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Airsick child help pls??

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Old 25th Jul 2008, 21:41
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Airsick child help pls??

My 11yr old girl, does one of 2 things...
she either is airsick generally, but i think she gets herself into a state at airport thinking sh ewill be sick, i dont think shes scared of flying but she seems to think our flight next week will make her vomit.

As crew, do you have any solutions as to what may stop any vomitting? are the sick bands on the wrist any good?

Any help would be appreciated, and sorry Mods if this is posted in wrong forum
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Old 25th Jul 2008, 23:06
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Atishoo, you say that the little one gets the idea she's gonna be sick as soon as she's in the apt. I suggest try and distract her from realizing where she is. i.e. take her around the apt's shops, do a bit of shopping, haver a laugh, basically keep her away from seeing the aircrafts on the ramp.
Once you go through the gate and she gets a bit excited remembering about her airsick, wave to the a/c as you're walking towards it. Chance is that the pilots will ALWAYS wave back to a child.
When you board the plane try and explain the situation to the cabin crew and say "is it ok if she has a look at the flight deck?" (kids are always fascinated with the flight deck and the pilots). Then encourage her to say "hi to the pilots", they will be more then happy to greet a child and put some flashing lights on and explain in kid's terms "how it works". The cabin crew will be happy to help ( i personally always suggest to the kids when i see them a bit shy or crying "do you wanna see the pilots")
Once you're seated and the safety demo starts, explain to her what the CC is pointing out, that'll distract her even more.
Taking off, (assuming she sits by the window), point out "how pretty that looks"
In flight, if she does get sick, pretend you don't feel well too, but "recover" before she does (I've seen many parents doing that in flight and it worked wonders)
Ensure she keeps busy: i.e. she's playing on the Nintendo or reading a girlie girl magazine (participate)
Main thing is to keep her distracted. Reverse psychology i believe people call it.

Hope this helps.

Rgds,
ATS
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Old 25th Jul 2008, 23:31
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As cabin crew I can remember telling a little boy that only babies got sick on airplanes and that he was really too big! He had the bag in his lap for the entire flight but never used it. His mother thanked me and said all it took was for someone else to tell him.

Or, you can give your daughter dramamine and she will be sleepy for the entire flight.
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Old 26th Jul 2008, 00:42
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C-bands are probably worth a go, if only for their placebo effect.

Interstingly your daughter gets sick prior to any motion, somehow she's been conditioned into this state, and this may be worth exploring. Anyone else in the family puke prior to departure?

Failing these measures, it may be worth having a chat with your GP/Pharmacist, as some medicines may help-the "bonus" sedative effect may also be useful.

And remember, the sickness is distressing, but unlikely to harm her health-have a good holiday
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Old 26th Jul 2008, 01:30
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Well I know all the medics will have a medic opinion but I will give an engineering one....


All bits of the body have a natural frequency which if you get vibrated it will annoy relavent parts of the body. If you know which freq to pump out you can shut a party down in 20 mins with all the girls going home with period pains by pumping it out next door with a freq generator and amplifier. Highly illegal I might add but it does work and unless they have some hot recording gear impossible to prove. You can give everyone the runs as well but thats a bit dodgy because they freq range is alot wider and also just inside the audio range.

Unfortunatly small peoples stomachs have the same freq as a cars suspension system and also some modes of ocsillation of an aircraft. This is a completley different mode of sickness that motion sickness which is a ear, eye miss match. You can change things by loading up with food or starving them. This is why most kids grow out of car sickness and why french cars are good for small kids. There suspension is that soft it's natural freq is that low it doesn't effect them but it is rubbish for infants.

If its got to the stage of mind over matter there is not alot you can do. Ginger beer helps some people others not. In mind cases you could give them a stone to suck as long as they believed it was going to help it would.
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Old 26th Jul 2008, 03:04
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2 x Phernergan 30 mins prior to flight.
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Old 26th Jul 2008, 08:35
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Thanks guys for all your help.

I was thinking of Phenergn ver its spelt).

The daft thing is she is ok with the flying bit, its the take off she gets herself in a state about. Once up she's fine.

Oh well we will see how she goes again, i think if she isnt sick on one take off, she will then think, i wont do this again, mind over matter i think. But hard for a child to comprehend that.

She is going with her friends too so hopefully she will be very distracted by them.

Thanks again
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Old 26th Jul 2008, 16:41
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Try ginger first (I think you can get it in tablets). My brother used to get appallingly motion sick and this cured the problem off the bat. A bit like your daughter, he could be sick on the loading dock next to the ferry before even boarding...

I believe Mythbusters did a load of testing on this subject and ginger worked better than the prescription medications. Don't forget to tell her that the ginger will cure the problem.
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Old 26th Jul 2008, 17:17
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Good evening,
I would sugget to take your daughter to an O.R.L (ear specialist) motion sickness is often generated from cristals which are part of the ears.
On the other hand I think it is a very good idea to give light sedatives (under doctor's suppervision of course) to small children, being a captain I can assure you that children crying hours is not a prety thing, for the child, parents, and other passengers.
Have a nice flight

Last edited by kijangnim; 30th Jul 2008 at 11:43. Reason: wrong spelling sorry!!!
 
Old 26th Jul 2008, 19:50
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Im pretty sure its not aphysical thing with her, as she's fine once she's up. She just gets it in her head she's gonna be sick, and low and beyhold up she chucks, right on queue as were climbing LOL i dunno why im laughing, poor darling, if only I could make her see she wont be sick unless she makes herself

I thought of reading her some extracts from that flying without fear book, ive found it excellent. What do you all think?
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Old 27th Jul 2008, 01:04
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give her a small smooth stone to suck and tell her its an old seafarers cure for motion sickness. And if she sucks it she won't feel sick.
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Old 28th Jul 2008, 00:10
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sickness

Atishoo, it's a tricky one. Our 10-year-old daughter has a similar problem with car sickness, she is convinced she's going to throw up before she even sets foot in the car. Noticed recently that if she listens to her iPod, draws, reads or even texts her friends on my mobile, she completely forgets about her troubles until she stops doing any of the above and then she's "feeling unwell" again. I can only echo the other posts that distraction seems to be the way to go. How about this for a suggestion - give your little girl a challenge by suggesting she is in total control of her feelings and if she can overcome the sickness then she is doing a fantastic job. I think that makes kids feel a bit more responsible (but I am no child psychologist so don't quote me). Good luck anyway and best wishes
Sean
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Old 29th Jul 2008, 15:57
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2 x Phernergan 30 mins prior to flight
Don't! or at least not without first speaking to your GP.
Urshtnme - that is a very dangerous recommendation. Quite apart from the fact that you don't know anything of the little girl's medical history which may include a condition or therapy for which Phenergan is contraindicated, Phenergan itself comes in several strengths and ONE 10mgms tablet is enough to make me sleep and I'm an adult.
To everyone else, please be VERY wary of taking ANY medical preparations without first discussing it with your GP. The fact that something is recommended by anyone who posts here does NOT mean it is safe and many of those who make such recommendations have absolutely NO medical or pharmacological training. I am qualified as SRN, RSCN, (that's the qualification for sick children) and SCM but would never suggest that anyone takes anything other than substances KNOWN to be harmless, such as ginger or uses any other non-drug remedies such as the bands mentioned earlier.
Atishoo have you thought about taking her to a local airfield for a short trial flight? You give your location as London so why not go over to White Waltham? There is at least one FI there who is also an airline pilot so is likely to understand the problems involved and be sympathetic. Please feel free to pm me.
For those who think I may be promoting WW, I'm not, I have NO vested interest in the place, I'm simply aware of that particular Instructor's existence.
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Old 29th Jul 2008, 16:26
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thanks wombat

I would have had a word with the Doctor re: phenergan anyway. Like i say she isnt scared of flying, shes scared that the flight will make her sick again, its like she has it in her head now and almost brings it on herself. I think if she could get through a flight without vomitting she will be fine, as she really isnt that worried about the flying itself.

I tell her vomitting is fine, and it wont hurt her, but she has this real fear about vomitting, more so now as she just got over a horrible vimitting virus which lasted a week !! poor child.
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Old 29th Jul 2008, 16:34
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Could always take her to Cornwall....this going abroad malarky's a bit over-rated anyway.

Have a nice holiday

With my non-nursey dad head on, I'd avoid drugs if I could.
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Old 29th Jul 2008, 17:50
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Travelcalm or any other travel sickness tablet can also put the mind at ease for the person taking it. Some say that you'll be sick because you're worried about being sick. For some people it's all in the mind.

If she takes a travel sickness tablet, she may think "hey I've had a travel sickness tablet so I should be ok".

I reckon she'll be right.


Wombat, take a chill pill, it's only 5 mgms
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Old 29th Jul 2008, 18:00
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Unhappy negative . . . . . .

it's only 5 mg
Actually Phenergan (promethazine) tablets are either 10 mg or 25 mg.

It's true that the liquid form is 5 mg / 5ml .

But I agree most strongly that medication of this sort ( it is, after all, in the same chemical family as some of the major tranquillizers - known as the phenothiazines ) should NOT be given to pre-pubertal children without at least some medical advice.
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Old 29th Jul 2008, 18:06
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Ahhh struth guys, doesn't anyone here have a sense of humour??

"take a chill pill, it's only 5mgs"as in the chill pill is only 5mgs



Shouldn't have to spell it out lads!
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Old 29th Jul 2008, 18:29
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Unhappy there is NOT a pill for all ills . . . . . . .

I'd avoid drugs if I could
Strongly agree with Gingernut again - it's becoming a habit !

Countries elsewhere in the world seem to take a different view on the combination of drugs and aviation, or, indeed, the notion that there is a drug solution to all problems. I've previously been admonished for my views on this, so I'm saying no more on this occasion.

Hope the little girl's flights go well, no matter what !
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Old 29th Jul 2008, 19:12
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I do think an important point is raised here. Whilst I reckon it's ok to talk about drugs generally, I think we've got to be very careful about giving (and taking) specific prescribing advice on this forum.

I prescribe in my day to day to job, I've got a load of backup, in terms of training, technical support, information systems and insurance. Even them I'm still nervous. I treat everything I prescribe as potential poison.

You won't go far wrong talking to your GP/Community Pharmacist. Be careful giving/taking specific advice here, I'd hate to see anyone get hurt.

As for chill pills?-I don't reckon we need one, I've got a surfboard, and AME flies planes.
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