Is it Safe to Give My Child Dramamine?

What is Dramamine?

Dramamine is an over-the-counter motion sickness product. It helps prevent symptoms of motion sickness, including dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

It’s safe to use Dramamine in children older than 2 years, as long as you follow the recommended dosage.

Read on to learn more about how Dramamine treats symptoms of motion sickness and information on its safety.

Safe use of Dramamine for kids

Dramamine is an antihistamine and contains a drug called dimenhydrinate. People typically use antihistamines to treat allergies, but these medications can also help people to manage motion sickness symptoms. They are safe for use in both adults and children if following dosage instructions.

You can give Dramamine to children ages 2 years and older. If your child is younger than 2 years, you should get approval from your child’s doctor before giving your child Dramamine.

Choosing a formula

Dramamine comes as an adult formula and as a formula for kids. Both formulas are safe for use in children, but your child may prefer the kids’ version. It comes in tablets that are chewable and grape-flavored. The adult version comes as a tablet they swallow with water.

Original formula Dramamine contains 50 milligrams (mg) of dimenhydrinate per tablet, while Dramamine for Kids contains 25 mg.

Dosage

You should give your child Dramamine 30–60 minutes before they ride in a car or other moving vehicle.

Try the smallest recommended dose first. If that doesn’t help, increase the amount the next time you give your child a dose. You can give your child a dose every 6-8 hours as needed. Be sure you don’t give your child more than the maximum dosage listed on the package.

No matter your child’s age, it’s a good idea to check with their doctor before giving them this drug.

How Dramamine prevents motion sickness

You keep your balance with the help of signals sent to your brain by other parts of your body, such as your eyes and inner ears. If these signals don’t match, you can get motion sickness.

For instance, when your child travels in a car, they may sense motion in their inner ear. However, they may not be able to see the car’s movement because they can’t see out the window. This sends two different messages to their brain, which can cause nausea and other symptoms of motion sickness.

Dramamine helps prevent these symptoms by reducing the feeling of motion in the inner ear. It also blocks certain actions in the brain that trigger nausea.

Side effects of Dramamine

Like most drugs, Dramamine can cause side effects. The more common side effects of Dramamine in children can include:

  • drowsiness
  • dry mouth
  • blurry vision
  • thickened mucus in their airways
  • feeling excited or restless
  • increased heart rate

Conditions of concern

If your child has certain health conditions, Dramamine may not be a good option for them. Talk with your child’s doctor before using this drug if your child has any conditions that may cause health problems when used with Dramamine. Examples of these conditions include:

  • asthma
  • seizures
  • phenylketonuria

Drug interactions

An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. An interaction can be harmful or keep the drug from working well.

Before your child starts taking Dramamine, tell your child’s doctor or pharmacist about any medications, vitamins, or herbs your child is taking. This includes over-the-counter medications. Providing this information can help the doctor or pharmacist prevent possible interactions.

Talking to your child’s doctor or pharmacist is especially important if you know your child takes any drugs that might interact with Dramamine. Examples of these drugs can include:

  • other antihistamines, such as loratadine (Claritin), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and cetirizine (Zyrtec)
  • prescription pain drugs, such as hydrocodone
  • antidepressant medications, such as amitriptyline and imipramine
  • antibiotics, such as gentamicin

Other ways to prevent motion sickness

Before giving your child medication for motion sickness, you may want to try a few other ways to prevent this problem. When your child is in a moving vehicle, the following may help reduce motion sickness symptoms:

  • looking out the window
  • closing their eyes
  • avoiding reading, watching movies, or playing games
  • having a light snack, such as crackers
  • keeping the air in the car fresh and cool
  • sucking on lozenges
  • sitting in the front seat, but only if they’re old enough to do so safely

If these steps don’t work, Dramamine may be a good option for your child. Talk with your child’s doctor or your pharmacist about using Dramamine.

Takeaway

For most children 2 years of age and older, Dramamine is a safe option for preventing motion sickness.

For a more natural approach, first, try the tips listed above.

If those tips don’t help, ask your child’s doctor or your pharmacist if Dramamine is safe for your child. Your doctor can help you find ways to make your child comfortable so they can enjoy upcoming trips.

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