Long car trip

[jennz]

Hi everyone!

We're getting ready for our trek to Orlando - 16 hours in a car. DD, 11, gets car sick so she can't watch videos or read. She wears those bands on her wrists and says that helps a lot with her car sickness but she's still feeling ill after a few hours. Someone told me to try dramamine the night before. Has anyone tried that? Once a few years back we gave her something similar the morning we left and she was like a zombie - I did NOT like that at all!

Any suggestions to help her out?

 

[dana1003]

my girls first trip on a plane was when they were 3..they got airsick going down(btw-i get carsick, airsick,you name it and i have to use dramanine) so on our way backhome i called the dr from the airport and he told me dramanine was fine as long as it wasnt the non drowsy one. he asked their weight and we cut the pills in half accordingly. gave it to them one hour before we got on and they did wonderfully. the turbulence was real bad going back also and they felt nothing. there were kids actually throwing up in the aisles on that flight. since then, i give them the pills if we're driving long or flying. workd great. if you dont want to give her meds, go to www.onestepahead.com or www.leapsandbounds.com and you can purchase lollipops especially for car sickness. i think they have ginger in them or something. good luck

 

[jennz]

Thanks so much! I didn't even know there was a non-drowsy formula...I think I'll have to try that.

 

[PattySwind]

I carry dramamine with me. I'm 44 and I've had motion sickness since I was young. Try breaking the dramamine in half. That might be just right for her.
Even though it may make her a bit sleepy thats not such a bad thing for a long car ride.

 

[lorilori]

Bonine for Children has been our greatest find for any kind of motion sickness for our one son who can even get queazy on an elevator! I usually order it online through drugstore.com since I can't always find it in stores. It's chewable, berry flavored and doesn't zombie him out. It also comes in a raspberry chewable for adults.

 

[NYCDiane]

Dramamine always worked for me when I was a kid and got car sick all the time. Another thing that might work is soda crackers (NOT saltines!) (worked for my morning sickness) or tea with fresh ginger (NOT ginger ale!). The tea with fresh ginger also helped my morning sickness.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I thought the fact that it made my kids like zombies was a major bonus! We drive down from Canada, and the drive was so peaceful... I was kind of disappointed when they outgrew being car sick.

Teresa

 

[MichelleinMaine]

As a PP said, ginger helps with nausea. When I was pregnant, I got ginger capsules at a health food store. I'd imagine they have something more child friendly there as well.

OR, maybe make some gingersnaps to take along? (I seem to recall that ones you get in the store don't actually have much ginger in them?)

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I buy ginger capsules at our local phamacy. CVS or Walgreens. They are located in the vitamin section.
I would pack a plastic sand pale with you. That way if she does get sick you have something to catch it.

 

[StephMK]

They also make chewable Dramamine for kids now. It makes mine sleepy & they don't like it, but it works. Also, do not let her drink milk before you go or while on the trip. That helped tremendously for my son because he used to get sick within an hour until we learned that.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

I buy ginger capsules at our local phamacy. CVS or Walgreens. They are located in the vitamin section.
I would pack a plastic sand pale with you. That way if she does get sick you have something to catch it.

I'd forgotten til you mentioned this, but we had a horrendous trip once where DS was just sick. Highway under construction and there was NO WAY to get off.

I ended up dumping stuff our of gallon ziplocs I had and he used those. Could zip them up til the next rest stop- no spilling and cut down on smell!

 

[Ashley Kees]

LOL! One DD gets horribly airsick and the other gets horribly carsick. We have decided that it is easier to deal with the carsick than being trapped in an airplanne with a sick kid. Dramamine has no effect on DD for whatever reason, but we realized once she never gets sick if she's asleep or if the sun isn't shining on her. Solution: We drive at night.

Every year we take a trip to GA to see my family. It's about 875 miles, so 14 hours or so. We pick up DH Friday after work, go out to dinner, and then drive 2-3 hours in the dark. We stop to get gas, the kids and one adult change into jammies, get out blanets and pillows, and sleep while the other adult drives and listens to books on tape. We stop every three hours to fill up and change drivers. The adults get some sleep, the kids sleep for almost the WHOLE trip, and no extra potty stops, no "she's touching me!!!" and no throwing up!!! We arrive in GA at about 9am, stop at the Cracker Barrell for breakfast and the kids are happy and rested when when get to Big Grandpa's house.

We are TOTALLY doing this for our next Disney trip too.

 

[englishteacha]

I used to get horribly carsick. I took dramamine and it worked, but I slept a lot of the car ride. Made the ride go faster! I find the generic dramamine makes me less sleepy than the brand name. I also like ginger pills. I got a large bottle at Walmart and take 2 a half hour before I do something that might make me feel queasy, like sailing or riding on a school bus for a field trip. I don't get carsick much anymore as long as I'm not reading or doing anything interesting. Long trips I still take something. I also take meds before I fly as I was once stuck circling Newark for an hour and was feeling pretty green by the time we landed.

 

[mousebymarriage]

My DD12 also gets very car sick. When we drove 2 years ago she vomitted through Delaware, Maryland,Washington, Virginia and entering North Carolina. She absolutely refused to take anything for it but, when we got to North Carolina I convinced her to take dramamine (they do make a non-drowsy one), she was so much happier. When we drove down this past March for my moms funeral my DD took a Dramamine about 1/2 hour before we left and then again the next morning and she didn't vomit once. The key was to give the dramamine enough time to work BEFORE the nausea starts (usually 1/2 hour min. before you leave), then read the package instructions and give her a new one right before (1/2 hour) she is allowed to take it again, remember giving it 30 minutes early will not hurt her because her body needs time to digest the med and absorb it.
I know that they also sell a ginger candy (like a cough drop size) in the health food store and I have heard it helps alot.

 

[jennz]

Thanks for the posts! I am definitely buying some dramamine!!

 

[TnTWalter]

Bonine for Children has been our greatest find for any kind of motion sickness for our one son who can even get queazy on an elevator! I usually order it online through drugstore.com since I can't always find it in stores. It's chewable, berry flavored and doesn't zombie him out. It also comes in a raspberry chewable for adults.

BONINE all the way. I take it for myself. It's great!!

 

[quentina]

Hi everyone!

We're getting ready for our trek to Orlando - 16 hours in a car. DD, 11, gets car sick so she can't watch videos or read. She wears those bands on her wrists and says that helps a lot with her car sickness but she's still feeling ill after a few hours. Someone told me to try dramamine the night before. Has anyone tried that? Once a few years back we gave her something similar the morning we left and she was like a zombie - I did NOT like that at all!

Any suggestions to help her out?

My son wears the motion sickness patch that comes via prescription. It has worked amazingly.

 

[Marva]

this is worth looking into.

 

[jennz]

I forgot about the prescription patch...I'll look into that if the dramamine doesn't work.

Bonine is what we gave her before that turned her into a zombie. I'm guessing we gave her too much but am not sure. Her pupils dilated and she was slumped in the seat barely talking...totally NOT her, but she also couldn't fall asleep. Freaked me out a little. Now that's she older and weighs more I'm not so leary about giving her stuff.

 

[Green Tea]

i thought the fact that it made my kids like zombies was a major bonus! We drive down from canada, and the drive was so peaceful... I was kind of disappointed when they outgrew being car sick.

Teresa

lol