When do you give kids Dramamine?

[Bound4Bermuda]

Hi, I was just wondering if you give your kids Dramamine for the entire cruise when "it's time" for another dosage, or do you just give it to them if/when they complain about seasickness? (If so, is it "too late" to recover at that point?)

 

I got the less-drowsy Dramamine for the teens/adults that's only once per day, so it seems simple enough to just take one before bedtime (if necessary). And I got the chewable for children Dramamine for my 2.5 yo. However, her dosage would be every 6-8 hours, and I'm not sure I want to be "pumping her full of drugs" for the whole cruise. Then again, she's 2.5, so I don't expect her to be able to tell me she's feeling queasy, so I think my only indication would be if she were actually vomiting and/or someone else is feeling seasick and so she might feel that way, too.

 

Just curious what other parents do with their little ones. Thanks!

[cb at sea]

I doubt your littlest one will even suffer from motion sicknes.....I think I'd wait and see what happens.

Do any of you get motion sickness on amusement rides or in the car? If not, I wouldn't pre-dose unless seas were really rough....I wait and see how everyone does! Yes, it's better to prevent, but if you aren't susceptible, then it seems silly to dose everyone for no reason!

[boulders]

Our first cruise, I dosed for about the first day. The next cruise, everyone took a pill around the time we stepped on the ship. On cruises after that, we didn't need Dramamine. Our systems became used to the rocking.

[khm1]

When DS was 4, we drove from Maryland to Myrtle Beach, SC. He got car-sick towards the end of the ride. On the way back, I gave him half of a dose of chewable Dramamine. We left in the morning. He slept for 6 hours!!!! I was so worried that I never gave it to him again. My kids have cruised multiple times since they were 5, 7, and 1. They have never complained about seasickness. two of them do get car-sick occasionally. I would be careful about giving Dramamine unless it is really neccessary.

[6rugrats]

You should not ask medical questions on a chat board; it doesn't matter what worked for other people's children. No one here knows anything about your child. Call their pediatrician and get advice from her/him.

[Bound4Bermuda]

When DS was 4, we drove from Maryland to Myrtle Beach, SC. He got car-sick towards the end of the ride. On the way back, I gave him half of a dose of chewable Dramamine. We left in the morning. He slept for 6 hours!!!! I was so worried that I never gave it to him again. My kids have cruised multiple times since they were 5, 7, and 1. They have never complained about seasickness. two of them do get car-sick occasionally. I would be careful about giving Dramamine unless it is really neccessary.

 

Thank you. That's the kind of feedback I was hoping to hear. Also in response to the other poster, I know it is safe to give it to her. But I just want to hear others' experiences: Did they feel that their kids were better off or worse off taking Dramamine? Obviously my daughters' results will vary, but if 90% of the people respond saying, "My kid slept through the entire cruise on Dramamine," then I'm going to avoid giving it to her, even though her doctor said it's safe to give it to her the whole cruise.

[Mack2]

Our last cruise, a year ago, our ship skirted the edge of a hurricane. The Hurricane had hit Haiti, and was heading southwest towards Honduras, we had just left Honduras, heading back northeast to Miami.

 

The one day, we had some pretty high seas, the ship was moving and you could feel it. My younger son started feeling pretty lousy. I was getting a massage, my wife was somewhere with her mom and right in the middle of the massage, I get a call from Camp Carnival.

Fortunately, my wife picked my son up. Popped a chewable Dramamine in him, turned on the TV, and he napped. Woke up 2 hours later and was good the rest of the trip.

 

My youngest and my eldest have their sea legs, my younger son (the middle guy) doesn't like carousels because they get him sick... so it's completely understandable.

--------------------------------------

I don't like to pre-emptively treat motion sickness for a cruise... and I'm a pharmacist, I should know pills. I've only experienced motion sickness aboard a cruise ship once.

It was my first cruise with Carnival... back in 1998. Carnival Ecstacy. 3 night, Miami - Bahamas cruise. We got hit by a nor'easter. Outside decks closed, 30 foot waves. Main Dining room was practically empty, table cloths wetted down. Walking the stairs was an adventure... take a step, and the stairs met your knees, take another step, and you're stepping down 15 feet with the boat. Avoided the elevators because of the barf bags and the smell.

It was the smoke in the casino that set me off, though. Tried to occupy myself on a table, but the smoke just "got" to me. Went to my stateroom, emptied my stomach in the bathroom, popped some Bonine and prayed for sleep.

 

Even if I had a patch on, or loaded myself pre-emptively with Bonine, I think I still would've gotten sick. The vomit around the elevators plus the smoke... it was an exciting night, for sure.

[onthelake]

Must agree with Mack2 - don't treat pre-emptively. My DS will get car sick but has never gotten seasick no matter how high the seas - and we have crossed the Pacific twice. For car sickeness, we use ginger and have been happiest with that since there are no side effects.

[mass02703]

I think that it can go either way. My then almost 2 year old had been getting car sick almost every time that we got in the car. I was concerned as we neared our trip to Disney with an hour ride to the airport and a 3 hour plane ride. I consulted her doctor who told me that I could give her a half of dramamine. I gave it to her about a half hour before we got into the limo. As the Limo arrived my daughter who rarely even whined at the time began taking a screaming temper tantrum on the ground. This temper tantrum continued for the ride to the airport and to the gate. I am sure that every waiting passenger was hoping that she wasn't seated anywhere near them. She had never had a temper tantrum like this before and it became obvious that she was having an adverse reaction to the pill. She was throwing herself on the ground all over kicking and screaming. I don't know that she ever did fall asleep on the plane, although I do believe that the screaming may have stopped (almost 4 hours after giving her the pill). Needless to say I did not give her the pill on the return trip (on neither of the flights did she get sick). We are cruising in 3 weeks for her third birthday. We have another hour drive to the airport and 3 hour flight to Miami. I am certainly am hoping that she does not get sick (although she hasn't in a long time) on the flight or the cruise. I do know Dramamine will be out of the question for her. That was one experience that I will never forget and never want to relive.

[RoadTripFanatic]

DD started cruising at age 2 1/2. I never had to administer motion sickness medicine to her until she was 8 years old and we were on a very rough ferry ride to Virgin Gorda. I do not give her anything unless she starts complaining about feeling sick. (I use Bonine jr.)

[MamaParrotHead]

I got a big package of ginger altoids for this purpose (though never needed them, they're still sealed and packed away for our next cruise). I'm not a big fan of unnecessary meds.

[CanadianTwosome]

Ha ha ha I read the title of this thread, and all my twisted mind could think of was:

 

*When daddy and I want to be 'alone'...

*When the brandy isn't working...

*When I have to run out and it's too late to call a sitter...

 

What can I tell ya? I've just heard too many bad jokes that now they just materialize even when I don't want them... :p

[sandytoes03]

Ha ha ha I read the title of this thread, and all my twisted mind could think of was:

 

*When daddy and I want to be 'alone'...

*When the brandy isn't working...

*When I have to run out and it's too late to call a sitter...

 

What can I tell ya? I've just heard too many bad jokes that now they just materialize even when I don't want them... :p

 

hahahaha:D:p