Worried About Motion Sickness in Kids

[korkelsmom]

Our trip to WDW is only 36 days away...I have DD9 that has been when she was 3 and DD4 that has never been..we are driving like we did before 10hrs..for some reason I am really concerned about my kids getting car sick or sick on the rides..my DD9 was too little to ride most rides in 03 but now she wants to ride EVERYTHING!! DD4 doesn't get car sick but has never rode more than 1.5 hrs in the car...I just want everything to go well so I guess I am over worried about everything...isn't there something that I can buy for them just in case..I figured maybe another Mom has had this problem before.

[Jeff]

My daughter is very susceptible to motion sickness. If you don't want to do an outright drug like Dramamine you might try having the kids eat ginger snaps. The ginger is supposedly a natural anti nausea treatment. We usually carry a bag of Ginger snaps in our backpack while at the parks.

[Disney Lynn]

Oh, the memories! DD frequently threw up in the car. Before you give any drugs to your kids (even OTC), I suggest talking to your pediatrician for recommendations- and, more importantly, for proper dosing based on your kids' weights, ages, medical histories, etc.

We (as adults) now use meclizine (it's the name of the drug that is in Bonine and is available OTC). It is non-sedating. If you want to sedate your kids (LOL), ask your doc about the drug that's in Dramamine or the one in Benadryl. But make sure their doc gives you the OK (& dosing) before you give it- you want them to be comfortable and happy in the car- not unconscious or dopey for days LOL.

For a drug-free trip, try the ginger snaps or ginger ale or even ginger candy (just make sure that whatever you buy truely has ginger in it- not just artificial ginger flavor!). Also, we finally discovered that chewing gum helped DD tremendously (Juicy Fruit or a mint type with sugar seemed to work best for her). Also, keep their tummies slightly full- with crackers or something bland. You'll have lots of crumbs in the car by the end of the trip! Also, DD couldn't read in the car without feeling woozy. And make sure they can see out a window.

Finally, zip-top gallon bags, tissues, baby wipes and a water bottle (to rinse and spit afterwards) should be readily accessible- just in case. Also, consider having a full change of clothes handy (not packed away in a suitcase in the trunk!).

Good luck!

[Bri]

i don't know if dramamine is something you want to give you kids but if you do, there is a non drowsey. i get very sick on planes so i take the non drowsey and it works well. it does make me tired so i will sleep but it doesn't knock me out like the regular dramamine. that way, they will sleep a little, but be able to function when they wake up. good luck!

[#1donaldfan]

If they've never given a reason or indication that they are prone to car sickness or motion sickness, I wouldn't worry about it.....but just in case I suppose I'd do like one of the previous post says......ask their doc what's the best for them, just in case.....that way you'd have it, prior to leaving and if you don't have to use it GREAT, but if you need it, you have it.....

[ravsluvdisney]

I agree with a previous poster that if they have't shown any signs of motion sickness by now you should be good. My DH and DS (now 8) have pretty bad motion sickness problems and yet we drove form NJ 3 times. We fly now which has its own issues. If you are concerned and don't want to resort to medication, I highly reccommend the sea bands (I think that is the name). They are just bands that hit a pressure point on the wrist. I bought them on www.onestepahead.com. They were pretty inexpensive and my son thinks they are the best. He flys, goes in the car and even Expedition Everest with no problems. Good luck and happy traveling!!

[Janmac]

My sister and [adult] niece are prone to motion sickness. It takes only a few minutes in the car, no more than 30, and they're not feeling well. If your kids were going to be prone to motion sickness I think it would have shown up already.

My sister and niece take Dramamine but only a half or even a quarter (if they want to stay awake) of a tablet. A whole tablet would definitely sedate them.

We also never leave home without our ginger ale. Canada Dry brand seems to do better for us than the store brands. The ginger Altoids also seem to do a good job and would be easy to carry into the parks. Ginger snaps if you can't find the ginger Altoids.

As for park rides, our extended family group have adults who hate the drops (like Tower of Terror) and others who can't tolerate spinning (Tea Cups). This is just a personal phobia which may or may not affect your kids. None of the kids in our group seem to care one way or another.

You may want to try the lighter version (can't think what it's called) at Mission Space. The non simulator one. The full version can cause some disorientation.

Jan

[Tink#64]

Both of my DS's & myself all get car sick. The oldest DS also get air sick. We found this out during our 1st flight to WDW. It was awful for all of us. My DS was miserable & this went on until we reached the airport for our layover & I was able to find him some Dramamine. Then still until it took effect. We had to stop while boarding the plane. I felt terrible, not thinking about the possibility of airsickness when I know how car sick he becomes. It's awful watching your child suffer, knowing you could have prevented it! We do use Dramamine, and it works for us. A word of caution, all varieties of Dramamine are not for children!

We only use the Dramamine for the flight to WDW & home, or for car trips. We do not use in the parks, no attraction has ever made us nauseaus. But we exercise caution, myself & oldest DS won't do MS & the tea cups because we would likely be sick!

It's not fun for the child that's sick and not fun for the parent watching their child in misery, talk to your pediatrician & find out what will work for you so that you can all enjoy your trip to the fullest! I hope it's magical!

[TheMartellFamily]

The best thing to do is see your Dr as for they can help with ways to try to avoid issues with motion sickness. My DS gets sick if he reads or can not see out the windows. I do give him the non-drowsy dramamine to help him. I also give it to him when we fly too. I do this method as for we talked to his Dr abut it and this is what the Dr recommended for our DS.

[disneylovinmom]

I also have a puker. I have to give her dramamine for the car ride if it's over an hour. Check with your doctor, though. Also, I feel a "heads up" is on order if you are planning to ride Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom. My daughter is 13 and does not usually get sick on any rides, but this one made her really sick. We had to actually leave the park because it made her so sick. I think it was from the changing from forward to backward the 2 or three times during the ride. Good luck!!

[Frog]

I love coasters but got sick on Everst too...
bummer!
That is why I was reading this post to begin with...
Just wondering, is the non drowsy dramamine really non drowsy? I have never tried it, but on our next journey to the world, thought I would...

[laprana]

I second the suggestion for the motion sickness bands! My sister gets really motion sick in the car and some rides can get to her. She went on a cruise a few years back, and spent the first 3 days sick as a dog. Then someone told her about these bands she could get in the gift shop, which she did. Within an hour or 2, she felt completely fine! They are just stretchy cloth bands that you put on your wrist, and they have a plastic "button" type thing that puts very gentle pressure on the inside of your wrist (you can hardly feel it at all, and it's not uncomfortable or painful in any way). My mom also gets motion sick pretty easily, and she has those bands now, too. She and my sister both wear them in the parks and are fine all day long! I think you can purchase them at any drug store, like Walgreens or CVS. My mom got hers at Target. Hope this helps!!

[korkelsmom]

Thanks for all the advice I think I may try the bands just to be safe...I would rather have something on hand than my kids get sick and not be able to enjoy our trip....we only get to go every couple years...I love this board you guys are great!!

[thrillme]

They had an episode on Mythbusters that took two of their people and tested drug free myths to determine what worked best. IF I remember correctly (my memory isn't what it used to be ) I think GINGER seemed to work the best for them.

[DCDisney]

I've had motion sickness since I was a baby. Boy the memories, of my mother holding me over her shoulder in the back seat of the car, while I got sick ... yuck.

I use the motion bracelets ("SeaBands") for car rides and airplane rides. They take away most of it, unless the plane has violent turbulence. For a cruise, I tried the ginger pills without much luck, but I also brought with me an oil to apply behind my ears. I think it's called MotionEaze. I ordered it off of the internet, but I have seen it for sale at Walmart. It worked very well. It has peppermint oil, lavender oil, and some other oil, that supposedly calms down the nerves in the inner ears (which causes the motion sickness feeling).

Finally, closing my eyes on rides has helped alot. Yeti ??? What Yeti ??? I didn't SEE a Yeti on Expedition Everest !!! But at least I didn't feel sick afterwards.

[BouncingTigger]

Just wanted to mention that not all motion sickness is the same. For instance, I can ride any kind of fast, looping or spinning ride with no problem. However, I can get car sick. Just wanted to say that even if you have kids that can sometimes get sick in the car, they won't necessarily get sick on fast rides (although they could).

I have a friend that can get motion sickness on rides: she said that if it starts to happen during a ride, do NOT close your eyes - that only makes it worse. She said to try to focus on a non-moving spot (this will be a lot easier on a motion simulator ride than a real rollercoaster, although if it happens on a ride like BTMR, she recommended finding something to focus on in the ride car you're in).

Good luck...and remember to bring an change of clothes in case of a mess (mouthwash or mints are good too!)