FAQ
What are P6 nausea relief bands?
P6 bands are acupressure wristbands. A plastic stud sits on the inner wrist at the P6 / Nei-Kuan point, about three finger-widths up from the crease, between the two tendons. Wear one on each wrist. They are drug-free. They are not a medicine. They do not treat disease.
They may help with motion-related nausea. They are not scopolamine, and they are not a substitute for a medicine your clinician prescribed.
What about the kids patches?
P6 Motion Sickness Patches for Kids are a different product. Ginger and cinnamon. Disposable. Ages 6+ only. The box shows the patch behind the ear and says effective for up to 12 hours. If the insert in your box disagrees, the insert wins.
They are still not a prescription scopolamine patch, even though that drug patch also goes behind the ear. Do not put a scopolamine patch on a child unless a clinician told you to.
What are they used for?
Most families use the kids bands for car, bus, boat, and other motion. Some adults use the original bands for the same kind of motion, or for morning sickness. Some people also try them around chemotherapy or after surgery, as a complement to the medicines their care team prescribed — not instead of those medicines.
If vomiting is severe, persistent, or comes with other symptoms, talk to a doctor. For pregnancy, talk to your OB or midwife, especially if it looks like hyperemesis. For chemo or post-op, talk to that team before you add anything new.
How do they work?
The stud presses the P6 point. Acupressure at that point has been studied for nausea in several settings. Results vary. Those studies are not a test of this specific product, and they are not a reason to call the bands “clinically proven.”
Put them on before the motion if you can. The brand’s long-standing note is that nausea is typically reduced within about five minutes once they are on the right spot. That is not a guarantee.
Can they be used on children?
The kids bands have been used successfully as young as 3 — if the band actually fits snugly. A floppy band on a tiny wrist is jewelry. Adult bands on a small wrist usually sit in the wrong place.
The kids patches are ages 6+ only. Do not split the difference for a tall 5-year-old.
How to find the point and put both products on is here: How to use P6. Which to buy is here: Patches vs bands.
Do they have side effects?
They are not a drug, so they do not have the drowsiness of some motion-sickness medicines. That is not the same as “no side effects.”
Prolonged use may cause swelling of the wrist or hand. If there is swelling or pain, take the bands off. Some people are sensitive to pressure there. If it hurts, remove them.
We do not say there are no contraindications. If your child has a wrist injury, poor circulation, or irritated skin where the stud or patch would sit, skip it and ask a clinician.
When should they go on?
Before the thing that makes them sick, when you can: before you pull out of the driveway, before the tender, before a winding canyon. You can still put them on after nausea starts. Get the point right. Give it a few minutes. Still do the boring things — cool air, horizon, a break.
Are they as effective as anti-nausea medicine?
No. Do not treat them that way. Some people find the bands enough for short car rides. Some still need a medicine their clinician recommended. They are not “as effective as ordinary antiemetics,” and they are not “completely devoid of side effects.”
Where do I get them?
The p6health.com cart is sold out right now. The live buy path is Amazon. We will put in-stock Amazon buttons on the site once the listings are wired up. Until then, the parent guides have tracked links for the kids bands and kids patches.
More parent guides: Kids car sickness · Cruise with kids · Patches vs bands · How to use P6.