Berkeley Parents Network: Carsickness

Berkeley Parents Network

Carsickness

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Advice about Health > Carsickness

Dec 1999

My five year old complains of carsickness and seems genuinely ill when we go just about anywhere in the car (though he's only thrown up once or twice). We try to avoid taking him on car errands as much as possible but really want to get out of town (or even up to Tilden!) now and then. Does anybody who's been through this have thoughts or suggestions?

I always found that car sickness seemed to diminish after a big meal.

My son who is now 8 used to cry when we went anywhere when he was a baby; in retrospect he was probably suffering from carsickness. He has continued to get sick when we drive even a relatively short distance on the freeway (45 minutes max). Five minutes on a curvy road like Hwy 1 makes him sick. Last weekend we couldn't go from Stinson Beach to Bolinas without stopping. We purchased acupressure bracelets from a place (Wholistic Health Institute or something like that) on Shattuck near the post office & across from Andronicos that seemed to work for awhile. We've tried giving him gingerale (which he hates). Last summer the bracelets didn't work when they had formerly on a trip to Big Sur via Hwy 1. He was miserable; and we had a very long trip home. On a camping trip around the Great Lakes later in the summer we brought along dramamine that his pediatrician recommended. Apparently it is available in liquid form but we couldn't find it so we bought the tablets, crushed them and mixed them in pudding cups (after the acupressure bracelets failed miserably on a freeway stretch). He considers it a treat and it worked like a charm. Need to take the medicine one hour before getting on the road. That's the solution; never thought I would be giving my young son dramamine but the alternative didn't work and he was miserable; now he's happy (and he doesn't seem sedated by it either). Would emphasize checking with your pediatrition.

Our family doesn't go on many car trips because both of my sons get carsick and it takes the fun out of the adventure. But last year my youngest had a problem with carsickness just going to and from school that turned out to be a sinus infection. So in the future I will rule out sinus or inner ear trouble if it gets really bad again. Otherwise I've heard saltine crackers are good to carry with you (or we use original flavor goldfish) and sitting in the front seat with a little air on is best (we have found that having the heater on exasperates it).

Both my son and myself are notorious sufferers. Advice: Try to avoid windy roads (I go out of my way to get to Tilden), go slowly but steadily, keep the air conditioning on, eat something half an hour before you go, have some air sickness bags along, don't give anything to drink in car if he's sick. My ped suggests Benadryl for airplanes-it's the sleepiness that helps. Only time we ever had substantial problems (I got thrown up on 4x) was when we didn't.

Recently I discovered ginger pills (capsules with powdered ginger in them) for seasickness - perhaps they would work for carsickness, too. They worked great, and didn't make me sleepy. I was really surprised, since I've tried about everything, and the only thing that really ever worked well was scopalamine (I think that's the way to spell it). The ginger pills did wear off after a couple of hours, however. Next time I'll be sure to have a supply along with me. I'm not sure if it's the kind of thing that would be a different dosage for a child.

A homeopathic remedy called "Tabacum" works great for me. It's specifically for motion sickness, but I use it when I'm just a little queezy, too. You can get it at Whole Foods. Boiron makes it.

I missed the original post but as someone who has suffered motion sickness all my life, I'd like to offer some insights for parents who haven't experienced it themselves.

* Dramamine usually works great, just make sure it is OK for the age of child you are giving it to. Remember you have to take it bofore the trip, I think 30 minutes. Also note that motion sickness doesn't just affect kids in cars. It can also be on boats, planes, trains, and amusement park rides (For me, Star Tours is the toughest ride at Disneyland. Space Mountain I can take once or twice. I've been meaning to try some of the rides on Dramamine sometime.)

Even if the person doesn't vomit, they may still be feeling queasy from driving or other movement. So if your child says they aren't hungry don't push it. Let them go without eating, talking about food or being around food for as long as they need. (My mother only made the mistake of trying to talk me into eating after a long car ride once!)

If the child gets car sick, the better they can see out and anticipate motion the better. I know there are safety considerations, but keep in mind that sitting backwards (remember this on BART trains too), looking down, and being in a seat where they can't see out make it worse. (Definitely don't lay on your back in the back of a station wagon and look up at the redwood trees going by through the back window!)Being next to the window is better than being in the middle. Being in the front is better than being in the back. Being old enough to be the drive is best! Having a game or book to look down at in the car is a lousy idea.

Stops often give ones stomach a chance to calm down a bit. Let them know it isn't an inconvenience to stop if they need to; the alternative is much worse.

Also, motion sickness never has been a problem when I was sleeping, so putting them in the car when they are tired might help.

One more idea for the family of the carsick child: I was a terribly carsick child, and the only thing that really, reliably worked for me was to sit by a window (front seat better than back), unroll it just enough to put two or three fingers outside, and concentrate on how cold my fingers were getting in the wind. It sounds strange, I imagine, but it really worked for me. I was previously a child who couldn't be driven around the block without having to stop and...well, you get the idea.

The opinions and statements expressed on this website are those of parents who subscribe to the Berkeley Parents Network. Please see Disclaimer & Usage for information about using content on this website.