Kwells kids tablets contain the active ingredient hyoscine hydrobromide, which is a type of medicine called an antimuscarinic (or anticholinergic). Hyoscine hydrobromide is sometimes known as scopolamine. It is used to prevent travel sickness.
Travel sickness is believed to be a result of the brain receiving conflicting information about what the body senses is happening and what the eyes see is happening.
In the inner ear are three fluid filled canals called the vestibular system. These detect changes in the body's position. Motion sickness is thought to occur when the vestibular system sends messages to the brain telling it that the body is being moved around, while the eyes send messages that the body is stationary.
Hyoscine hydrobromide is thought to prevent motion sickness by stopping the messages sent from the vestibular system from reaching an area of the brain called the vomiting centre. This area of the brain co-ordinates the vomiting reflex. Hyoscine blocks receptors called muscarinic (or cholinergic) receptors that are found in the vomiting centre. This prevents the vomiting centre from sending nerve messages to the stomach that would normally cause vomiting.
Hyoscine needs to be taken before travel to be most effective, as once feeling sick or vomiting has started it is more difficult to control, particularly with tablets that need to be kept down.
Kwells kids tablets should be given around 30 minutes before travel to be most effective at preventing sickness, however they can also be given once a journey has started if your child has started to feel sick.
This medicine should not be used if your child is allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if your child has previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel your child has experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Just because a side effect is stated here does not mean that all children using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the medicine's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
If your child is taking any other medicines, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, it is important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before giving them this medicine as well. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before giving any new medicines in combination with this one, to make sure that the combination is safe.
There may be an increased risk of drowsiness if this medicine is used in combination with any of the following (which can also cause drowsiness):
There may be an increased risk of antimuscarinic side effects, such as dry mouth, blurred vision or difficulty passing urine, if this medicine is used in combination with other medicines that have antimuscarinic effects, such as the following:
If your child experiences a dry mouth as a side effect of this medicine you may find that medicines that are designed to dissolve and be absorbed from under the tongue (sublingual tablets) do not dissolve properly. To resolve this, get your child to drink a mouthful of water before taking sublingual tablets.
This medicine may oppose the effect of domperidone or metoclopramide. This is because metoclopramide and domperidone increase the motility of the gut, whereas hyoscine may reduce it.