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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if travel sick bands actually work?

27 replies

froggies · 14/07/2013 18:59

Dd is away on a residential trip tomorrow, she hasn't had travel sickness with me in the car for the last couple of years, but she will be going on a coach and a short ferry trip, so I had bought her travel sick pills just in case.

She has just come back from contact with Exp, and he has ought her some travel sick bands.

Obviously if they work, I would rather she used the bands than took pills, but am wary about sending her off on a coach and then a ferry with 20 other kids if the bands don't work.

They are the ones that have buttons that work on an acupuncture point. I am also a bit concerned as the bands are quite tight that she might take them off, even if the do work, as she is only 8 and HATES havng tight or uncomfortable clothes, so may not be happy about tight wrist bands that are designed to press into her, and I won't be there to tell her to put them back on!

OP posts:
SecondStarToTheRight · 14/07/2013 19:01

They work for me.....

throckenholt · 14/07/2013 19:04

They didn't work for my DS. I would use both the tablets and the bands. I take the other approach and don't mention possible sickness - I often wonder with my DS if the expectation of being sick makes him sick. He is only ever sick when we go on a long journey (more than 1.5 hours) and then he is pretty much always sick, sometimes only a short while after leaving home on roads we drive often.

I do get travel sick, and coaches are particularly bad - I try and sit near the front which is marginally better.

I hope she has a good trip.

CPtart · 14/07/2013 19:05

They don't work for me, but the tablets do. I would give her the tabs and the bands tbh, psychologically they may help if nothing else.

Flobbadobs · 14/07/2013 19:06

They are the only thing that ever worked with my DC's. we kept reinforcing to DS on his last coach trip how well they would work and explained how. A placebo maybe (I think you'll get a few suggestions of this) but anything that saved his teacher from mopping up sick is a good thing!

Flobbadobs · 14/07/2013 19:07

DS has always sat in the middle of the coach btw, it doesn't swing around as much there apparently.

soverylucky · 14/07/2013 19:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TVTonight · 14/07/2013 19:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mummytotwins · 14/07/2013 19:10

They worked for one of my Dt's but not the other so tbh I would use both pills and bands :)

LiegeAndLief · 14/07/2013 19:13

They work for my ds who really loathes any kind of tablet, even the ones that are like sweets. It's probably placebo as I made sure to enthuse about how wonderful they were before he first used them, but hey, it still works!

staffie99 · 14/07/2013 19:13

There is little medical evidence but if you must buy them make sure you get the ones with 50% extra woo.

LiegeAndLief · 14/07/2013 19:14

He is 7 btw.

Original poster
froggies · 14/07/2013 19:24

Hmm. My thought was to give her both. However when she was telling me about the bands she told me she doesn't like the pills (first time she has said that), and I suspect if I give her both she well then go and tell her dad.

Normal people wouldn't give a toss if she told her dad that i had given her both, however Exp is a nightmare, he has and will use everything in attempts to discredit my parenting, including writing to social work about his concerns when they told him I let them get their own breakfasts (cereal) last year, and twists everything I say/do that he doesn't like as me being unreasonable, and will say so to the girls - which is not fair on them, so I try hard not to put them in a position where he can say negative things about me or their elder half brother.

I am very wary of giving him ammunition, but at the same time I am not willing to risk DD vomiting on the journey as it will spoil her journey and the other children's and not be fair on the children's workers who are taking them.

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Watto1 · 14/07/2013 19:25

They don't work for me but then I am a world class travel puker! My finest moment was getting travel sick on a moving hospital trolley!

I think the bands work for some and not for others. Could you give DD the pills for this trip and then try the bands on another journey when you are with her and could help her deal with any vomiting?

Watto1 · 14/07/2013 19:27

Apologies - xpost.

LittleMissGerardButlerfan · 14/07/2013 19:55

The bands work for me and they work for my 7 year old who will not take tablets!

The way I look at it, it doesn't do any harm! Some people think its a bit woo but they work for us so I don't care :o

harborhaze · 14/07/2013 20:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pointythings · 14/07/2013 20:11

They worked for me when I had really bad all day morning sickness for 20 weeks, and they work for me when I have to go on the Pendolino Virgin trains (aka Vomit Comets). You have to get them exactly right though, which is tricky for a small child. I'd recommend using bands and tablets, this is what DD2 (champion coach puker) will be doing when she goes on her residential to France in October (lots of coach travel plus ferry).

IWantToBeAWomble · 14/07/2013 20:37

They have worked for me for years. I feel absolutely fine rather than queasy on planes & boats. Cars are not really a problem for me. I also wore them when pregnant. Maybe try both, or if she's really not keen on the tablets then put them in her bag (or give to her teacher) in case she decides she wants them on the way back. Good luck

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 14/07/2013 20:40

I think they work for me.

But my belt-and-braces approach also includes Travella homeopathic tablets (I know, I know), and, I think most importantly, not going on a journey feeling hungry

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 14/07/2013 20:40

pointythings

Oh God yes! those Pendolino trains are awful.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 14/07/2013 20:45

For me, sitting in the front of a car/coach and always looking forwards helps. Something to do with the eyes being able to anticipate where the car is going to go next.

Original poster
froggies · 14/07/2013 21:01

Yep, she always sits in the front of the car on long journeys with me. We did a 600 mile round trip to our holiday week before last, and she didn't complain of feeling ill and that was with no anti-puke measures at all, however I am aware she is worse on coaches and was mega puke the last time we were on a ferry.

Think I will go for both.

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mummytime · 14/07/2013 21:21

The tablets used to make me puke - sorry just the sight of them had me feeling nauseous. So there is no guarantee with tablets either.

I've never medicated mine, I have used the bands - they're supposed to work by acupressure, which I assume is similar to acupuncture which actually has some scientific support. Which is enough for me to use them, with all my scientific training.
The huge advantage over pills is that they have no harmful side effects, the worst is they may not work.

If she hasn't been car sick for a while I'd give her the bands. Warn the teachers (hopefully they sit her near the front and are prepared), and hope its okay.

For ferries it really depends on how rough the sea is, so she maybe lucky.

londonrach · 14/07/2013 21:34

Work for me. Make sure in the right place. Give them a go pack some sick bags just in case!

Original poster
froggies · 14/07/2013 21:43

I know the tablets work, because they stopped it when she was very puky in the car, when she was younger.

If it was just us as a family doing the coach/ferry I would give her just the bands and see how we got on, as if they didn't work it would be me that had to clean it up.

I am reluctant to use the bands for the first time when someone else will get the fall out if they don't work for her, and it might set off the other kids too I would NOT be popular.

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