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Children's health

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Original poster

Is it worth seeing a GP about car sickness?

44 replies

Thurlow · 04/06/2014 12:23

2.4yo has always been terribly car sick. It was manageable when she was younger and more likely to sleep during a longer journey, but as she's getting older she is less likely to sleep - and so more likely to throw up. The problem is often that it's just DP in the car with her, so no one to sit in the back and help her, which I hate as the angle of a car seat always makes it hard for her to lean forward when she throws up Anything over 5 minutes or so and you can see her turning green...

We've tried fresh air, distracting her with books, not distracting her, eating very near to the journey, not eating very near to the journey... I know it's not the end of the world but it is horrible and she hates it too.

Are GP's likely to be able to help at all? We've got a 4+ hour drive on holiday on the summer, in particular it would be nice to be able to do something for her then.

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Original poster

Thurlow · 09/06/2014 10:05

Thanks for the tips as well about eyesight and inner ears - so far nothing that has made us question her eyesight or ears but I will definitely bear it in mind.

Sure the sickness has nothing to do with DP only learning to drive a year ago and so not being the smoothest ride going, no, not at all...

OP posts:

doormouse04 · 09/06/2014 11:25

Funny that someone mentioned binocular vision issues, i have this problem as well as carsickness but never made the link.

clux73 · 09/06/2014 14:27

Re: the Phenergan. We give one dose the night before travel at bedtime, and then another dose in the morning, I think its ideally an hour before setting off.

Original poster

Thurlow · 09/06/2014 14:32

Thank you clux, that's what I had thought might be the case! Does it work then?

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somedizzywhore1804 · 09/06/2014 14:37

I had bad car sickness as a child and one thing that really helped me was swapping sides. Sitting behind the passenger seat and not the drivers seat seemed to really help... And to this day I have a lot of trouble in the back on the right hand side. Something to do with seeing oncoming traffic on that side, I think (although thankfully never had it when driving! )

BeatriceBean · 09/06/2014 14:41

I'm wondering about this with my 2.5 year old (and also 5 year old to a lesser extent). It was only recently it dawned on me that maybe she could have something to help instead of being sick each long trip.

Isn't phenargen the one that makes them sleepy? Not sure I want her actually sedated (well, there are times...but not when we're about to go on a day out!)

imip · 09/06/2014 15:07

Phenargen does make you sleepy, but so do travel sickness tablets...

I'd say it works better than kwells or joyrides....

BeatriceBean · 09/06/2014 17:01

Phenargen is a travel sickness tablet isn't it?

I'm not saying I'm necessarily against this..... !! (We're doing a long flight next year...) just wary of it if we're going on a day out - does it affec thtem for the rest of the day?

Is it over the counter? Both mine are sick when we visit my gran. We dont go very often but would be good not to have sick kids each time...

Original poster

Thurlow · 09/06/2014 17:04

Beatrice, I bought the liquid over the counter the other day. No idea yet how sleepy it will make DC. I don't think I'd use it for any drive where she wouldn't be able to have a good hour or so's kip on the way, just in case.

OP posts:

BeatriceBean · 09/06/2014 17:27

Thankyou. My grans is 2 hours a way. I guess I ought to try it. It's weighing up sickeness and sleepiness isn't it!

clux73 · 09/06/2014 22:49

Phenergan has never made my 2 DD's sleepy. Neither has joyrides or kwells kids. Does say on the leaflet that it may cause drowsiness though. Works very well. it has truly changed our life for the better. They used to be sick on almost every journey. DD2 has been sick twice in the last 2 years, DD1 not at all.

imip · 10/06/2014 05:59

Many Australians I know will use phenergan to 'knock' their kids out while doing a long haul flight to the UK.

I was prescribed it as an Anti-morning sickness medication when pregnant with dd3. Didnt even touch the sides of my morning sickness.

Morning sickness and travel sickness are apparently very highly correlated.

Greydog · 10/06/2014 06:18

Have you tried ginger biscuits? Ginger often helps with sickness

BeatriceBean · 10/06/2014 08:48

That's what I though imip - we're doing a flight to Australia and had had it recommneded for that reason.... so I assumed it was serious at knocking people out!!

bigTillyMint · 10/06/2014 08:57

I don't know if this is of any help, but does she have milk within an hour or two of setting off?

We discovered, after a few years of sick sprayed everywhere, that milk before a journey made DD sick. Even cereal with milk seemed to do it. Since we stopped that, rarely a problem.

Original poster

Thurlow · 10/06/2014 09:42

I did have HG when pg with her, maybe it was entirely her fault and that's where it came from!

Thanks for the tips. I'm hoping the phenegryn will knock her out but will investigate the other tips too for our lovely 4 hour daytime drive on holiday in a few weeks!

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BeatriceBean · 10/06/2014 20:16

Good luck, let us know how you get on!

I was v.sick when I was pregnant too - its obviously their "fault"!

I must admit I did notice that it was more likely if we set off soon after porridge so yes it could be the milk making it worse. (Oh it so puts me off porridge for a few days after seeing it all coming back.)

And I hate trying to clean the sick from car seats....

Original poster

Thurlow · 26/07/2014 20:20

OP back, just wanted to feed back in case anyone looks this thread for advice. We've been using Phenergan for when we have longer journeys and I really do think it's worked a miracle. Of course it's a bit hard to know for sure, but we've had some long, hot journeys lately and after dosing her up she's not been sick. She does sort of sit and stare like a zombie, however

Turns out it is also great for chickenpox! But not so great if you use it for more than a few days in a row, it seemed to send her insanely hyper...

Anyway, for the price, it definitely seems worth a try.

OP posts:

Afritutu · 27/07/2014 07:50

Joyrides have been unavailable now for over a year. If you search around you can buy kwells kids which I think have the same ingredient in them. I find that both are variable and we still get puke (ESP on country roads or those with lots f bends or roundaboutS)
At 3 we 'trained' our DD to be sick into airplane bags. You can buy them online in big packs. Total life saver.

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