Has anyone got any experience of taking melatonin as adults?

[Fideliney]

Is it effective for dramatic insomnia?

(I have always had low level sleep problems, recently turned horrendous since starting new painkiller and anti-convulsant prescriptions)

I am not keen on adding a new pharmaceutical into the mix but this seems a gentler solution somehow. Too gentle for a dramatic problem?

Any experiences gratefully listened to.

Which pain killer is it? Tramadol sometimes keeps me awake or gives me weird sleep. Family use melatonin for jet lag but I've not done so. Not sure how you work out the dose.

I think I'd be looking at altering the cause of your insomnia.

I am on anti-epileptics and take one 3mg melatonin when my insomnia gets insane and it really works. I checked with my doctor first though.

Main tip is not to leave it too late - I have a hard time getting up in the morning if I wait until after midnight.

I used to take it for jet lag, bought from the Singapore Airlines in-flight shop. However given what you've been prescribed, I would definitely think twice. Have a look at the NHS advice here.

The anti-convulsant would seem to be the likely culprit. By the look of that link I am too young for NHS-prescribed melatonin.

DH has some left over melatonin here from his last long-haul. I have booked a GP appt but it's 10 days away. What to do?

I live in a country where Melatonin can be bought OTC so it was no biggy for me to ask my doctor. Why not try searching the internet to see if your particular medication interacts with melatonin in a bad way? I am not sure a GP would give you the go-ahead to take a supplement not sold in the UK?

OBVIOUSLY the internet shouldn't be used in place of medical advice etc!

I tend to announce what I'm going to do to her and just tell her to stop me if it's dangerous. I'd still be undiagnosed if I was more obedient

More than one peron has now said they take anti-epileptics with melatonin and I'm beyond desperate. I will google and take a view. Several people have also mentioned anti-histamines so i'll look into that too. Just too bloody tired to think straight.

Thanks Thrice

OBVIOUSLY the internet shouldn't be used in place of medical advice etc!

I'm exactly the same. Sleep-deprivation was becoming really dangerous as I was absolutely desperate and with seizure disorders, sleep-deprivation is a risk factor. So for me it was an easy one. Good luck. IMO nothing dehumanises someone faster than sleep-deprivation.

I don't announce what i'm going to do to her, you understand; I announce, to her, what I am going to do.... Argghh

Dehumanisation is the worry, my marbles have already gone, it seems

When I was poorly with depression/anxiety, I couldn't sleep !

The doctor gave me anti-histamine can't remember the name it began with A. Only GP precribed

The worked great, used them for 4 days to get me back into sleep pattern
Then if after 2 nights of no sleep take again, but I didn't use every night as didn't want to get hooked.
They come in 3.75mg 7.5mg I started on 7.5mg till I got into pattern.

Hi Fideliney, my experience may be irrelevant, but after I came round in Intensive Care after 11 days of ventilation, I had very disordered sleep - I wasn't on anticonvulsants but on a whole load of other stuff including continuous haemofiltration (a bit like dialysis).

I was given melatonin after the recommendations of a very capable and caring pharmacist (as far as I can remember) and I took it for probably a month, all of which I was still in hospital, and it gently put my sleep pattern back to normal. I came off it ok. I have always been prone to early morning wakening, and alteration to my ongoing medication almost always produces sleep disturbance even now but fortunately I've coped minus medication.

(I have friends who work in both Anaesthesia and A+E that use it routinely coming off night shifts. Not sure if I should share that! Far less addictive than any of the Z sedatives)