Hiya - I am hoping that someone will be able to point me in the right direction.
My son is off for a week ́s camp with the Jubla group on Saturday, and I have just discovered that quite a long stint of the journey will be by bus.
Unfortunately, he has a tendency to get sick when travelling any distance by car, and I have a horrible feeling that he may end up doing the 5 finger spread on the bus. Usually I have Joyrides from the UK in the cupboard (one dose a little while before they leave and it ́s job done), but at the moment we only have the Nelson ́s homeopathic which requires two tablets every hour from two hours before travel which I can ́t see him being organised enough to remember (he ́s 9).
Are there any travel sickness tablets for children that any of you can recommend as simple to use, preferably not disgusting to chew, and easy to get hold of?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me on this one.
My sons used to use a chewing gum called Trawell, it was less likely to upset their stomachs than some medications and they didn't have to remember to take tablets hours in advance.... which of course they'd forget to do.
Worked pretty quickly and I don't remember either of them being sick once they started using it.
As far as I know you can still get it in any pharmacy over the counter.
If he has any choice of where he sits, try to encourage him to sit in the middle of the bus, between the wheel axles, for a less bumpy ride.
Some buses have rear- and side-facing seats and if applicable, should be avoided. Sitting facing the direction of travel is paramount.
Where possible he should keep his gaze upright and look out of the window as much as possible; constantly looking down at gadgets, and unfortunately, reading books (although, the latter in small amounts, may be fine) can exagerate the symptoms of motion sickness.
EDIT: Itinerol B6 is what we use (apparently) - available (in true Swiss tradition) for up the jacksie (does away with forgetting subsequent doses, but maybe not practical for return journey) or normal tablet ........ not to confuse one sort for the other, though. Easily found in pharmacies.
Thanks TiMow, I ́ll let him know to make sure he gets to sit somewhere near the middle of the bus and facing forward.
Thankfully he already knows not to be reading or trying to concentrate on anything that he is holding when he is in the car.
He hasn ́t been too bad over the last couple of years, but I just don ́t want to risk the poor chap being ill while he ́s away.
Although saying that he was ill on a flight for the first time earlier this year (they hit a nasty bit of turbulence) and he did the 5 finger spread. Thankfully he wasn ́t too bothered, just listened to his dad when he told him that these things happen. Wasn ́t embarrassed or anything, so that ́s a bonus.
Your son should sit at the very front of the bus if possible where he can look out a window in front of him.
Trawell is great. It is effective 1 to 3 hours. It is to be chewed for 3 to 10 minutes best before the journey starts rather than waiting until he feels sick. How old is your son? Trawell is not recommended for children under 8 years old unless prescribed by a doctor. I have a package at home and I am just reading the package insert. How long is the bus ride?
Itinerol is available in tablets, capsules and suppositories. Capsules are not recommended for children under 12 years old but tablets are fine. Itinerol is long lasting and maybe not ideal.
Stugeron is another option. It is in tablet form and children between 4 and 12 take a 1/2 dose. This is what I use for air travel, and well any kind of travel where I will suffer from motion sickness.
I tried the sea bands (as in the above post) but they never worked for me. I wish they had.
I would recommend that you speak to one of the Jubla staff just so they know.
In my experience with our kids it was not permitted for kids to carry their own medicine (unless it was an ointment or cream)and any medical condition did need to be mentioned.
Some children outgrow motion sickness. Others (like me) never do.
I hope your son has a great time. Feel free to PM me if you like.
My daughter also suffers from this and I got something over the counter in Germany that is more of a herbal remedy (as my daughter is only 2 and can't take a lot of the other medications available). They are tiny little tablets and suprisingly, it does seem to work quite well.
I don't remember the name of it off the top of my head as the bottle is in the car, but let me know if you'd like the name and I'll message you
Way back in the summer of '91 my then male friend, now husband, was heading off for 3 weeks at sea as part of a research project. They were advised by the organisers to pack something for motion/sea sickness and recommended ginger (candied cubes). As we were living/studying in the US we bought a tin from Williams-Sonoma...23 years later it has never been opened but serves as a diary entry to life before kids and exponential relocations.
My husband says he dislikes ginger sooo much that the mere thought of having to suck on a bit cured any queasiness he had.
I know, he's a bit wierd . I and our son both like ginger ale, particularly the fresh tasting kind that bite the tongue, so it must be some recessant gene from his Viking forefathers who loved life on boats and carved their teeth
Daughter's favourite breakfast is gingerbread porridge - basically oats with small chunks of gingerbread,cooked in milk and served with raisins and cinnamon. Dorset cereals has a readymade version, in 1-serving packets. I usually don't give in to packaging, but anything that encourages independence and healthy diet in a teenager is good by me.