Sleeping tablets

[Goingtobeawesome]

After speaking to CAMHS my GP has drawn up a prescription for 13 year old DD for melatonin. Reading the leaflet it clearly and firmly states not to be given to children aged 0-18. Dh rang the GP and was advised to ring the doctor at CAMHS. This he has done but with all our contact with them he hasn't had a call back and I've just requested he ring them again after DD asked for something else as she can't sleep.

DD has always slept less than our other children. She finds it hard to switch off and all the usual things that are recommended don't work for her. She does have underlying medical issues but I don't think they are a factor here, unless the fact that no oral, liquid pain relief has ever worked for her is relevant. It has been years that she has found it hard to sleep.

Can anyone give me any advice please?

I think that if medications to help sleep are really needed then melatonin is better than most other types of sleeping medications. It's difficult for anyone to give clear advice as they don't know all the circumstances and I would assume that like most specialists Camhs are able to prescribe outside of normal 'rules'. Talking to them first if you are not sure is definitely a good idea and it is a worry that they prescribed without possibly telling you of any side effects or signs that your DC may need to stop them or be seen again.

The doctor who told the GP it was okay to prescribe for DD hasn't even met her. There was no mention of seeing her, how long she would be on them for or anything other than if we wanted a meeting to discuss it..... except no one has called back to talk to dh to start with.

Melatonin can be given to children but usually advised by CAHMS and using a shared protocol between Secondary and Primary Care.
IME a child and adolescent psychiatrist will ask a GP to prescribe.

Melatonin is normally produced in the pineal gland and makes us feel 'sleepy'. It is widely available in other countries over the counter. Many people use it to counteract jet-lag and the likes.

Natural melatonin is suppressed by light, particularly blue light (which is why screens before bedtime are really bad).

I presume you and your DD have been given good advice on sleep hygiene as well?

Don't worry about giving her some melatonin but help establish a good day/night or awake/sleep routine.

Oh, and no other night sedation would be appropriate for under -18s. Or at least I have never seen anything else used in youngsters.

We've tried all the sleep hygiene and or she says she has. I've stressed coming off her phone at least an hour before. She said she watches things as it helps her sleep as she can't sleep for longer without. Given it's been a long term thing I have to believe the screens aren't an issue as she's only had a phone for two years and a lap tap for about the same.

It's worrying she's been given them without being seen plus with the leaflet saying no.

No call back from CAMHS.

Not unusual for this to happen as pp has explained, quite often consultants will ask/recommend GP's to prescribe things that wouldnt widely or usually be prescribed for certain groups e.g children unless under care of CAHMS/shared care agreements which your daughter is. I wouldnt worry too much. Keep bugging CAHMS for a telephone appointment or ask to speak to the duty worker.

Call came. Can have a meeting at some point if we want but ultimately it's up to us and DD if she takes them.

Oh good, glad they got in touch.

Sleep advice for children

IME having a very regular bedtime routine (as you would with a reluctant toddler ) really helps the body clock to 'accept' that it is now bed time. So, one hour wind down time, maybe with a bath or a book, then to bed at the same time every night (whether weekday or weekend) and up at the same time in the morning.
It is also helpful NOT to insist in an unrealistically early bedtime to avoid a teen lying awake in bed for hours, seething and cross.
Personally, I'd not allow any screens in her bedroom - not forever, but until the sleep problem is better.

Have you tried epsom salts baths/magnesium flakes bath/magnesium lotion? Harmless and worth a try.

She doesn't have abtv but with technology these days her laptop and phone is like a tv. I don't think she goes to bed at the same time every night but I know she has lights out and then lies awake for ages.

Her physical issues mean she can't have a bath so she showers each night for ages...

I've bought and made foods with magnesium in but don't know what the lotion is. Is it something I can get in Boots?

My son has melatonin. The results are brilliant. He's 13 if it helps

Melatonin is produced naturally by the body (or not if things don't run right) and it's bloody hard to get it prescribed. It's not a sleeping pill and parents all over are desperately trying to get their drs to prescribe it.

I'm really not seeing what your issue is.

I think I've said quite clearly what the issue is.

I don't know specifically about melatonin, but this could be about the testing process. Unless a medication has been tested in a specific population, the manufacturers cannot say that is safe to be used in that population. So it could simply be that melatonin has not been tested for safety in under-18s.

However, melatonin has been used by under-18s for 30 years or more, I think, so there is quite a lot of knowledge about its effects and side-effects.

In this case I don't think I, personally, would be worried by the statement in the information leaflet.

My friend's DD has been taking it since she was 4 ,after attending a sleep clinic. She's off it now(7) but her mum says it was a god send.

I think the issue is (as usual) poor communication.

I think I've said quite clearly what the issue is

Well no not to me. Going on your title it seems you'd rather give her sleeping tablets than the melatonin (to me). Which doesn't make sense (to me).

course I may be reading wrong.

My DS has been using melatonin since he was 4 ... He's now 7 .... We also use chloral hydrate... Nothing works and I'm very tired!

I thought melatonin were sleeping tablets. I know now they are sedatives.

The leaflet said not for under 18's and coupled with the Doctor never having met her we weren't sure it's the right thing to do.

Melatonin is made naturally in the body. Think of it as a supplement like a vitamin. Its the sleepy hormone. It will just help her drift off.

You can buy it over the counter in the USA and i think it will be available more readily on prescription here too soon

I can understand your hesitation OP.

Melatonin is indeed naturally produced by the pineal gland. As a medicine, I don't think it's officially licensed for children, although is increasingly prescribed. The fact is that the long term consequences of giving it to kids are unknown. Just because it's naturally occurring in the body doesn't mean there aren't broader consequences of giving your body some extra (think about hormonal contraception, for example). However, it may be less likely to have long term effects than other drugs, and so be a best option. And one thing we do know is that poor sleep has negative consequences for kids. It's hard making these decisions, OP. Sympathies.

Thank you everyone for your help.

With DD I worry so much as she has underlying issues which I don't really understand and I've found every doctor I mention it too to not understand either. I worry about effects of medication on her due to the issues. This morning she asked again if she could have them and looks exhausted and fed up.

My 10 year old was prescribed melatonin, and stupid me didn't read the leaflet. After a week on them his aggression got worse and he tried to kill himself. I then read the leaflet, saw a really long list of side affect and the "not suitable for children 0-18", I rang our gp and was told to stop taking them immediately.

My daughter started melatonin at 2 years old. The dosage increases when her weight does.

It is a hormone not a drug.

Going I hope you feel better about this now.
It is fairly common for GPs to prescribe melatonin to children on the advice of CAMHS . Discuss it with your DD and your GP again if you wish.
If it doesn't suit it can be stopped easily.
It is usually well tolerated.
The only thing I would say is that she really would be best served by giving it a really good go and following sleep hygiene advice strictly at the same time i.e. No screens whatsoever for at least an hour before bed and a strict bed and waking up time 7 days a week for a few weeks etc