Sea sickness in kids

[Ourfirstfamilycruise]

Hello,

 

This is our first time taking our kids, 10 and 12, on a cruise. Hubby and I have been already. My 12 yr old get motion sickness and has taking Bonine before and this works. I got an RX for the sea sickness patch from the pediatrician. So I am not sure whether to give that to both kids or just to my one kid who gets motion sickness and just wait to see about my 10 yr old.

 

What have you done in the past with kids around their age. They both take adult dosages for their medications now.

 

Thanks,

Cathy

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Stick with the Bonine. If that doesn't work try the patch.

[Mack2]

Bonine (meclizine) isn't indicated for children under 12... but if the kids have taken it without issue... you know the old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

 

But Bonine (meclizine) really isn't approved for kids under 12, doesn't mean that it won't work, just means that the FDA says there isn't enough information out there to deem it safe and effective for kids under 12... It's more of a legal thing, really.

 

http://www.bonine.com/products/bonine-original

Dosage should be taken one hour before travel starts. Adults and children 12 years of age and over: take 1 to 2 tablets once daily or as directed by a doctor.

 

 

Honestly? As a registered pharmacist, I would recommend the Bonine over all of the other motion sickness remedies available without a prescription (with all the legal mumbo-jumbo I mentioned above)

There is Dramamine Original (dimenhydrinate) which is a good alternative, can be used in kids 2 and up... but it's related to Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and it will make them REALLY drowsy... but if they can tolerate the Bonine... just remember the risk!

 

The patch may be too strong for the kids. Those things are not made for people under the age of 18. Throw it on a kid? They might experience blurry vision, dry mouth, confusion, flushing, and on rare occasions, hyperthermia... which is the classic anti-cholinergic toxidrome.

You should double check with the pediatrician as to the appropriateness of the patch for the kids. A druggist can't tell you the doc is right or wrong, but we can try to keep ourselves free of the liability. :) The doc might have more experience using the patches in kids even though the FDA and the manufacturer says it's not a good idea.

http://www.transdermscop.com/

Important Safety Information

 

A prescription is needed. Not for children under 18 years old or people who have or have had glaucoma (increased pressure in the eyeball), have difficulty urinating, or an allergy to the active ingredient, scopolamine or other belladonna alkaloids. Most common side effects are dry mouth, drowsiness and blurred vision. When using this product, do not use alcohol, drive, operate dangerous machinery, or do things requiring alertness. If you are elderly, your physician should exercise care in prescribing the Transderm Scōp® patch.

 

Aside from the pharmaceutical remedies... You can also look into natural remedies.

 

Ginger (Ginger Altoids, Ginger Candy, Ginger gum, etc) is a natural remedy for motion sickness/nausea. Even Sea-Band got into this market.

Ginger Altoids used to be easy to find, but they discontinued making them domestically in the US... now you have to go through Amazon or something.

 

Aboard a cruise ship, during rough seas, the crew will give you green apples as a remedy... haven't tried it, although people on CC who have done it say it works.

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

 

Hopefully, though, you won't experience any motion sickness on the ship. If you do encounter some rough waters, you can have the boys do what they can with green apples or ginger candy while waiting for the Bonine (meclizine) to kick in. It will still make them drowsy, but in rough seas, a nap is usually a good idea anyway.

 

I wouldn't recommend trying to keep them on the stuff for the entire vacation unless absolutely necessary.

 

 

Have a great trip!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

My son age 6 at the time and myself have only been seasick once and that was sailing down the Atlantic to the Caribbean. We took Bonine after we got sick and we were fine in 10 minutes. It doesn't have to be taken ahead of time- even though the directions say that.

 

We have sailed over 20 times and that was the only time we were nauseated.

 

I don't even know if any of your kids will get sea sick. If they haven't cruised before- how do you know? A ship is much different from any other form of transportation including boats. If they get sick on small boats- you may want to give it to them before you tender to port if you have any of those.

[Mack2]

I got an RX for the sea sickness patch from the pediatrician. So I am not sure whether to give that to both kids or just to my one kid who gets motion sickness and just wait to see about my 10 yr old.

 

What have you done in the past with kids around their age. They both take adult dosages for their medications now.

 

Thanks,

Cathy

 

You know... I'm still very uncomfortable that the doctor gave you the Rx for the patch for your kids.

 

I did some more research regarding it's use and I can tell you why I'm not comfortable.

 

- It's a strong dosage. You have a dosage that's designed for 3 days worth of medicine for an adult in one patch.

- If your child experiences bad side effects, removing the patch won't quickly make those side effects go away... there's still medicine embedded in the skin that is being delivered even after the patch is removed.

- The absolute most serious side effect from any of these motion sickness medicines is a heart arrythmia occurring. Arrythmias are not good to have.

 

Notes to mention to your pediatrician:

http://www.transdermscop.com/prescribing-information.htm

Upon application to the post-auricular skin, an initial priming dose of scopolamine is released from the adhesive layer to saturate skin binding sites. The subsequent delivery of scopolamine to the blood is determined by the rate controlling membrane and is designed to produce stable plasma levels in a therapeutic range. Following removal of the used system, there is some degree of continued systemic absorption of scopolamine bound in the skin layers.

What this is saying is that the drug in the patch goes through the sticky layer into the skin. The "rate controlling membrane" is designed for tough skinned adults... not tender skinned kids... which leads us to:

Pediatric Use

The safety and effectiveness of Transderm Scōp in children has not been established. Children are particularly susceptible to the side effects of belladonna alkaloids. Transderm Scōp should not be used in children because it is not known whether this system will release an amount of scopolamine that could produce serious adverse effects in children.

Self-explanatory... will the "rate controlling membrane" release too much medicine to the child causing side effects... not only side effects, but also overdosage:

The signs and symptoms of anticholinergic toxicity include: lethargy, somnolence, coma, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, convulsion, visual disturbance, dry flushed skin, dry mouth, decreased bowel sounds, urinary retention, tachycardia, hypertension, and supraventricular arrhythmias.

 

If presented with the Rx, I don't think I could ethically fill it without contacting your physician first and mentioning all that I've mentioned in this post, and documenting it carefully. I don't think it's a great idea at all.

[sailinglisa]

Mack - as a nurse, the way I am reading the OP is that SHE got for herself a script for the scop patch. And that she wants to use it on her kids to prevent motion sickness. I cannot believe this!

 

The younger child has no history of motion sickness....why give her a medication that can make her sick? If she does get sick, give her the bonine, imho.

 

As for the 12 y/o, if the bonine works, stick with it. Scopalamine is a STRONG drug with many severe side effects.

 

 

No matter what, there is NO WAY I would advocate using a medication prescriped for an ADULT on a CHILD!!!! The potentnial side affects are just beyond believing. Scopalamine is a nasty med with severe side affects for adults who donot tolerate the medication....to give it to a child, I just can't imagine that!''

 

And I agree with you, as a nurse, I would not administer this medication to a child, unless the prescribing doctor could convince me it was appropriate. Not worth losing my license over!

[Mack2]

Mack - as a nurse, the way I am reading the OP is that SHE got for herself a script for the scop patch. And that she wants to use it on her kids to prevent motion sickness. I cannot believe this!

 

The younger child has no history of motion sickness....why give her a medication that can make her sick? If she does get sick, give her the bonine, imho.

 

As for the 12 y/o, if the bonine works, stick with it. Scopalamine is a STRONG drug with many severe side effects.

 

 

No matter what, there is NO WAY I would advocate using a medication prescriped for an ADULT on a CHILD!!!! The potential side affects are just beyond believing. Scopalamine is a nasty med with severe side affects for adults who donot tolerate the medication....to give it to a child, I just can't imagine that!

 

No... in the original post, she states:

I got an RX for the sea sickness patch from the pediatrician.

 

The only time I've ever seen someone use the scopolamine in a child was for a kid with hydrocephaly who had a problem with choking on saliva because of a decreased swallow reflex... The kid made too much saliva and the docs had us make a scopolamine cream to remedy the problem... but it was way back in the late 90s...

 

Don't mean to talk "shop" in the CC forum.

 

Still, I would really check with the doc again... in my opinion, it's not a good idea.

Stick with the stuff that's deemed safe and effective in the literature. The patch might not be the safest thing for kids.

[sailinglisa]

Mack - I stand corrected. But, as a nurse I would still not administer scop to a someone who is not an adult without a MD proving to me it was the right med for the situation. Thanks for pointing out my oversight.

[dijid]

We have had good success with Sea Bands for my kids. They work really well for the normal motion of the ship. Had really, really rough seas one day and even my then 8yo ended up on Bonine because she was vomitting.

[Ourfirstfamilycruise]

Thank you for all of your information. Mack, you are right the Pedi did give me the RX during a well check for my 10 yr old. He gave me enough for both kids. The only thing I can think of why he said it was ok is due to their weight. My son, 10, is 103 lbs and my daughter, almost 13, is 118 lbs, so adult weights.

 

After reading all of the info provided, I am going to find the ginger gum and bring the Bonine as a back-up. No patches for us.

[Warm Breezes]

Hello,

 

This is our first time taking our kids, 10 and 12, on a cruise. Hubby and I have been already. My 12 yr old get motion sickness and has taking Bonine before and this works. I got an RX for the sea sickness patch from the pediatrician. So I am not sure whether to give that to both kids or just to my one kid who gets motion sickness and just wait to see about my 10 yr old.

 

What have you done in the past with kids around their age. They both take adult dosages for their medications now.

 

Thanks,

Cathy

 

My DS(18) has gotten a little green around the gills a few times while sailing in the last 11 years. I always bring bonine but he was always a stubborn child who didn't believe in taking medicine unless he was in extreme pain....at least I know when he takes medicine it means he is really sick. Anyways...I always pack it just in case.

[Mack2]

Ginger as a remedy for nausea is exciting to me. We didn't get a whole lot of training in herbal remedies and pharmacognosy back in the day. Pharmacy concentrated mostly on the chemical pharmaceuticals, the way they work, the way our physiology is affected, and the therapies we apply them to.

 

Natural or herbal remedies, not so much.

 

I've always been skeptical about many herbal remedy claims as a result, but ginger really does seem to work. There was that episode of MythBusters that was pretty entertaining and informative.

http://mythbustersresults.com/episode43

 

but what really convinced me was my sister. She was undergoing chemotherapy and feeling pretty lousy. She had some pretty strong (and crazy expensive) anti-nausea medications. She started using ginger tea, candies, gum... anything ginger... and it really helped take the edge off of the post-chemo "crash". It's not the cure all, but if it helps, use it.

 

 

edit:

http://www.sea-band.com/gingergum

Sea Band says that the gum is stocked at CVS.