Travel sickness - HELP!!!

[MrsMcEnroe]

I desperately need some tips for stopping / lessening car sickness in a 5 year-old please. My DD has suffered from car sickness for about 3 years now (basically ever since she got past the stage of falling asleep in her car seat).

She is HORENDOUSLY car sick. Feels sick after about 10 minutes in a car; guaranteed to physically throw up after a maximum of 30 minutes unless she is given Phenargan (on prescription from the GP) - however, recently this seems to have lost much of its efficacy, and it just makes her super hyper and stroppy, followed by sleepy and then she feels sick ....

We have tried Joy Rides but she was still sick. And I mean VERY sick

Avoiding long car journeys is not always possible, and sometimes she feels sick and hot on short journeys too - e.g. trip to the supermarket a couple of miles away - and if I don't stop the car and get her out quickly, she throws up.

I've tried planning journeys around her meal times, e.g. driving when she has an empty stomach, but she just dry heaves and brings up bile

I'm at my wits' end - I have been dealing with this with both my DCs for so long now but at least my DS grew out of it ...!

I'm thinking of trying hypnotherapy (am a huge fan of it for other ailments/issues). Has anyone else tried it on a carsick child, and can you recommend anything else please? Is there a psychological element to car sickness??

have you tried the wrist bands? I got myself a pair about 3 years ago because I was faced with a 20 hour ferry trip and was pregnant. I get horrendously sick in the car too, I always have.

The wrist bands were a godsend. I got through a 3 day journey which included the 20 hour ferry trip and wasn't sick once.

I think the wristbands come in adult and child size. Worth a try perhaps?

Drive as smoothly as possible, try to avoid traffic jams/busy roads where you have to break a lot and then accelerate again. Make sure you stop regularly and have her walk round a bit so she gets some fresh air. Also, no reading/watching dvds in the car. Maybe let her window a little open, make sure she does not get too hot and ask her to count red cars/trucks/caravans etc (i.e. distract and make sure she looks through the window), possibly listening to audio CDs may help as well (distraction). No drink/food during and right before the journey. With a bit of luck she will start to grow out of it. It is horrible, but most kids do grow over it.

Sorry for all the typos, brake rather than break of course, she will grow out of it

If you can seat her in the middle seat and tell her to look out the front . DD gets car sick if she looks out her side window IYSWIM?

can you get gravol in the uk? not sure.. but there is a children's gravol.

DD2 (5 years) is also a sufferer - since about 2.5 yrs. 'Sea legs' used to work for her, but not on market now, apparently replaced by Joy Rides - mixed results with these and anyway, wouldn't want to use on short journeys (DD2 has been known to feel sick on 2 min journey, warning sign is that she starts yawning, then 'I've got a heeeeeaaaaaaadache', and then about 5-10 mins before the inevitable).

What has helped her a little bit is the following advice from a chemist:

• avoid acidic drinks or milk directly before journey.
• if thirsty, just sip water. Lots of liquid sloshing in tum not helpful.
• ensure have had a good meal of carbs an hour or so before (baked potato is ideal). Crisps or banana on journey can help.
• don't travel on empty tum.
• stop for fresh air when possible, or open window slightly if poss.

DD2 definitely a better traveller in pm than am. Sucking on a lollipop sometimes helps too. Sometimes a bit of distraction - CD not DVD! - helps.

Don't think that it is psychological for DD2. I used to suffer with travel sickness and only last year had horrendous experience on school coach - definitely physical!

How I hate to hear that tell-tale yawn from the back when driving along. Not helped that yawns soon followed by panicky enquiries from DD1 who has a phobia about being sick.

Sympathise soooo much. Hopefully they will grow out of soon!

I have been like this since I was your dd's age, I'm now 32 and am a terrible passenger. I feel sick on anything over 15 minutes in the car, as an adult I can usually control the actual sickness but as a child I was massively sick every time. My mum tried everything and nothing really worked, sitting in the middle or front when I was older, window wide open and nothing to eat or drink seemed the best but none of the remedys worked.
Some children do grow out of it but I never have, luckil of me neither of my dd's are that bad. I have to drive everywhere now I can't be a passenger.

My oldest was terrible on even short journeys from about 4, but grew out of it at about 7. He now feels car sick but usually looking out of the window and fresh air helps.

We taught him to use a plastic bag and he got very good at not making a mess. We would stop if we could but if on a highway he would use the bag and we'd throw away ASAP.

Medicating him never worked.

OK, looks as though we may be doomed to a lifetime of sickness then (!) but I will definitely try all your recommendations, thank you very much. Unfortunately DD can't sit in the middle seat of my car as it's a camper van with only a lap belt but I will try everything else!

Ginger pills may help,

I know she is a little young, but does/can she sit in the front? It helped my nephew who gets it really bad, even on medication. My sister always has the windows open which seems to help him too.

When I was little (and now) if I don't sit in the front I get very sick. Even movies in the cinema make me feel off lol!! It is a standing joke at work, as I cannot travel with my boss who is a speed freak and just cannot grasp 'drive slowly or I will throw up'

I have to have air flowing in the car so my car widows are always open (even when it's freezing). I find that very helpful. Plus avoid large meals etc.

Hopefully she will grow out of it, or at least the symptoms will lessen by around age 8 or so like my nephew