Benadryl and Long Flights

ALL drugs can cause adverse side affects on our bodies (especially liver). They should be avoided at all costs unless there is absolutely NO other alternative during the time of illness.
Here is some info about Tylenol for e.g.:
http://www.medicinenet.com/tylenol_liver_damage/article.htm
Even though it is said that it is safe in small doses, it can cause liver damage and permanent damage in larger doses. Also, kids systems are less mature than adults, and more sensitive to the effects of drugs. and here is the info about Benadryl:

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/06_fly_be...
it is NOT recommended to sedate or drug your kids for a number of reasons such as:

* some children become hyper and irritable when they take antihistamines, which is exactly what you don't want on your flight
* the sedative effects of Benadryl may last a good 4-6 hours, which may be longer than your flight, and even after your child wakes up, he may be drowsy or groggy for several hours afterwards. So even if he sleeps on the flight, you might end up with a fussy and irritable child afterwards.
* unless the flight coincides with a nap time, making your child sleep by giving him a sedative will likely mess up the rest of his schedule, so that he doesn't want to go to sleep until late that night, leading to a late wake-up the next morning, etc.

2 moms found this helpful

I too have taken young children on international flights, and I tried the benadryl, but it wears off, and then you can't re-dose. However I have used something natural called Calm Child that works fairly well. Don't forget that whatever you do, make sure that you have something for them to suck on or drink during takeoff and landing to keep the ears from plugging. Good luck and have fun.

1 mom found this helpful

I've done it. Our doctor suggested it. He said that Benedryl has a very short half life and is in and out of the body very quickly. However, now that I know about liquid melatonin, ( a harmless natural substance that is usually produced by the body to induce sleep) I might use that.

At the time, the Benedryl seemed to be the best solution because our son got a lot of ear infections also.

1 mom found this helpful

Here is a dosing chart.

http://askdrsears.com/html/8/T088800.asp

Call your doctor to get the right dose for their weight, but I have given my kids benedryl for several different reasons, one being a flight to the east coast. If you have never given your child benedryl before, you should try it out before, since on some kids, instead of acting as a sedative, it actually makes them hyper. Not something you want to find out on a long flight. My daughter had a severe allergic reaction when she was just an infant, and they prescribed benedryl then, I think it was like 3/4 of a tsp and she was around 7 months old I think. She was a big kid for her age though, so you definitely want to make sure you get the dose right.

I would ask why you want to sedate your children with a drug that's not meant for sedation or for children under the ages of 6. Are you concerned that your children would be too stressed during the flight or is your reasoning more for your own comfort? If the concern is for your children, I would suggest contacting your doctor and speaking honestly about your concerns and why you'd want a sedative for your munchkins. I'm sure if your doctor felt it was appropriate and safe, he/she wouldn't mind writing you a prescription. Just in case you go ahead with the Benadryl, please know that it doesn't always cause a child to sleep. Sometimes they become more hyper and irritable than they already were.

Am from UK made frequent trips there (10 hours on plane)

Don't give it to them.... or at least try it first I've heard it can cause the reverse... they kids can get hyper!

Try taking car seat/booking kids seat for the older one too.

Good luck

I would also be concerned about Jetlag with your kids. Use the flight to try to get them on the schedule you will want them on while you are there. Just a thought.
Enjoy your trip!

I have not done it but it sounds like a really good idea. IF nothing else it well give you a few hours of peace on the flight. Call your doctor to get the doses for there wieght. You might want to tell him that they are actually having allergies though if your doctor is not cool with it.

A.

Why not. Everyones sanity is impotrant including yours.

M.,

I don't think you should give your children benadryl unless they are sick. Bring lots of books, a new toy for each child, and games that you can play with them. Good luck and have a nice trip!

M.

I don't use Benedryl with any of my children. It is very mood altering. I remembered how "out of it" I felt when my mom used it for me as a kid. Also, my husband used to use it with my stepchildren. After I pointed out the personality changes it caused, he also stopped using it altogether. I don't recommend it for anything. I think it is overprescribed & overused with children. There are other alternatives for allergies and sleep issues (true issues, not just wanting them to sleep on a flight). For bug bites there are lots of non-oral options to use to treat the itching.

I recently went on a flight from CA to Florida with my 6 month old son. He had a bit of a cold going out so I gave him half the recommended dosage of benadryl (1 teaspoon I think) and it worked great. On the way back he didn't have a cold anymore but I still gave it to him to help him sleep on the long flight. Did I feel guilty and like a horrible mother for "drugging" my son? Yes. But I think it made the flight better for me, him and the people around me.

Suggestion - try the benadryl tonight before you leave. It can make some kids hyper rather than sleepy - not something you want to find out on a long flight!

On my flights I have taken Benadryl with me, just in case. Although I didn't want to drug my son, my sanity and the sanity of everyone on the plane must also be taken into consideration. I didn't have to use it and I am glad, because some time later I did need to give my son Benadryl and let me tell you, it was like a shot of adrenaline for him. I didn't read all the suggestions, but just take things to keep your children occupied. Take double the snacks you think you'll need. Puffs work well because they are pretty light and keep hands occupied. If your 9 mo is using a binky/nursing/or takes a bottle, feed him on the ascent and descent. I also brought with me new toys. I bought compact items that were not loud. Small board books, a pretend cell phone/remote, magic markers/coloring book (the kind that only writes on the paper). Be prepared and good luck.

DON'T give them benadryl! Sometimes it has the reverse effect on your child and they wind up crazy! :) Just bring a DVD player and lots of DVD's and coloring books. Between that and a nap they should be good. Don't bring too many toys though. I went to Germany and it ended up being a great flight. I made sure I didn't give him too much sugar and I brought new DVD's that I thought would interest him and it worked. In case your kids can't settle down you could use homeopathic pills that have chamomile in them that I used for teething and it worked too. It's at most grocery stores in the kids section and it's a pink and white box and it is made by Hyland's. They might have a pm version too.

The Benadryl or other cold medicine can work and it isn't just about the sleeping it is about the ears and how much they can hurt. I don't think you are hurting them by giving Benedryl as long as you know how it effects them regularly. I would also suggest bringing things you can suck on. Your 9 month old probably has a bottle not sure about the 2 1/2 month old but this really helps during take off and landing for their ears. I haven't flown internationally but I used cold medicine for my 3 year old for a cross country flight several years ago and it worked great.

Have a great trip!

I think you just need to take something they like to play with. Drugging a child is not a good idea as there is always a chance that it could build up in their sustem and overdose them. Just be creative in keeping them occupied.

Do not give anything unless the doctor has told you to there are no meds out there for children under 6 that is safe

Hi M.. I don't know about benadryl on a flight but I do know about benadryl. My Dr told us to give like a double dose to my son when he is sick at night so everyone can get sleep. Well - we've always had a bad experience with it. When my son was younger he would wake up throwing up. More recently he will wake up and feel out of it and whine. I don't like it and stop using it!! If you haven't used it before, try using it on your kids as a test to see their reaction!! Good luck.

I think it's fine, too.
I also wanted to remind you to bring lots of stuff for them to do and to eat/drink too. I always go to Target before a trip and buy some fun travel size items for my 2 preschoolers. I put them, plus some fun snacks (often stuff they don't noramlly get) into their backpacks and then they have lots of surprises for the plane. Don't forget to do this on your way back too.
Have fun!

I did for a flight to South America- we did it when we got on the plane just to help them wind down as they were really excited. My kids were 3.5 and 1 Our flight was at night so they were sleepy anyway. Our Dr. said it was Ok.

Good luck,
E.

Hi M.!

I have lost count of how many international flights I have made with my children. I am from Vacaville and live in Germany, so I make this flight at least once a year.

I brought the Benadryl with me the first few times as a "just in case". I've also heard medication for motion sickness makes children sleepy. However, I never had to use it. On most flights, not only the flight attendants try to be helpful, but there are many other people on board are very nice and understand the plight of a mother with a long flight and the schedule changes. I would advise just to bring it along and use it only if it's necessary. Make sure you have plenty of toys for the older one. I always buy a few new little toys because it is more interesting and keeps them busy for a longer amount of time than their familiar toys. Make sure you have a new diaper before your child normally sleeps, so that they stay sleeping.

If you're child is under a certain age, it is entitled to a bassinet at a bulkhead. Reserve it early and be nicely assertive when you get to the check-in--confirm your seats!!!!
Don't worry about waking up your kids in order to better adjust them to the future jetlag. They will be so exhausted anyway, your nerves need their ability to sleep on the plane. I have always found that if you don't have a direct flight, try to have at least on of the legs of the trip a long one. For example, I often try to change in London, so that I have the second leg from London to San Francisco. Our flight this summer goes from Frankfurt to Portland, so we only have a short flight to SF.

Good luck!!!!!

A. (mother of two boys 8 and 5, wife to a German man in the Black Forest)

Don't feel bad trying Benedryl...just test it at home first. Some kids get knocked out. some get hyper and some don't respond at all. I tried it with my son, and it doesn't effect him at all! Hope you have better luck!!

Hi M.~ I've done a great deal of flying with my kids and wouldn't suggest using drugs for other than their specified purpose. Personally, I don't think people should take anything on flights (including booze) if they can avoid it. In the worst case scenario on a plane...you'd need to evacuate and what if you can't carry your 2 year old...you'll need her to walk, which might be difficult if she's drugged up.

Also, I have a niece that has allergic reactions to certain foods and when we give it to her it doesn't make her tired, just grouchy.

Just do as others have suggested...bring a DVD player, a brand new coloring set (maybe the Crayola pens that only work on the Crayola paper), check out Target for a bunch of hand-held games for little ones and bring different snacks. If she has a favorite animal and blanket I'd bring those, but only take them out if you really want her to get a nap in.

I've found on particularly long flights that if I have new snacks and new toys then it works for most of the time.

Good luck and have a great trip!

try it out on your baby before you leave if you want to use it. that way you know what kid of affect it will have on your baby. there are a lot of ways to look at this as you can see from the responses. do what feels right to YOU. i see no problem with a little benedryl for an international flight. a flight to hawaii (which we have done and it was about as far as i would go at this point with a babe), maybe not, but further than that, you bet i would try it! and you don't need a lot...call your ped or an advice nurse and they will tell you the dose. also, look back on other responses to flying and advice on mamasource...there is tons of it. Good luck!

Yes, I've used Benadryl for long flights and long road trips. It helps, but I would feel guilty, so I never gave my daughter more than one dose. I guess if you on an international flight you could give a dose when you felt it was extremely necessary. I would also take my daughter to the toy store before we leave to pick out a few new traveling toys and would not let her play with them until we were on the plane or in the car, that always gets her excited about the trip.

M.-

Whatever you decide don't let the other passengers bother you. You paid to get on that flight too. I would give Benadryl only on your doctors reccomendation and if your child has had it before. My son takes it for allergic reactions and until he was four it made him extremely hyperactive not drowsy. When we lived in Alaska we often drove through some very high mountain passes when our oldest was an infant. Once we had to travel while he had a nasty cold and the doctor presribed us some numbing ear drops to use about an hour before we got to the pass as it was safer than a decongestant and an antihistamine doesn't really help with cold symptoms.

I've never done it, but beware. My daughter has allergies and I hate to give her beadryl. It makes her active and edgy.

Yes I have done it and it works but I would do a trial run, some kids react with the opposite and get wired. Not fun. You dont have much time but try it. Also, if you use binkies have dip them in a little sugar and then let your children suck on them during takeoff and landing it will help with ear pressure. Good luck and have fun.

L.

Hi M.,
I do this with my son when we have a flight longer than 2 hours. I spoke to his doctor first to get his input and he was okay with it. He gave me the proper dosage based on his age/weight (get dosage information from your kids dr.). He did advise to try it out first at home because Benadryl can have the opposite effect on some kids (which you don't want to discover on your flight). Good luck!

M.,

Giving your kids Benadryl to make them sleep to me would be the equivalent of giving them a sleeping pill to make them sleep. In other words you would be giving them drugs to subdue them. You have to ask yourself is this something I would normally do? If not, then I don't think you should give it to them now. I do recommend things for ears, tylenol, etc. that will help relieve discomfort. Wear them out as best as you can, wake them up early before the flight so that they will sleep more during the flight. Take lost of things to occupy them. Good luck! I know that 4 hour plane trips with a little one can leave a person exhausted, so I really wish you the best.

J.

Just know that Benadryl can have the opposite effect on some kids!

Just be sure before the flight you know how your child will react to it. I did that once when my older son was about 16 months old to calm him down...but with him it was more like speed. I couldn't keep him still on the flight. IT was not a good experience.

I can understand the appeal, but it can have different effects on different kids so I wouldn't try it for the first time right before you get on board. I had a friend who's son went crazy on a flight to Hawaii after taking it. We took a long flight last summer and I took a backpack full of new stuff he had never played with and a DVD player for our son and he loved it. He's also 2 1/2. Good Luck! If the kids are disruptive just know you will probably never have to see anyone from the plane ever again and let it go...you did the best you could!

I tried Benadryl years ago with my oldest with no effect. She was a chore to travel with. Good luck. Or ask your ped.

Mom of 4 children, ages 14, 10, 7 and 4.

I have taken many international flights with my two girls. Starting at 4 months. Sometimes a flight can be real smooth kids settle airline attendant is helpful. But sometimes its not. Bring it just in case. I once saw a poor mother trying to get her child to sleep with different remedies. People coming by to offer something different.Stick with one thing Benedryl is safe and effective at the correct dose for your child. It can help relax a wound up child. Remeber to ask for a bassinet for your under 2. They are great and we used them until my daughter was 2.
Good Luck

Have you used it before and know how your child will react to it? Use your judgement on that. Our Dr said "he wouldn't fault us for using it", but we went the Tylenol route instead. We used plain old Tylenol, gave her food to eat and plenty to drink. Bring toys, games, anything to keep them busy. (coloring, painting, cut outs, books, portable DVD player, etc). And I do suggest a new toy for each of them for the flight. It's something new and exciting to play with. ;o) Good luck!! ;o)

I have done it a few times. It really is harmless. You just might want to try it out today or tonight to be sure it doesn't make them hyper (this is sometimes a side effect).

When my second son was 11 monthes old he screamed the whole way from SF to Portland. I spent the flight appolizes to the others on the plan. The next time I used my doctor's advice and he slept most of the way and when he was not sleeping he was fine.

Good luck.

J.

Small children scream on the flights because their ears hurt. Make sure your child drinks through a straw or a bottle on take off and landing. That will cut down on the pain screaming.

I always bring my laptop and a few select DVDs for my daughter. I'd pop in Elmo and put some headphones on her. That worked for a while (Make sure the laptop is charged. The battery won't last a full 2 hrs) and we'd turn it off to watch more later.

I always brought things to color and the favorite stuffy.

Don't forget the food. Lots of food.

Stay relaxed.
Stephanie

I took my then 5 yo and 18 month old to Japan (by myself) and the benadryl was useless. When I asked the pharmacist about giving benadryl he practical threw me out of the shop. My baby cried and we survived. I paced the plane and we had a DVD player. All babies are different - mine rarely sleep on the plane for any length of time. I've heard that some babies get wired from Benadryl.

We used Dramamine for our then 2/1/2 year old last summer when we flew to Hawaii. We gave her half a tablet.

If you use this with your 2 1/2 yo then make sure to give it to her about 30 minutes prior to the flight because if yours is like mine, she may fight the sleep and throw a fit. We had to endure a severe crying fit on the plane while prepping for take off and it was not fun! I would have rather had her passed out and had to carry her or use the umbrella stroller to get her on board the plane.

If you talk to your Pediatrician or the Ped nurse about this, he/she will probably give you advice for the 9 month old and for the 2 1/2 year old.

Good luck with your flight!

Never give drugs to keep kids sleepy or under control. Take toys, snacks, jammies, comfort items, pacifiers, etc.

When they get tired, they will sleep. My children automatically slept on an international flight. I didn't get much sleep but, they did.

You will survive.

we've done it with our then 9month old daughter, travelled 13 hours non-stop, worked like a charm :o)

Our Pediatrician had us give our kids Tylenol. It used to relax them and knock them out.... good luck

I don't have time to read all of the posts right now, so sorry if I am repetitive. You need to try Benadryl BEFORE the flight. It makes some kids, including my second child, hyper rather than sleepy. That backfired on me BIG TIME!

Dear M.,
An international flight with two little kids....you are a very brave woman!
My son has never flown, but my daughter has. I gave her dramamine. Not so much to keep her settled down, but the poor kid got car sick just on the 3 miles of winding roads to get to my mother's house. Dramamine made her drowsy and she would sleep on long car trips. And we took lots of them. She didn't get sick at all while flying, but the pressure in her ears made her cry. Drinking or swallowing something helped.
As far as Benadryl for flying...I have no experience with that. Have you ever given your kids benadryl before? I ask because my daughter broke out in hives and the doctor told me to give that to her and it actually made her hyper. She was bouncing off the walls. You can't just go drugging your kids for no reason, but I personally would worry about the kids being under the influance of benadryl for the very first time on an international flight. You might want to try a test run.
I hope there are some moms who have flown internationally and can give you some tips.I just hope you have a really wonderful time.

Take care!

Be careful with Benadryl, it may have adverse effect on your child & make them wired instead of sleepy. I gave my 2 1/2 yrs old twins dramamine. I gave them each, half of a half of pill and I put it in a bite of yogurt so they swallowed it right down. They slept the entire flight home from Austin to Oakland!

I have not done this, but I have heard horror stories from moms that have. The benadryl caused a hyper active out of control child with way too much energy. Good luck and have a great vacation!

Yes...and it was a NIGHTMARE! My boys had the opposite reaction and were actually more wired than if we hadn't given it to them. Upon asking the doctor, he said that this sometimes happens. My advise, would be to try it several days prior, to see if it really does make them sleepy and then go from there. I would never do it again...I'd just take books and get ready for lots of mommy/daddy and child time! Good luck!
j

I asked about this before we went to Hawaii in March with our then 10 month old and 3 1/2 year old kids. I was told absolutely NOT to give either of them Benedryl solely so that they might sleep on the flight. We have Kaiser and they were adamant that we didn't give it to the baby especially because of dangers involved in giving babies medicine like this. They said it just wasn't worth the risk of something bad happening to her. My son takes Benedryl regularly for allergies and excema at night, but I didn't give it to him on the plane. I have had several friends say that their kids get really hyper with Benedryl which is the last thing you want on an airplane. Instead we brought our portable DVD player with lots of movies, laptop computer and the 3 year old's Leapster game. I had other activities for him too like books and coloring books etc. The movies were plenty for him. The baby even watched some Baby Einstein videos which were enough to keep her occupied. Your older child should be okay if you have enough activities, the baby might get a little antsy though. I would highly recommend getting (or borrowing) a portable DVD player and bringing lots of movies. Some airlines (I know Hawaiian does) even rent Digiplayers that have movies loaded onto it already. Check out your airline to see if they offer anything like that. Good luck and if you are still thinking about the Benedryl - check with your doctor first. :-)

We have taken numerous flights with our kids. I recommended calling your doctor and asking what he recommends. He may have something he prefers or tell you not to give them anything. He knows their medical history best. The new toys, books, and something to play DVDs have always worked best for my kids. Don't worry if your kids scream. My middle duaghter when she was ~1yr old cried through a whole 5 hour flight and nothing we did seemed to help. So just remember that this too shall pass. That was what got us through that event. It has never happened since or with either of my other kids. Most kids are really good about flying and you can get up and walk around. Play games, sing songs, those always entertained my kids when they were small. The love all the classic songs with hand movement, "wheels on the bus", " monkeys jumping on the bed", etc. When they were little we could do those over and over. Also make sure you bring plenty of food, especially their favorite things. If you go prepared you will be surprised at how well your kids will do. Good Luck!

Hello,
WE travel yearly with our two kids,now 6 and 10. We never have given drugs of any kind ,and they are great travelers...our trips are between 16 and 24 hours long,door to door. We just stress the excitement of where we are going and who we will see, what we will do,and that seems to buoy them thru the trip. We also never take our attention away from them,spending time playing games,reading,showing them airplanes taking off, and cloud shapes,whatever we can dream up. It does make it a more exhausting flight/trip for us,but it works.We take turns with them sometimes so we can each have down time. And we bring some fresh food and games/coloring to help make it all bearable.WE always have had people around us comment on what great travelers they are.
P..
Good luck!

bring it with you, and use it if you really need it

We went to Hawaii a few weeks ago and gave my 2.5 year old Benadryl. For him it just melowed him, but didn't knock him out so I was comfortable giving it to him. I gave him one chewable tablet after the meal was served on the plane. Benadyl can make some children hyper, so I suggest giving your child a tablet at home to see what the effects will be before you are in the air.

Hi M.,
Last month I took my 6 month old and my 8year old on a flight to Italy (well actually 3 flights but the longest was 9.5 hours. Anyway we gave our 6 month half a dose of benedryl (as told by our doctor) once we got in the air - let me tell you it was the best flight I have ever been on! I was actually able ot watch a movie. Don't worry about the benedryl just make sure that you give the correct amount too much is definalty not a good thing and you should be careful about that. Take care and happy flying - I wish you luck!
T. B