Motion Sickness

Dear Kristen,
      Sorry to hear about your little one's motion sickness. I have NO idea how on earth you heard that I have it -- talk about the end of privacy in the modern age! -- but you're right. I do. And no, I don't mind taking a few minutes to share how we handle it. You are right, I am someone who travels a lot. And that makes it all the worse. But there are ways to treat it. Like your two year old son, I have suffered from motion sickness since i was a baby. At first my parents thought that i had contracted some sort of flu, until a doctor recognized that it was probably just motion sickness. Decades later I am still "dealing" with it.
      Hyland's Motion Sickness tablets as you mentioned are slightly helpful. But being a homeopathic product, and therefore very "subtle" on the bio-system -- they are probably just not strong enough for your little one compared to how severe his motion sickness is. I use that product regularly -- whenever traveling (even in cars, but also planes trains and subways (forget about boats -- I cannot get near them) and it does seem to make a difference.
      It may be in my head, haha!, but it seems to help. BUT... i must add that it is in addition to taking half a tablet of non-drowsy formula Dramamine (the ingredient is called meclizine hcl, 50 mgs and you can get the generic version of it much less expensively than the name brand Dramamine). I buy them from Amazon.com in bottles of 100, usually three bottles at a time. I basically live on the stuff in order to not feel dizzy. Sucks. But it's just the way it has been for me since I can remember.

      I usually do not require the full strength Dramamine anymore. The non-drowsy formula does just fine for me. I will take a half of one an hour before traveling (letting it dissolve under my tongue for better absorption, because they're chewable) and another half about 30 minutes before traveling. They almost always do the trick. I believe the Hyland's also just helps in some way. Seems to anyway. Regarding other medications, I have tried them all. I was on Scoplomine for a long time, and quite honestly I would never give that to a child. In fact, I would never even give it to me again. I found the side effects much to severe and frankly I am not even sure it wasn't making matters worse. It makes your vision so blurry that you cannot even read after a few days on it. Horrible stuff. I would say the same applies for all the other meds out there for it.

      I will assume that you know all the rules and tips and tricks to battle motion sickness since your child has it, but just in case I will list a few here. The sea-bands they sell (including expensive watches now) that are supposed to work on your meridian pulse points I have never found to be very effective for me personally. Although I know people who swear by them. Make sure your son is always sitting in the front seat. Difficult for a 2 year old I know, but it makes a HUGE difference. The back seat is horrible for someone with motion sickness. I'm not sure if it's illegal where you live; I assume it is in most States. But the less he's in that back seat the better.
      Obviously make sure he never reads, watches TV, or uses a game or cell phone while in the car. That's just asking for it. And that he always looks straight ahead, out the window when you are driving. Really makes a difference. We also always keep salty crackers in the car. Just in case one of us starts feeling a bit dizzy. For whatever reason, a few crackers (with some sodium content -- low-sodium crackers never seem to do anything) really help take the dizziness away and prevent it from getting worse -- as in elevating to nausea. Having a carbonated beverage on hand such as Sprite really helps too. But (and this might be obvious if you are health conscious already) avoiding all caffeinated drinks while traveling also really helps. For whatever reason, caffeine tends to make motion sickness worse. Coca Cola or Pepsi for instance are killers when it comes to increasing dizziness. Yes I have heard about people using ginger. But frankly when one has motion sickness really bad, that's just not going to touch it compared to Dramamine.
      They say motion sickness is usually inner-ear related and is genetic and hereditary, and thus there is nothing that can be done for it. I'm third generation at least, maybe longer. At least one person in every generation of our family has it. I have seen specialists all over the world for it and participated in countless tests and experiments and so far have never found any that have been able to offer any tips better than these. Dramamine seems to be our best defense.That and lots of rest. For some reason I find that if I am tired or sleepy before traveling it tends to potentate it.
      Regarding sleeping in the car or bus or wherever, I find that it's usually the best method of relief once it comes on. Or to prevent it from coming on. So a homeopathic calming tablet or two is also good for that. Just to relieve the anxiety that comes with knowing you might get motion sick when entering a moving vehicle. Sometimes I think the anxiety of worrying about getting it actually causes it. (go figure... ha!) But I've had plenty of experiences where I wasn't even thinking about it and it still came on. First the dizziness, then the sweating... and well, you know. Best thing you can do is always remember that even though YOU aren't susceptible to it or feeling it in the moment, it doesn't mean that your son isn't. Many try to "suffer through it" because it feels so ridiculous and can easily ruin a good time with family and friends. But it's a very real dis-ease. Love understanding and compassion from others work wonders.  And PS -- some people actually grow out of it they say. Let us hope that's the case with your son.
Cheers,
Fishy