl is supposed to help them overcome motion sickness
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As you can see there are many ways to combat seasickness but you need to make sure that you pick the right one for you!! I honestly can’t say this enough but make sure you try whatever medication you can out at home before leaving on your trip so that you can deal with the side effects at home. A trip to the ships' doctor is quite costly and MOST insurance require that you pay for the treatment up front and then submit a claim to get reimbursed. I know my one trip to the ships doctor cost me over 200 dollars because I had to get an anti-nausea shot, diagnosis, more medication and I lost 3 days of my trip! Remember it is a lot easier to prevent sea sickness than it is to cure it.
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[musicgirl]

I personally use dramamine less drowsy. I take 1 in the morning and one in the late afternoon to keep it in my system at all times. Is is perfect, no I did have one at sea day on the 7 night that was a little uncomfortable. I spent the day in the pool!!!!

I also have used the electronic wrist bands in combination when I felt it getting a little rough.

I have also heard but not tried taking a whiff of rubbing alcohol-I saw this in Woman's world. There are small individual packets of swabs that you can open and sniff.

 

[Redmic]

I wouldn't stress out about it too much. Our party of 6 in April included 2 senior citizens and 2 children and no one got even slightly seasick in spite of VERY rough seas (the pools were closed because the water was sloshing out of them). I also heard no one mention any sickness during the cruise, and the dining rooms were always filled. While I do sympathize with people who get seasick, I think they are definitely in the minority and you will probably be fine.

 

[rsjj]

our dr recommended benedryl, along with green apples! (kids were 2 & 4 at the time). we brought benedryl...didn't use, cuz we opted for green apples! was a bit naseous (sp?) the first night, along with DS2...and gave him green apples, and had some myself. felt fine afterwards! this time, we'd pack benedryl...but will go the green apple route again. honestly, it worked! our DS4 and DH didn't feel a thing! go figure!! have fun!

 

[HeelMD]

If you have had problems before, I would recommend a prescription medication called Zofran ODT (oral dissolving tablets). The upside is that it dissolves on the tongue and has virtually no side effects. The downside is that it is VERY expensive if you don't have Rx coverage.

Green apples can help with children. Be careful with Benadryl given it can be quite sedating for kids. Avoid scopolamine with kids also. You could give them 1/4 to 1/2 tab of the Zofran if the apples don't help.

 

[princessesrule4]

Thank you all so much for the great replies! I will be sure to try out any meds this summer if we go out on a friends boat for a little trial run! Also, I had not heard of eating green apples for seasickness! I will be sure to bring a supply along if we decide to book!
Thanks again!

 

[rsjj]

Thank you all so much for the great replies! I will be sure to try out any meds this summer if we go out on a friends boat for a little trial run! Also, I had not heard of eating green apples for seasickness! I will be sure to bring a supply along if we decide to book!
Thanks again!

no need to bring your own apples...simply ask your waiter! that's what we did! and he brought us couple, we ate one in the dinning room, and kept the others in our little fridge thing!

 

[Jsme]

My DS was literally green for the first 3 hours once our ship was on the seas. I am one of these people who believes in medicine but only if they need it. My son is a con. However, he was sick this time. So we took him to the movies after dinner and he was fine from then on out. If that had not of worked he would have been given dramamine.

Our last cruise my DD had to take the dramamine.

Don't stress about it just go prepared with what ever medicine you think will work the best for your family.

 

[mickeyboat]

bump!