Phenergan for Plane Flight

Hi Guys - we've just been given Phenergan from the doctor to help with an upcoming plane trip. For those that have used it - how long were your kiddies drowsy for? Did it affect them for the whole day, or did it wear off after a few hours? I'd love to hear from anyone that's used it?

Never used it here, but have been told that for some kids it has a rebound effect. So they are more hyperactive! So I would try it out before the flight so you know it will help, rather than it not being effective.

We were prescribed Phenergan for DS but didn't use it.

The pharmacist also mentioned it can have the opposite effect so I agree with janini that you should perhaps try it before getting on the plane.

Hmm - i don't necessarily want DD to sleep all the time - we are travelling from Auckland to Singapore on a 10 hour flight starting at 1pm. We then have 13 hours in a trnasit hotel before getting back on a plane to London for 14 hours. Ideally i would like her to sleep for the end of the first flight and through the night at the transit hotel.

What i really want is for her to be calm, and happy to sit still and colour, draw or watch the TV - does a lower does of phernegan do that?

sorry to threadjack a bit - hope these questions help you too though

ps. I will be travelling on my own with both girls - only really looking to 'drug' DD1 though!

we used it one year for a Auck-Singapore flight that left at 11pm.
Never did it again!!! DS woke half way through the flight and was distressed and upset and half awake- he was very hard to comfort and unfortunately I had had a sleeping pill too so I was hopeless... DH Spent about half an hour with him, trying to calm him and settle him back to sleep.

My opinion? I wouldn't use it- we just know that we will spend a good amount of time taking care of the kids needs and keeping them settled and feed and entertained and then they should sleep well enough.

catisla - i'd be interested in your questions too. Our flight is an early morning flight so I don't necessarily want him to sleep, just be settled. He would have had a full nights sleep before the flight so don't really want him sleeping the whole flight as well - might cause issues at the other end when bedtime comes around!

Oh, and you can just get it from the pharmacy (here) but they screen you first I think - or you can get it on prescription from the doctor.

Yes, I've heard that you need to do a trial run as well - too little and they're overactive, and too much and you overdose - apparently it's a fine line.

when I was karitane nursing at the hospital in MT Albert years ago, we use to give babies that were admitted with sleeping problems phenergan, and in worst cases vallergan

Oh and bear in mind the time differences - it may be helpful to you if he does sleep the whole flight as well as the night before - at least when you get where you are going he will be right on track with the times....I think....!

I have travelled a fair few times with my boys and tried Phenergan a couple of times but it didn't really do anything.
I know how anxious you can feel before doing a long haul flight with little ones, but you may just find it is not as bad as you think. I recon 18 months is the hardest age since they cant really talk well and let you know what they want, but they are old enough to be awake alot of the time and very active (well my boys are anyway).
I would suggest you do a test run before you go with it, and just have it with you. You will be on the flight long enough to know if you are going to need it fairly early on in the flight. I found having plenty of food and different toys (I bought some cheap stuff from the $2 shop inc books) and that worked well. We also did lots of walks up and down the aisles and that kept him entertained. I think the hardest part was my DH's expectations of the flight which were much different to mine. That was the cause of most of the stress. Since he works full time, he didn't really realise just how busy ds1 was (ALL DAY). He was seeing him for a bit in the morning and a bit in the evening so it was quite a shock for him to realise he was busy all day (even though I had tried to tell him). He expected ds1 to sit quietly and read books and watch telly etc. I was happy for him to walk around the plane so long as he was quiet. I figured the other passengers would much more appreciate that rather than crying or lots of noise.

Take some emergency things that you wouldnt normally give like lollypops etc that you can use when you need them to sit still. The flight is one thing, but there can also be long waits in queues for customs etc.

Good luck

We took Rescue Remedy for DS2. Phenergan, the one time we tried it before, had him bouncing off the walls and that is so NOT what you want when you are stuck in a tin can for 10+ hours.

We've just done the trip you are about to do a few months ago and we were soooooo worried because DS2 doesn't travel well; I'm talking about screaming the car down almost non-stop from Taupo to Wellington. He surprised the sh*t out of us by being a star! He slept for most of the time, watched the wiggles more times than I care to count, had a blast in Singapore airport and we had 3 nights adjustment at the other end before things were normal again in the sleep department. We flew Singapore Airlines and the flight attendants are fabulous, especially for parents travelling on their own with little ones and/or with more than one child.

Sometimes I think we stress ourselves out thinking how horrible it will be, when in fact it might not be. In fact, coming home again DS1 was the child not wanting to sleep and he's always travelled well.