Where can I buy melatonin online in the UK for a child?

[SwanRose]

Please can someone tell me where I can buy melatonin in the uk online? I know it’s only given via a prescription but I’m sick of jumping through hoops and waiting months to see a paediatrician meanwhile my child is up every night till 3/4am unable to sleep. I think I read of people buying it online from other countries? any advice on where from? Thanks

(I realise it needs a prescription here but many other countries sell it over the counter)

I had someone bring it back from the states for me. Didn’t work for my daughter but I will try anything to help her (autistic so we already know the reason she struggles to sleep).

I buy mine from pharmacy club online.Never had a problem. I don’t know if they stock children’s however. I take the Vicks brand gummies.

Oh my post has been hidden! No idea why, I buy mine online from a pharmacy in Europe. Never had a problem. No idea if they stock kids tho.

Ds2 has ADHD and struggled to sleep. I get melatonin from Germany when I'm there. I have gummies for him but he refused to take them. I got dosage advice from a CAMHS psychiatrist I know.

I'm interested to know if it really works for ADHD children because it's not knock out drops. The 1-2mg I take sends a sleepy signal but if I ignore it I stay awake and seem to miss my sleep window.

It’s available off prescription in several European countries, might be worth checking if you can either get it sent through from one of them or even flying there for a day trip and stocking up. That said there’s other methods, I found with dd I had to restrict screens completely from 8pm but also didn’t even try to send to bed until 10/10.30 because she simply wouldn’t sleep, daytime exercise in open air was also essential. I had many a 1am still awake night when younger but was better when I stopped trying to send her to bed at the time you presume a 8/9 year old should be in bed, she (like me to be honest) doesn’t need as much sleep and as an adult she sleeps average of 6 hours, I’m nearer to 5.

I buy it at our supermarket. I live in Germany. Message me if you want to organise something. I can send. It has been a lifesaver with my kids (and me!).

I’ve bought it online for years. Either Piping Rock or Bulk Supplements. It comes from the States.

It’s prescription only in the uk because it is not recommended unless under medical supervision for under 18’s.

my son has been on it since he was 3. We follow good sleep hygiene patterns as a matter of course. But at the time it was prescribed, he was up 20- 30 times a night. We were logging each and every time and how long for.

There are more homeopathic suggestions such as cherry good night juice - cherries have a small amount of naturally occurring melatonin.

but: melatonin is not a sleeping drug. It replaces a missing hormone. It still will not make your child go to sleep and stay asleep. Ds is still taking it 13 years later because he still struggles to get to sleep. We have to restrict screens before bed time, encourage plenty of outdoor time and physical activity. The daily and sleep hygiene routine is just as important as any medications

So irresponsible to give your child medication you get online from who knows where. You need to go to doctor, get a prescription and get it from pharmacy.

You can buy it from Spanish pharmacies off the shelf.

Such a difficult and common problem. I would say it was the most difficult issue parents with SEND kids used to bring up with me as a sendco. Lack of sleep and the reasons for it have such an impact on the mental health of the whole family.
My cahms colleagues often prescribed melatonin but getting to see someone could take a while. I think the NHS generally prefers medication to be a second or third tier treatment because of an ethical consideration not to medicate children if possible. Also though Im pretty sure that if a parent paid privately they would get a prescription.
I have myself suffered from insomnia all my life. So I understand how bloody horrible this is.

I buy it when we go abroad. I spoke to my gp about it. It's a natural hormone, he uses it for his children. It has been a life line for us. My wee one gets so stressed not being able to shut down and being bored that they just get more adrenaline and more awake. It takes away that stress. I can't remember where I previously bought it from but think it was a French website. We now use one that is drops and purchased in Portugal.

@SwanRose my DD16 has melatonin prescribed by her paediatrician.

I looked at the links that PP have provided and some of the doses seem really high!!!

We were prescribed 1mg - it’s a medication where lower is often more effective. If you take a dose that’s too high it can desensitise the body and potentially make things worse.

I would honestly urge you to stick to no more than 1-2mg, especially as you’re going it without medical supervision.

Melatonin doesn’t work for every child but if it’s going to work, a low dose will work. Going up to a higher dose won’t make any difference if it’s not working at a low dose. It’s a bit of a strange medication and how it works doesn’t mirror other drugs where you can just increase the dose for greater effect. Higher doses can cause the melatonin receptors to temporarily shut down so it’s really really important not to take a big dose just because you’re desperate.

You also need to take regular breaks - we take a break every six weeks or so.

Good luck, sleep deprivation is utterly miserable.

DS's paediatrician told us she couldn't prescribe it but gave us details to get it from Biovea, which we did. He has subsequently had a prescription from his CAMHS Psychiatrist.

It’s only been available on prescription for the last few years, prior to that it wasn’t licensed, purely because none of the pharmaceutical companies saw any money to be made.

As far as I’m aware it’s still only licenced for short term use in older people.

Ive been buying from biovea.com for years. A gp friend asked me for the link so he could pass it to his patients as he can’t prescribe it.

My son had colic and did not sleep for 3 months; his father was in the merchant navy, and I was completely alone. My mother worked full time, and I had no help. I would have given so much for something like this when he was a baby. I know this will send shockwaves through the cosmos, but I used to put a teaspoon of brandy in a dinky feeder.
Yes, I know it's terrible, but lack of sleep made me so desperate I knew if I didn't do something, I would lose my temper and that would have been worse.
Please don't do this now !!!!! There is no need; you have better help out there. We were in Africa, and it was 45 years ago.
I worked in pharmacy and know how difficult it is to get drugs that are sold over the counter in other countries.
Sometimes a few nights' sleep is all you need to recover your balance.
Sod the warm baths etc....get the drugs
I wish you luck
PS: Kids that don't sleep grow up to be super smart because they are awake all the time....actually, this is complete garbage; I just made this last bit up.

Thanks all so much for the advice, biovea looks like a good option. Will be ordering some today. Yes my son (12) is awaiting an ADHD assessment and it’s related to that. I’m not going to listen to anyone judging, try living in my shoes, he was awake for 21 hours yesterday. I cannot sleep whilst he is awake as he paces up and down and cries about being unable to sleep, this is waking up my younger child and meaning no one in the house gets any sleep. I also have neighbours who I have to be conscious of. If GPs were able to prescribe it it wouldn’t be so much of a problem but where I am it has to be a paediatrician and the wait time for that is very long.

i order from biovea as well. Look into magnesium as well. Really helps with sleep issues. I give it to my daughter and take it myself. Wishing you all the best.

You can just Google it, any US online pharmacy that ships to the UK, I've used a few over the years. Not advising whether you should be giving it to your child btw but you don't need any special websites..

Depending on how long you are likely to wait until the ADHD assessment, are there any options for you to get the diagnosis sooner via right to choose or a good private service? If a diagnosis is confirmed, as you probably know, melatonin can be prescribed by a specialist.

An alternative would be something like phenergen, if you can obtain it from your pharmacy, but if it doesn’t work, it can temporarily make things worse.

Hope you get something sorted soon.

I’m going to try to get it on prescription eventually, this is just for now.

An alternative, but not recommended, option would be to buy it from on online Dr for an adult for “jet lag”.

10mg is a big dose!

Omg that sounds horrendous. Is it like that every night? Mine sleep terribly too but it’s not quite as bad as that, I have adult melatonin and have been very tempted to give them a child’s dose of that some nights but have resisted.
my work colleague buys it online for her son who has adhd. I’ll see if I can find the details for you.

Just checked and it’s the same company as above biovea