What does your child use/eat/take for car sickness??

[marshallandcartersmo]

DS8 can hardly take a road trip anymore w/o getting car sick. We're heading to the mountains on Sunday, and the last time we made this trip, he got sick during the ride, and was queasy for several hours afterwards.

I'm calling his Ped. tomorrow, but until then, any suggestions??

We've tried riding on a full stomach, an empty stomach, watching a movie, listening to music.......nothing seems to help. Especially more recently, because he gets so worried and worked up about it.

 

[freckles and boo]

My nine-year-old has the same problem. We can't even go more than a few miles before the travel upsets her. I give her Children's Bonine at least half an hour before we go on a longer ride. The directions say you can use it when symptoms occur but she will just vomit up the Bonine with everything else if she doesn't get it in her system BEFORE we travel. It works very well for her. She absolutely hates the tablet (big, chalky, and grape) but she also gets horrible cramps when she is carsick so the Bonine is the lesser of the evils and she is old enough to know it helps.

 

[Ohiodislover]

Dramamine, and pretzel salt.

The dramamine has an added side effect of sleepiness. Don't flame me, but a nice quiet sleeping child makes a much easier trip. I don't give the pills just for the side effect, unless it's to my DH

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

My nine-year-old has the same problem. We can't even go more than a few miles before the travel upsets her. I give her Children's Bonine at least half an hour before we go on a longer ride. The directions say you can use it when symptoms occur but she will just vomit up the Bonine with everything else if she doesn't get it in her system BEFORE we travel. It works very well for her. She absolutely hates the tablet (big, chalky, and grape) but she also gets horrible cramps when she is carsick so the Bonine is the lesser of the evils and she is old enough to know it helps.

I've never heard of Bonine. Do I need a prescription for it?

 

[marshallandcartersmo]

Dramamine, and pretzel salt.

The dramamine has an added side effect of sleepiness. Don't flame me, but a nice quiet sleeping child makes a much easier trip. I don't give the pills just for the side effect, unless it's to my DH

LOL! Can kids take dramamine too??

I'll have to get it to DS early though, our ride is only 1.5 hours for an 11:00 picnic. I'd hate for him to sleep through the whole day.

 

[Ohiodislover]

LOL! Can kids take dramamine too??

I'll have to get it to DS early though, our ride is only 1.5 hours for an 11:00 picnic. I'd hate for him to sleep through the whole day.

Yes, I can't remember if there is actually a kid's packaging, or just a kid's dose. For a 1.5 hr trip, you maybe could try 1/2 a dose?

 

[dismom2]

Ginger is a natural remedy for motion sickness/tummy issues. I take ginger vitamins when I cruise. Maybe they have a children's version that is chewable? Or, you could try gingerale or something else with ginger in it.
Just to let you know, I've tried Bonine (it's the same thing as Dramamine, I think) and it made me very tired even though I got the 'less drowsey' formula. Just thought I'd mention that.

 

[mkymouse1928]

I got horribly motion sick as a child, and still suffer from it as an adult. My mom gave me less-drowsy dramamine. It worked well for me. I also found that I was worse in the morning, so I wouldn't eat anything before we left, and then would eat a light lunch to have just a bit of something in my stomach. Some things that triggered it for me were sitting in the very back of the van, trying to read, and watching out the side window (I could look straight ahead). I did a lot of sleeping in the car! You might try having some cold ginger ale in the car that he can sip on when his stomach starts to feel queasy, or even any carbonated beverage if he doesn't like ginger ale (although ginger is good for nausea).

Also, get out of the car at every stop to stretch legs, even if it is just a gas stop. It really helped me to have that breath of fresh air and get my equilibrium back.

 

[freckles and boo]

I've never heard of Bonine. Do I need a prescription for it?

No prescription necessary. It is sometimes hard to find on the shelves but you can ask the pharmacist.

http://www.bonine.com/bonine_kids.php

 

[lilysmommy]

You can try a prescription called transderm scope or scopomine. It is a patch that goes behind the ear and the meds are absorbed through the skin. I used them as an adult and a child due to carsickness. With this treatment, I didn't have any symptoms and no sleepiness.

 

[lovetoscrap]

DD9 and I both suffer from horrible motion sickness.

Bonnine and Non Drowsy Dramamine are the same thing. You may also find the generic--it is all Meclizine HCL. It is available over the counter at any drug store. If your child can swallow pills then give them 1/2 of the adult pill or the Bonnine is chewable. Give it to him a few hours before you plan to travel--no less than about an hour. When I am traveling I actually take mine the night before.

I also keep Sea Bands in the car for emergencies when I don't realize we will be going further than DD can handle. They don't work great, but buy me a little more time to get somewhere.

You can keep peppermints and ginger to help the symptoms after they start but they won't prevent car sickness. Feed your child a light meal and don't let them get an empty stomach during the trip-- keep some crackers and water and ginger ale in the car for the trip. But avoid heavy, greasy meals--like burgers and fries, pizza, fried chicken etc... Go for something lighter like a deli sandwich or soup or some noodles for the child.

And always keep a supply of small plasic bags and a towel under the seat in the car--trust me!

 

[KLAIT]

We always give our son Ginger ale to drink, suck on candied ginger and make sure they child does NOT watch a movie or read a book..try to keep them looking out the window or sleeping.....

 

[minkydog]

I have been carsick all my life. When I was younger my mother never took me anywhere without a full set of clothes for me and some wet washclothes for clean-up. About the only thing that helped, even as a child, was crushed ice and pretzels. I would lick the salt off the pretzels sticks. My mother bought me those long pretzel sticks so they would last longer.

Some things that help me are facing forward, cool air blowing in my face, crunching on ice, saltines, ginger ale, and naps. I have to eat a light meal, like cheese and crackers and strawberries--nothing heavy or meaty. Nothing with chocolate, sugar, or milk. I absolutely cannot look down at the floor. I cannot read or watch TV--urp.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[honugirl]

I know you're not "technically" supposed to let anyone under like 12 ride in the front seat, but for me, that makes a huge difference. On a bad day, I can't do the back seat at all. I also use Zofran, but reglan or compazine can work too, it's just not as strong. None of those are sleep inducing (at least in me, phenergan knocks me out through). I also try to avoid travel in the morning as that's my worst time of day generally. No reading, no texting, no watching movies, nothing except maybe an ipod. Good luck!

 

[barrett7890]

i've had travel sickness all my life as well.

I have found one brand of travel sickness tablets that work well for me, from a Chemist called Boots in the UK, but thats no help to you!!!

Definatley no books or movies or anything like that. When I was younger I just forced myself to go to sleep, I sometimes still do that! I have found sitting in the front seat helps a lot.

Recently I have found that eating small amounts of carbs at regular intervals while travelling helps me.

And I always have the air con on, blowing straight into my face

cami
x

 

[blana]

I remember as a child my mom would bring cut up lemons on long trips or school trips to help out anyone who got carsick. Sucking on the lemon always helped me.

 

[mfd25wife]

Zofran is great. She also sucks on peppermint. It helps. She sleeps for even short trips if she can. The lake we go to is only 2.5 hours away, but curvy when we get to the "hills". She'll get sick every time if she doesn't take something.

 

[aprilgail2]

No prescription necessary. It is sometimes hard to find on the shelves but you can ask the pharmacist.

http://www.bonine.com/bonine_kids.php

That is what I use all the time for any kind of boat ride or when I go to an amusement park- I love the rides but they don't love me unless I take Bonine first. I tried Dramamine but that made me to tired, Bonine doesn't make me tired in the least, its great!

 

[Epcot4Me]

I get absolutely horrible motion sickness to this day. When I used to have to take a bus to work, I would throw up on average twice a week from it. It's awful, but I have learned to absolutely control it in a car.

First, it is essential to sit in the front, if this is legal in your state. It's good to remember the cause of motion sickness- that what you are seeing does not match the motion you are experiencing. Sitting up front and staring straight out the front window matches the experience to the sight better. Any kind of movie or book will only make it worse.

Second, the driver should be really careful to keep as constant a speed and as smooth a ride as possible. I always get sick riding in traffic with my mom even sitting up front because she slams on the gas and brake, making the ride too jerky.

Third, either air conditioning or fresh air from windows helps...the wind enforces the idea that you are in motion and helps with the disconnect.

I can listen to music just fine as well, but sometimes if I am searching songs on my ipod too much it becomes equivalent to reading and makes it worse. For me, traveling on an empty stomach is essential...the bus ride to work (before breakfast) never made me sick...it was always the bus ride home. For me, neither dramamine or bonine has ever really made a difference, though I take dramamine anyway on a train or a plane since at least then I can sleep for an hour before starting to feel sick.

Good luck!