Any advice for coping with air sickness?

[lisak09]

Hi all, just wondering if anybody has any tips or advice for coping with air sickness. Anything that might help prevent it hopefully! Whilst flying from Dublin to Orlando last year my 10 yr old daughter was very sick despite having flown many times before(short haul and long haul) with no problems. At the time I thought maybe it was something she ate but it happened on the way home also. She's already mentioned that shes not looking forward to travelling for our WDW trip this August. I am planning to ask in the pharmacy for something to help her before we go but was curious to see if anyone has any ideas or suggestions. Thanks

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

Aside from choosing a seat level with the wing of the plane (this seating is suppose to be the best seat for {even} flying), you can try over the counter motion sickness meds, eat dry crackers, sip ginger ale. If you aren't comfortable with taking over the counter meds (ask your pharmacist what he/she recommends) ask your doctor if he can prescribe something for the flight over and back. Best of luck

 

[kbmum]

You should check with her doctor, but most kids can take Dramamine (it's available in a chewable orange-flavored pill in the US). You can also try ginger, either in capsules she can swallow or candied ginger that she can eat before and during the flight.

 

[Disney_Belle]

I get motion sickness and take Dramamine an hour before getting on the plane. As a previous poster mentioned, there is children's dramamine. Also you may want to try SeaBands. They are a band that goes around each wrist (they look similar to sweat bands) and they have a bead on the inside which is to go against your wrist. It's something to do with acupuncture and they work for me (even without the Dramamine). The best part is they have no medicine or side effects and are recommended for motion sickness, morning sickness and nausea (which I get from time to time, and they help). There is also ginger gum which can help ease a nauseous tummy. Ginger ale is good, too. Best of luck!

 

[MissingDisney]

I experienced air sickness on a trip to Orlando and coming home from another. Common thread: I was sitting towards the back of the plane on these trips, all others toward the front. Where you sit does make a difference. Many of the seats up front are often "preferred", and may cost more (not the business class or first class, just the regular seats, but up front) but you are positioned more upright the closer you are to the front and gradually so to the wings. Try for a good seat! Dramamine is good too and have used it for my children with success but you do need to take it in advance to get the full effect. Good luck and safe travels.

 

[wilkeliza]

Hi all, just wondering if anybody has any tips or advice for coping with air sickness. Anything that might help prevent it hopefully! Whilst flying from Dublin to Orlando last year my 10 yr old daughter was very sick despite having flown many times before(short haul and long haul) with no problems. At the time I thought maybe it was something she ate but it happened on the way home also. She's already mentioned that shes not looking forward to travelling for our WDW trip this August. I am planning to ask in the pharmacy for something to help her before we go but was curious to see if anyone has any ideas or suggestions. Thanks

I get air sickness if I fly in the morning or after hardly any sleep. Dramamine does not work for me and if you use it too much it can stop working. I have found something that works wonders for all nausea not just air sickness. It has helped with my cramps based nausea and occasional car sickness and I used them on my first cruise to prevent sea-sickness. They are called Sea-bands and they come in children's sizes as well as adults sizes. They use the pressure points on your wrists to not only prevent nausea but sooth any that might already be happening. I swear by these things and since I prefer to live a life that uses as little medicine as possible it is a natural none medicine way to prevent nausea. You can wear them for days and never have any bad side affects. Dramamine typically causes drowsiness even the non-drowsy formula but in since sea-bands use no medicine there are no side affects. As long as you follow the instructions they will work. The cost anywhere between 5 and 10 dollars for a pair and are washable and reusable. Hope this helps.

Here is a link to the website of the name brand verison

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

 

[Ex-Floridian]

I get motion sickness and take Dramamine an hour before getting on the plane. As a previous poster mentioned, there is children's dramamine. Also you may want to try SeaBands. They are a band that goes around each wrist (they look similar to sweat bands) and they have a bead on the inside which is to go against your wrist. It's something to do with acupuncture and they work for me (even without the Dramamine). The best part is they have no medicine or side effects and are recommended for motion sickness, morning sickness and nausea (which I get from time to time, and they help). There is also ginger gum which can help ease a nauseous tummy. Ginger ale is good, too. Best of luck!

I hate flying and take Dramine. I am someone who can't go on the Tea Cups! But if you have a connecting flight, it makes you groggy.....be careful

 

[journ116]

I second ALL of the above suggestions, and would like to add a couple of tried-and-worthy suggestions for the "in case situations:"

1. Cola Syrup: while pregnant with my 2nd daughter, I experienced severe nausea AND had a trip to WDW planned. My OB prescribed a bottle of Cola Syrup (the base for, you guessed it, Cola sodas). However, it's not recommended for people with diabetes due to the sugar content. It worked for me to help curb nausea (if her motion sickness were to get "that far," this stuff is useful). OR, drink room-temp, flat Coca Cola if you can't get your hands on the syrup.

2. Eat a light meal no less than 30 minutes before take off & snack on those crackers (no-salt) throughout the flight. If she does experience motion sickness, her stomach will at least have substance in it, which will help if she has to {{T.M.I. time}} "upchuck." Her poor stomach won't feel all knotted from having nothing to squeeze out. Avoid greasy food and dairy products.

3. Prohibit reading, playing video games, and anything else that requires somewhat rapid eye movement. One of the causes of motion sickness is a sensory miscommunication; basically, an imbalance between what your ears hear and what your eyes see. If those two senses are on overload, and/or if you have an inner ear problem, and/or if you are more easily prone to nausea and vomiting, your risk for motion sickness is greater. A SOLUTION: sit in the front of the car, plane, ship, and keep your eyes focused on the horizon (or a sedentary object in front of you).

4. Take ginger BEFORE, DURING and AFTER the flight. Ginger is a natural remedy for "settling" the stomach (but beware, the carbonated bubbles in ginger ale or any soda can actually make things worse if your daughter is already experiencing motion sickness).

5. Benadryl is an alternative to Dramamine.

6. I know it sounds funny, but look up "Pregnancy Lollipops." They can curb the nausea.

I hope this helps a little!

 

[EvilQueen-T]

if it's a new onset problem it could also be her vision has changed. i've been a family nurse practitioner for years and vision changes frequently start around that age so you may want to ask her about that. you can do a little check on your own at home by picking something at a fixed point for her to read with both eyes then covering each eye before spending money to see your family or eye doc. a lot of times kids compensate and don't realize there's been a change until they get headaches or the nausea like your describing.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

i saw someone else mentioned benadryl but remember that's not just for allergies it's also the major component in half the over the counter sleep aids on the market. you could end up with her knocked out your whole flight (good or bad...you decide lol).

 

[journ116]

if it's a new onset problem it could also be her vision has changed. i've been a family nurse practitioner for years and vision changes frequently start around that age so you may want to ask her about that. you can do a little check on your own at home by picking something at a fixed point for her to read with both eyes then covering each eye before spending money to see your family or eye doc. a lot of times kids compensate and don't realize there's been a change until they get headaches or the nausea like your describing.

I didn't even think of linking "changing eye sight" to motion sickness, but it makes total sense to me now. When I was 10, I experienced severe headaches, but my parents thought I was "faking." At age 12, I went to an amusement park and experienced my worst case of motion sickness. And, by age 13, I had my vision checked and needed glasses.

I still experience motion sickness (at the age of 30) sitting in the back of cars and riding on planes at night (because I can't "see" the ground to know that I'm "moving"). But, I now have tools to cope with it.

Thank you EvilQueen for that insight!

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I frequently recommend ginger gum..It is made by the Seaband people, and many people I know like it better the the giner ale/crackers combination. I normally recommend it for crusiers and sea sickness, but will work for just about any motion-related problem. My wife went through a ton of it the last time she was pregnant for stuff as simple as a long ride in the car!

We found it at our local CVS store, but I'm sure many major stores and Amazon will carry it. Hope this helps and might give you a good alternative for your daughter!

 

[TERRILYNN]

I bought something called a "relief band" It looks just like a watch and its battery powered like a watch. It sends little pulses to your wrist the entire time it's on, and its adjustable, you can turn it up or way down depending on how sick you feel. My husband family all lives overseas and I get HORRID motion sickness on planes/cars/boats etc.. I've tried every trick and this is the only thing thats helped me and actually completely prevented me from getting sick. I know how she feels, it's awful to dread vacation. I ordered mine online just google travel sickness watch or relief band and you'll find it. It's about 100.00 which is pricey but I've had mine for years and it's worth the cost!

 

[EvilQueen-T]

I didn't even think of linking "changing eye sight" to motion sickness, but it makes total sense to me now. When I was 10, I experienced severe headaches, but my parents thought I was "faking." At age 12, I went to an amusement park and experienced my worst case of motion sickness. And, by age 13, I had my vision checked and needed glasses.

I still experience motion sickness (at the age of 30) sitting in the back of cars and riding on planes at night (because I can't "see" the ground to know that I'm "moving"). But, I now have tools to cope with it.

Thank you EvilQueen for that insight!

your welcome. i've suffered from motion sickness since i was very young so i understand how miserable it can be. in fact back in the 70s when i was a kid my mom would keep an old coffee can in the car "just in case" (eeewwie). i still have to be careful with what i ride...stuff like star tours kills me. but even i noticed it got worse when i got to the point where i needed glasses and it always gets worse when my prescription has changed even a little.

 

[UPbeekeeper]

I found all the tips in this thread interesting. I never had a problem with motion sickness, but on my last trip, I found myself experiencing it on the airplane as well as rides in the parks. This never happened before, and then thinking about it made me nervous my entire trip. I want to be prepared for the next trip, so I bought some over the counter motion sickness medication to try, so I could see the effects at home, instead of vacation. It knocked me out like no other medication I had ever taken in my life. Even the next day I was in a fog. I threw the rest away. Nice to hear of some alternatives I can try. I will be buying one of those bands, some ginger gum, and ginger candy. I will be prepared this time, thanks to all of you.

 

[lisak09]

if it's a new onset problem it could also be her vision has changed. i've been a family nurse practitioner for years and vision changes frequently start around that age so you may want to ask her about that. you can do a little check on your own at home by picking something at a fixed point for her to read with both eyes then covering each eye before spending money to see your family or eye doc. a lot of times kids compensate and don't realize there's been a change until they get headaches or the nausea like your describing.

She actually does wear glasses and has done for about 3 years now. I don't think that's the problem but thanks for the advice

 

[lisak09]

Thanks to everyone for all the advice. I'm definitely going to get the Seabands for her and I might also ask about Dramamine in the pharmacy. She's not a fan of anything ginger flavoured but might be willing to try the ginger gum if she thought it would help so i'll pick some up. Hopefully one of them will do the trick, thanks again everyone

 

[captainkidd]

2 Dramamine original formula. Helps with the motion sickness, and knocks you out at the same time.

 

[MrsG]

I suffer with sickness too. I always try to get awindow seat near the wing. Taking off and landing I try to focus on one point. I also wear travel sickness bands and take quells. I did purchase Dramamine (cant buy it in UK its banned) last year and used it coming back. The Dramamine did work and I felt less drowsey and my mouth was not as dry. I also do not eat or drink before flying and take a basic sandwich and plain crisp to eat on the plane and only drink flavoured water. Also if feeling sick you can try closing your eyes and just breath slowley.

 

[lisak09]

I suffer with sickness too. I always try to get awindow seat near the wing. Taking off and landing I try to focus on one point. I also wear travel sickness bands and take quells. I did purchase Dramamine (cant buy it in UK its banned) last year and used it coming back. The Dramamine did work and I felt less drowsey and my mouth was not as dry. I also do not eat or drink before flying and take a basic sandwich and plain crisp to eat on the plane and only drink flavoured water. Also if feeling sick you can try closing your eyes and just breath slowley.

Then it's most likely i won't be able to get it in Ireland either, i'll check in the pharmacy for whatever our version is!