To Drug or Not to Drug?

Give her Benedryl. It's safe and it makes them drowsy. You're brave - 4 1/2 hrs. There's NO WAY I'd travel without Bendryl for that long of a plane ride with an 18 month year old. One thing to think about it is trying the Benedryl beforehand on her, b/c it sometimes can have the opposite effect and make her hyper. Good luck!

I took my oldest on a plane trip to Boston when she was under two years. I didn't use any drugs, but I would have used motrin because that was something to relax her if she was in pain and she couldn't tell me what was wrong. None of my children have ever slept on planes because they are so noisy so I had to have lots of things to keep them happy. There are some coloring books now called Aquadoodles. They are on spirals and use only a pen with water. Nowadays my children have their games-Nintendo DS, ipod touch, etc. An old gameboy or Nintendo DS can play cartoons and even full length movies with headphones.

I can't even find cough medicine for my 20M old! How can you get Dramamine for a toddler? Lol. Seriously, if you are considering ANY sort of medication for your little girl, talk to her doctor first.

Some will suggest Benedryl, but be warned that it can have the reverse effect on people (not drowsy, but HYPER). My older son is effected that way by it. We had to give it to him once for an allergic reaction and he was bouncing off the wall.

If it were me, I wouldn't give my boys (age 4 and 20M) anything like that.

Seriously, ask the doctor.

Good luck.

Have you considered a mini-DVD player?

Please consider the consequences of giving drugs to your child. The fact is that the body goes thriugh changes while traveling, yours does as well. When traveling with your child factor in rest for her. If you are unable to accommodate her hire someone or take someone with you who can. It is not always easy to travel with a child but they do not deserve to be drugged for conveinence. This I know because I have a son if I could've drugged him I would have, I even considered drugging myself. I lived through it all and enjoyed 80% of it at least. LOL and live through it.

I happened to ask a similar question back in January when I was preparing for a flight to England (Over 15 hours of travel from door to door) with my then 14 month old. As you have witnessed, you get mostly helpful advice and then some people are just plain mean (Ellen B.) You obviously want to make your daughter's travelling as easy as possible for her and that makes you a great mom. I decided not to give my daughter anything and she didn't sleep so well on the days we flew out and back, but her body clock adjusted surprisingly well once we were there. I think you're doing the right thing by taking along snacks, toys & books. I really hope the two of you enjoy your trip :O)

Carrie D posted the correct mix, half a dose of infant Motrin along with half a dose of Benadryl works like a charm. Some of the other moms are correct in stating that for some kids Benadryl can have the opposite effect; therefore I would test it out before you go. I am not sure where some moms are getting their information from. I am friends with many reputable doctors from Northwestern and from Children’s Memorial Hospital; Benadryl is completely safe and was never taken off the market. They use it at hospitals for infants with really terrible allergic reactions and my Town and Country Pediatrician recommends it every time my children get a terrible cough and cold. The pediatrician will recommend a dose appropriate for the age and weight of your child. I am so sick of mother’s posting lies and crazy propaganda that they learned about on some conspiracy website, or some crazy person that uses the term “doctor” very loosely. I will listen when it is an educated smart person, not Jenny McCarthy who used to strip and pose for playboy. Sorry, I am sick of mother’s not listening to their doctors, it is a sad day when mother’s believe crazy websites, over the medical profession and put their children’s health at risk.

I definitely wouldn't drug her. while the risks are slight, they are still there and I don't think it is worth it for the sake of one day. Benadryl is off the market now for under 6 yr olds and has had some very serious effects on some children. My daughter who is now 2 has been to ireland 5 times and that is an 8 hour flight. I find bringing a portable dvd is a great help - a dose of dora and she is generally pretty good. also depending on when you are flying there may be extra seats and so you may be able to put her in her own seat with a car seat even though you didn't buy a seat. My little one who is also pretty fidgety spends plenty of time running up and down the aisle and then i bring an etchasketch (mini size), some crayons and other stuff to play with. sometimes she sleeps and sometimes she doesn't. and yes she has been known on occasion to have a melt down but usually the trips are better than i am anticipating. good luck.

Benedryl not only helps your little one to sleep, but it also helps with their ears and the pressure.

Good luck!

C.

I haven't read the other posts but...
What airline are you flying? For future reference, Southwest will let you use an "extra" seat if the flight is not full free of charge. My husband and I have flown with our now 16 month old three times round trip and we have only had to pay for one one-way ticket for her. Southwest is really kid friendly and they have one of the best luggage deals around (each ticketed customer gets two checked items...they will count your stroller AND car seat as ONE checked item...so you, your spouse and your child can each have their own suitcase!) Good luck!!

In case you are still seeking information I have some ideas that might make traveling easier. I have taken my now 18 month old on 23 plane flights and have found many ways to keep her entertained. She is a highly active child and does not like to be confined, so our first few flights were a nightmare when she was passed the sleeping infant stage. There were times that I strongly considered giving her drugs (especially long flights w/o my husband) but I have never done it, mostly because I am also of the opinion that medicine is used to treat illness and she has never been given Benadryl and I was afraid my luck would have it that it would make her hyper and irritable. Also, because we travel so much I want her to be able to be comfortable on the plane and learn that it can be a fun way to travel.

I am part of a podcast for children 0-3 and just did a show on flying with babies/toddlers. Here is the link if you want to get some ideas on how to keep them busy: http://babiesandmomsradio.com/blog/2009/04/05/travel-with... (you can also download this on iTunes for free)

Here is a website about family travel that I love with great ideas about entertaining them and some fun toy suggestions: http://www.deliciousbaby.com/journal/2007/nov/16/ten-tips...

Maybe bring a portable DVD player with head-phones. That may keep her entertained, and even lulled to sleep if you bring some low-key movies. We did the same plane trip with my daughter and I WISH I had remembered our DVD player. I've seen parents give their kids beer on the plane - which I was shocked to see. I don't think a one-time OTC children's sleep aid will hurt her, but as a last resort. Good luck.

This is a highly controversial decision and I feel for you. My son was suppose to take benedryl for an allergy and he had a horrible reaction to it...moody, temper tantrums, highly sensitive to clothing, etc. It took over a week to get out of his system. After that I don't give them anything I don't have to. Think about asking the flight attendants for some warm milk to help her fall asleep. Feed her turkey before the flight (remember how we all want to fall asleep after Thanksgiving?) and have lots of new activities. Our kids flew a lot at this age and we didn't drug them. Just make sure they drink lots of water on the way up and the way down (this will hydrate them and it will keep their ears from getting plugged). We also bought a portable DVD player, but make sure you also bring head phones because you aren't allowed to use it unless they have head phones.

One final thought - think of how out of it she will be when you get to your destination if you give her meds. I think kids will surprise you when it comes down to it!

Good luck on your trip!

Dramamine is pretty strong. One dramamine pill really does me in so I wouldn't give it to a 4 1/2 yr old. I'm not really for giving children meds to make them sleepy but if your dead set on giving her something, try benadryl, it's not as strong as dramamine.

J.,
I agree with some of the other moms here, it is ok to try Benadryl. My peds. always told me it was ok to use when they were little and sick with a cold. They advised me to try it at night so that they could sleep. I would say try it at home first to see what reaction you get. A pharmacist at CVS or wherever can give the appropriate dosage if you have the age/weight for them. It is probably going to be around 1/4 tsp (not a major amount that will totally sedate them...just make them a little drowsy). Really, if you time it right and either wake her up early and no nap before flight, she will probably get sleepy. Something about the hum in a plane helps. Even though this dosen't apply for this flight for you, in the future when she is still little...bring her car seat on board. Yes, it kind of stinks to carry it in the airport, but my son who is three, sits in his, and I never have to worry about him trying to get out of his seat...because he can't...plus it just seems safer too. He always falls asleep. Another idea of something to keep her busy...stickers. Of course you have to help, but it is amazing how long they will sit there and put stickers on a blank piece of paper. Good luck...go with your gut..if you fear it will be a nightmare flight, try the benadryl. Or see how it goes on the way there, and if it is horrible then try the benadryl on the way home. Don't let the moms who responded negatively affect your decision. I think maybe you just wanted to hear from moms who have tried it before..who have had experience with it etc. Even though some may think they are...there are no perfect parents out there. Do what works for you!!!

Don't drug is my thought on the matter.

I would never drug a child, unless it were for pain or a medical condition. This is part of what you have to deal with to take your child on an airplane. As far as schedules, babies and toddlers go off of them from time to time anyway. Add that they are in new places, and it takes many of them some time to adjust. No drug will keep a child on a schedule.
It sounds like you are prepared with snacks and activities. Walking the aisles of the planes and passing my kids to another family member flying with us has helped a great deal, also. Have you tried those earplanes? They help for pressure. My kids just took them out of their ears. The concept should work, though that won't help you with the noise or different surroundings.

Amy

I flew to Hawaii with my daughter on my lap when she was about that age. I did the 1/2 dose of Motrin combined with 1/2 dose of Benadryl and it worked like a charm! And I got this advice from a pediatrician friend- lol!
Also, maybe bring little stickers (the kind for chore charts are small and cheap!), crayons, and a little booklet for her to put the stickers in. That may work wonders too!
And for the responses against giving your child medicine 'for your convenience' (I understand where you're coming from- don't get me wrong!) but it's for the convenience of everyone else on the aircraft, too! LOL!
Don't feel bad if you want to give your child medicine so that you can have a tolerable flight. I'm sure the other passengers will appreciate your decisions, too.
Good luck!

Ugh...I can definitey understand the temptation to drug your child. That is not an easy age to fly with. My advice is NO! It is so risky to give your child dramamine, which could produce a myriad of side effects that you can never know and would not want to learn about on a flight. Dramamine, for some children, causes the opposite of drowsiness and then you'd be dealing with a child that is exhausted, but can't fall asleep, could have a racing heart, feels like they're in an altered state which can freak them out, etc. I'd say just try to keep the schedule as normal as possible, fill your bag with tricks, know that there will be time on the plane when your child will probably fuss at some point, and pray that the people around you are merciful. As far as the time change goes, just deal with that when you're there. Take one obstacle at a time. Drugging your daughter is NOT the best option. Good luck and have a great trip!

Introduce her to the wonders of DVD! if you bring a portable player it works great my friends who travel w/ their 2 yr old daughter all the time to Chicago to Europe/Australia/Florida swear by it... other alternatives have been just keep her as distracted as possible.

I've been on 3 hr flights and a few 1.5 hr flights w/ my son who's going to be 21 mths, we have not yet had to break out the DVD. He too was an inlap traveler but I was able to keep him distracted by looking out the window (up&down shade), the overhead light/fan on/off, toys, books, he likes to flirt w/ the other passengers. Snack time is good especially on take off & landing the swallowing helps their ears. An 1.5 goes by pretty fast. Good luck!

Sorry if I am repeating anything, I don't have time to read through other responses. When my son was 20 months, we gave him some Benedryl on a plane to get him to sleep and it totally backfired. He got really cranky because he was drowsy and couldn't sleep. It was a nightmare.

I recommend Calms. It is a homeopathic remedy that you can get from Whole Foods or Fruitful Yield. It has camomile (sp?) and other natural ingredients that relax you. I can't remember if it is ok in under 2 year olds. If not, just buy the teething tablets by Hylands, they have a lot of the same ingredients as Calms.

don't do it. Your child will very likely be put to sleep by the plane and high altitude anyway, drugs could alter her mood and make her hyper and restless instead of naturally drowsy.

NOT a good idea for many many reasons, but the one that may actually deter you is that a lot of DRUGS that can make children drowsy can also make them extremely hyper

I just read some of the responses and benadryl is one of those DRUGS that makes some children hyper as well. I know of many kids that this happens to. Dont drug your kid unnecessarily!

Children are born in confusion, noise and comotion from almost conception. Your heart beat which to them is loud your other gurggleing sounds inside etc. You have to get her retrained at home. She must know the sounds of people talking and t.v. going and music also. Doesn't she fall asleep during those sounds? Make those sounds a little louder just before her falling asleep. The phone should always be turned up or doorbell so she gets use to them without being startled. Children adapt to all you surround them with. If something breaks and you scream, they're going to mimic you. Try not to overreact when things happen. She'll be fine. Make sure she's sucking a bottle when the plane cabin depressureses.

I would never give my child drugs unless they were in pain or sick. If the airplane is making her uncomfortable then you may need to but i wouldn't do it just so she will sleep. I don't not fly but we have taken the train to california many times (aprox.44 hours on the train). My daughter always had problems with her ears when we would go through the mountains so i would give her dimeatapp for her ears. Other then that we just played with her and fed her to keep her happy.if you decide to give her drugs be sure to talk to your doctor and try it at home first to see what effect the drugs have on her. My oldest daughter always would sleep after dimeatapp, where my youngest daughter always gets hyper. Hope you have a nice trip.

Essential oils work wonders. Have to agree with the other posters about NOT drugging your child AND that they are not made for this age group. Lavendar, peace and calm are just 2 of the essentials oils that help young and old. I use them and you can rub these on her chest (very pleasant smelling so you too may relax!).

I can suggest some things for you and your little one if you'd like. Just email me and I'll do the best I can. Some oils now come in rollons which makes it easier to use. Essential oils have been around for thousands of years and really do work. Good luck!

K.
Wellness Consultant