Pharmacist

Nausea or vomiting? Let's figure out what to do for your child.

If this nausea and or vomiting is not showing signs of going away, the best thing to do is give the pediatrician a call.

If it is after hours, call the answering service. The doctor on call should call in an anti-nausea medication to a pharmacy without your child having to be seen immediately.

Over-the-counter medications for nausea and or vomiting are for either motion sickness related nausea or syrups that are may help with upset stomach.

We will talk about these and ways to prevent dehydration and electrolyte loss.

With these in mind, see what is recommended below to help your child's nausea and vomiting.

Girl about to throw up

Which of the symptoms listed below is your child experiencing right now?

Girl holding her mouth

Choose the symptoms from the list below and see what is recommended.

A result of stomach upset

Related to motion sickness

Also feeling burning pain in the stomach like heartburn.

Sour or bitter taste in mouth when throwing up.

Includes fever and or diarrhea.

Child is also feeling dizzy, sweating or feel cold.

Not showing signs of going away soon.

Due to migraine or severe headache.

None of these

Selection require a medication like meclizine.

Selection require cola syrup

Selection require an antacid

Selection require oral rehydration therapy.

Selection require you to see a doctor.

Symptoms require meclizine and cola syrup

Symptoms require meclizine and an antacid

Symptoms require meclizine and oral rehydration therapy

Symptoms require meclizine and you have to seek urgent care.

Symptoms require cola syrup and an antacid

Symptoms require cola syrup and oral rehydration therapy

Symptoms require cola syrup and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require an antacid and oral rehydration therapy

Symptoms require an antacid and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require oral rehydration therapy and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require meclizine, cola syrup and an antacid

Symptoms require meclizine, cola syrup and oral rehydration therapy

Symptoms require meclizine, cola syrup and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require meclizine, antacid and oral rehydration therapy

Symptoms require meclizine, antacid and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require meclizine, oral rehydration therapy and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require cola syrup, antacid and oral rehydration therapy

Symptoms require cola syrup, antacid and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require cola syrup, oral rehydration therapy and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require antacid, oral rehydration therapy and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require meclizine, cola syrup, antacid and oral rehydration therapy

Symptoms require meclizine, cola syrup, antacid and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require meclizine, cola syrup, oral rehydration therapy and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require meclizine, antacid, oral rehydration therapy and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require cola syrup, antacid, oral rehydration therapy and for you to seek urgent care

Symptoms require meclizine, cola syrup, antacid, oral rehydration therapy and for you to seek urgent care

Something to prevent?

Preventive measures

Morning sickness
This assumes you are looking for nausea relief as a result of morning sickness due to pregnancy.

Migraine
This assumes you are looking for nausea relief as a result of your child's migraine.

Call the doctor for a prescription for nausea due to a migraine.

We will assume it is happening right now and you want to know what to take over-the-counter. The closest thing is meclizine (Bonine, Dramamine) or dimenhydrinate.

Get the chewable formulation. Swallowing pills may make your child throw up.

When he or she feels better, make sure to call the doctor for a prescription nausea medication like ondansetron ODT.

None of these?
We must have left something out.

Please choose what closely resembles what your child is experiencing and see what is recommended.

Meclizine

Use this to prevent nausea and vomiting due to motion sickness and for vertigo.

It will not work for nausea due to stomach upset or stomach pain.

Cola Syrup

Cola syrup is good for nausea due to stomach upset.

You will give the recommended dose every 15 minutes until nausea subside (not more than six doses in 24 hours).

Now, there is caffeine in this. So give the child early to avoid sleeplessness.

Antacid

An antacid should help with indigestion related nausea. Look for a combination with anti-gas ingredient called simethicone.

Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT)

The goal is to prevent dehydration. You have to start preventing dehydration as soon as possible. Start this as soon as you notice nausea becoming unbearable for your child.

Good examples of oral rehydration at the pharmacy are Pedialyte or rehydration packets you mix with water for electrolyte replacement.

Home mixture

1 teaspoonful salt + 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar + 1 liter of water.

Be careful with mixing this. Too much sugar or salt may make diarrhea worse.

If the child throws up while drinking this, wait for 5 to 10 minutes and start again slowly.

Seek Urgent Care

You should call the pediatrician for this nausea.

Combination Products

Worth doing

Last updated by pharmacist on 02/17/2016

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Know this about the safe and effective use of this recommendation.

Our disclaimer

Recommendation is the opinion of a registered US Pharmacist currently practicing as a community pharmacist.
Recommendation is not an attempt to discuss all possible self care or treatment approach to this health challenge.
The responsibility of the recommending pharmacist is limited to this question:
"If a patient presents with these symptoms, what will you recommend and why?"
It is not an attempt to publish an article on the treatment of any condition. Just what would you tell a patient who present with so and so in the usual course of your practice.
The pharmacist image presented in this article may or may not be the actual image of the authoring pharmacist.
Because we insist on using articles written by currently practicing community pharmacists, these pharmacists may choose to remain anonymous especially if they are employed by an employer to avoid being pressured to recommend a particular product to drive sales.
Please read the policies and terms of use for self-care OTC, selfcarepharmacist.com and it's affiliates by clicking on the button below.

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