Motion/Car Sickness

[mcz100]

I'm not sure the correct forum to post this so please move if this isn't the right spot.

We are driving 14 hours to Disney on Friday afternoon. I get car sick when I read and I really want to do planning on the way down. What does anyone suggest? I use to have those wrist bands that helped but I have lost them. Is there anything else that helps? Also, does anyone know where I can buy the wrist bands?

Thanks!

 

[aidtrismommy]

The wrist bands are at CVS in the motion sickness aisle. I use those now that I have small kids because I can't fall asleep (I am a single mom and need to be awake!) In general dramamine works but will knock you out, even the non-drowsy kind might. And bonine but that is the same kind of thing.

 

[Tinkmom75]

I was worried about this when I went on my cruise a couple years ago. I used bonnine, but here's how. I started a couple days before the cruise and took it before bed each night through the cruise. I slept really great and was refreshed and awake each day! The reason to start a couple days before is to see how your body reacts. I had no motion sickness! I was very sick on boat as a child.

 

[chicagodisdad]

whats bonnie? i have a 5yr old ds who has suffered car and air sickness on trips lasting over 2hrs since he was about 2ys. always feel so bad for him. its always a gamble some time he is ok but at times depending on the alinement of the stars and the planets the poor guys is no good. funny thing is within 10 mins of getting ill he always wants some thing to eat...lol..anyway we r always searching for a way to overcome this...

 

[tzolkin]

whats bonnie? i have a 5yr old ds who has suffered car and air sickness on trips lasting over 2hrs since he was about 2ys. always feel so bad for him. its always a gamble some time he is ok but at times depending on the alinement of the stars and the planets the poor guys is no good. funny thing is within 10 mins of getting ill he always wants some thing to eat...lol..anyway we r always searching for a way to overcome this...

Bonnie is a non-drowsy med, but the non-drowsy ones are a different drug and are not suggested for kids.

I can relate. My two younger kids vomit every time they get in a car since they were about 8 mos old. We have discussed the issue with multiple doctors and tried many things, but there really seems to be no solution. Dramamine does help, but they are passed out and drooling so we've only used it a few times for longer trips. On our trip to FL last May they chose not to take it.

Both DH and I had car sickness as kids, but not this extreme. Mine has been getting progressively worse over the last year or two. I just had to buy a new pair of sunglasses last week because being able to see the frames was making me more sick than usual. My oldest DD can read all the way in the back of the van for hours.

I would just make sure that your son is not reading or coloring. I know it can be boring on long trips, but it's better than being miserable. Can he sit in the center of the back seat so he can see out the front window? That was my permanant seat as a kid. If he starts to feel sick, roll down the windows (doesn't matter what temp). That usually worked for me. Do you have a DVD player in the car? It makes me even more sick, but my kids like it as a distraction. They still get sick, but they aren't miserable the whole ride.

 

[chicagodisdad]

sorry to hear of all your trials with motion sickness. myself i have only suffered from it twice in my life. once while riding in the back of a massive late 70's model station wagon as we were winding thru the mountains. remeber when parents use to chuck thier kids in the cargo area of a station wagon. i think my dad even had me clean his hunting rifles for him when i was back there. another time was when i rode this spinning carnival ride about 6 times in a row on a empty stomach. amazin what can come out of an empty stomach.
anyway my son always has a problem if hes a bit tired at about the 2hr mark in the car. so basicly we try never to drove longer than 2hrs at a time. its tough. air travel which is our most common but not preferred means of distance travel seems to get him on the landing. although he did not vomit on our trip to wdw a few weeks ago. a year or so ago our dr recommend we give him benydryll(****) to knock him out. we have done that few times but it seems to take a day to a day and a half to get out of his system so we are not a fans of this method. hopefuly it will improve with age. its very hard for me because i happen to suffer from a life long illogical fear of vomit and vomiting. my fear seems to induce great anxiety in me. i think my phobia is the hardest part of the whole thing. my sons attitude is kinda as soon as he vomits he feels better and wants a happy meal. god has a funny way helping us get over our fears with our children. but i wish thier was a way to take his discomfort away...oh well things could always be worse...

 

[aidtrismommy]

My son (3) gets car sick (not fun) The doctor said dramamine and bonine are not safe. She reccomended Benadryl. I bought some ahead of time along with the wrist bands for him. He wore the wrist bands on the plane and was fine (I took them off after we landed) He puked on the car ride home from the airport. I should have left them on!!!! Anyways, it worked for him and I didn't have to drug him. (the wrist bands work via pressure points and need to be snug, they don't have children sizes so I just bought what they had and hoped they would be tight enough. It worked because he was fine on the plane and car ride to Disney from airport)

 

[cuppycake]

If you're up for trying something "natural", look into GINGER. I used ginger capsules (from Walmart) on our recent cruise and never had an issue.

For those with kids that have issues, I found it in a liquid form (MINTY GINGER) for my girls (but thankfully, they didn't need to use it).

You can also buy (at many natural health stores) ginger candy to suck on.

Best of luck.

 

[adventure_woman]

When we were at Disney last, we met a mom who had these little round patches that she would put behind her ear. It was a small flesh covered patch that would last 3 days? and then you would rotate a new one to the other ear. She swore by them - driving, flying, cruising, riding rides, etc. I have never used them before, but I think I am going to find them. Where I don't know, and I don't know what they are called, but hopefully I will find them.

Also, as a PP said, you could try SeaBands. I used them when pregnant and they saved me. But, they are a little bit of a nuisance on your wrists. But, because they worked, I never took them off.

 

[3mickeymom]

when I could sit in the front seat of the car! Looking out the side windows is what makes me sick. Looking down, reading or playing a video game is stomach upsetting as well. Try placing your child in the center of the back seat, provided you have proper seatbelt fixtures and see if it helps. On planes, no window seats. I still have issues on rides and boats, but in the car and on a plane, this is what helps me. I used the bands as well when pregnant and they did help somewhat. They also make preggie pops, which are ginger lollipops if you are looking for ginger candy. Best of luck!