GP will not help my son

[mummytotwoxo]

To sum it up my son is neurodivergent. ADHD. We have struggled with sleep for years. The past 6 weeks it's getting really bad, he's taking 3-4 hours to get to sleep and waking and wondering through the night. My daughters HV mentioned discussing melatonin with the GP, I've contacted every day this week, they cannot even call me back for several weeks due to high demand. I called 111 because we had to keep him off school due to not sleeping, 111 doctors booked me in for a same day phone call with my sons gp surgery on Wednesday it's now Friday and no one has contacted me. I don't know what to do☹️

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these are good

If you want melatonin prescribed in the Uk you would need to see a psychiatrist - but a private prescription I think is about £40 a month so unless he is mixing it with other meds I would consider the overcounter stuff

No they don’t get charged. That’s a myth.

also urgent care will absolutely not give melatonin.

This is not true. If your GP also does private work, they can prescribe it beyond the NHS guidelines - I have a repeat prescription for melatonin under exactly this arrangement, which costs me £25/month and I'd be barely functional without it.

(EDIT: For context, I'm autistic and 47. It's about time the NHS recognised that melatonin is an absolute necessity for a really significant number of autistic and ADHD folk, but it's obviously not a priority for them, and they're busy solving the problem by de-prioritising diagnosis services...

My daughter was prescribed melatonin which didn’t work for her so paediatrician tried promethazine which did help (a bit), you can buy that over the counter under the brand name Phenergan and it’s safe for children over 2 years. Might be worth a try in the short term.

If you can afford it get on the waitlist for a private psychiatrist who can diagnose ADHD and prescribe melatonin.

once you have the prescription it can be transferred to repeat on NHS.

of all the SEN assessments that was cheapest for me just one appointment, probably £250 / £300.

while you are waiting for the appointment gather further evidence from nursery and school e.g. reports about behaviour / distraction / tiredness

put in place all the usual low intervention techniques that are recommended, so you can demonstrate you have tried everything.

so

no processed food / e numbers
no screens for 2-3 hours before bed
bath and calm bed routine with story
Weighted blanket
lots of exercise to wear out (swimming is great)

best of luck

As said, melatonin needs to be prescribed by a consultant - you won't get it from a GP unfortunately.

I buy melatonin online (for myself and one of my children), as our NHS will only prescribe the modified release version. Feel free to PM me if you'd like details.

I would put it in writing. Our surgery has an email address. They will reply when it's in writing just to cover their arses if anything.
It's not great out there resources wise so it won't be personal. It's whoever shouts loudest and prioritising this against other patients needs.

Can you afford a private consultation, just to get this prescription?

I can't find anything that confirms this, it just says it is prescription only. Nothing to say that GPs (who by the way are not less qualified than specialists) can't prescribe although they need to prescribe within their clinical competence, so some might not want to.

GPs aren't allowed to prescribe melatonin. We had to first get it from a consultant at the hospital then the GP was allowed to reissue it. Then when my son became an adult his psychiatrist had to first prescribe zopiclone before the GP could take over. So be prepared for a long wait if you don't have access to the hospital or camhs

It's off license. Gp's won't prescribe it. You need to get it online or on holiday. I got it in Lidl in Spain

My son takes melatonin to help sleep but its hit and miss. We got it from CDU when he was younger. But we get 3 bottles from GP to lady us my son takes 10mls.

As others have said melatonin can't be prescribed by GP. Our children got theirs via paediatrician, but yes it takes ages.
My GP did however prescribe a good antihistamine for DS which helped to get him to sleep, we used piriton for a while before anything prescribed too which paeds and GP we're fine about, but speak to your GP first, however you manage to get to them. You could try phoning CAMHS or even try the pharmacist re antihistamines

Regrettably it's 2024 and the NHS is broken. Adequate GP and CAMHS services are vanishingly rare.

The only solution is to pay. And pressure your MP in relation to a Continental social insurance system like I France and Germany. DD was unwell in 2015 and there were no services then either (anxiety, depression, active self harm with ADHD at the root of it) she began to recover once medicated.

Good luck.

Gp won't perceive melatonin. What they will do is offer an antihistamine.

Getting melatonin is really difficult..I order mine from pipingrock

Strange isn't it. Used to be specialist led for secondary care but now I prescribe it easily - very good for dementia patients sleep

Op you can order Melotonin online, I get it from Biovea.

As others have said it needs to be specialists like CAMHS (or Child Development Centre for us). Now my DC is 16 it’s been transferred to GP to prescribe but that’s after 8-9 years of use. Or just pick up a tub of melatonin gummies at the check out in a French supermarket. we’ve ordered gummies online a couple of times when there has been a delay with the repeat prescription. The gummies are nicer than tablets at least. We bought melatonin tea bags in an Italian supermarket, tasted disgusting unfortunately.

GPs can prescribe melatonin. I believe it's a recent change but ours prescribed it a few months back.

You need to complain to the practice manager imo. It shouldn't be so hard to get an appt.

Adaflex is licensed for sleep for under 18s with ADHD.

@mummytotwoxo you need a paediatrician’s letter from whichever team deals with neurodivergence in your area usually, then the gp will prescribe.

Or you can get private prescriptions but that is expensive.

It is licensed for ADHD kids.

Private gps can.