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Original poster

Life after melatonin?

20 replies

User473831 · 28/02/2023 22:09

DC has been taking a light dose of melatonin but this is only allowed short term, they are sleeping well for the first time in a decade and I’m so scared it will go back to how it was, DC is suspected ASD and ADHD.

can anyone tell me about life after melatonin? We have good sleep hygiene in place (and always have!) but this has been the only thing that has worked and made a difference. Will the body take over and keep the routine going?

I feel like a normal happy parent for the first time ever.

OP posts:
Changemaname1 · 28/02/2023 22:11

Is there a danger to taking it longer term ? Genuinely don’t know but is that why the doc

Funnyname00 · 28/02/2023 22:11

My son with adhd takes it long term

TokyoBouncyBall · 28/02/2023 22:12

Why stop? Most children I know who take it are on it long term (including my DD).

Changemaname1 · 28/02/2023 22:12

Posted to soon sorry ! Is that why the doc won’t prescribe long term ?

if not I think you can buy it privately from online pharmacies

Brendabigbaps · 28/02/2023 22:13

Melatonin is proven to not work long term

before anyone comes at me, that’s from multiple people in the adhd medical world!

percypercypercy · 28/02/2023 22:13

DS took it for a few years and it did help him build a good sleep routine.

MaggieMagpie357 · 28/02/2023 22:14

DD16 has been taking it for 6 years now, no one has ever mentioned stopping it. They used to only prescribe it for Sun-Thurs to give her a break so she didn't build a tolerance to it, but she's been on 4mg daily for about 3 years now so it's not a problem.

whydoesitalwayshappentome · 28/02/2023 22:16

My son who has asd and cerebral palsy has taken it for many years, and it has never been suggested he stop it, his sleep is terrible, without melatonin it would be worse.

AloudAlot · 28/02/2023 22:17

Not in our case, sadly.

DS was prescribed them and after a period of several months they stopped working ( despite breaks) so then the dose was doubled. He took them happily for a couple of years as the paediatrician felt they were helpful.
He then, because of something the awful nurse at CAMHS said, abruptly stopped all his medication. It’s been a terrible few years, never mind covid! It affected GCSE results, friendships, our sanity and his sleep is as awful as it ever was but he’s now far to big to tell him what to do so we can’t force him to take medication.

Spendonsend · 28/02/2023 22:23

My son has been in it the year. His dictor2 said every 3 months have a week off and see if its still doing anything.

scruffball · 28/02/2023 22:24

DS (16) has been on it for years.Is on 6mg.He can’t sleep without it.
He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 7.After years of difficulty sleeping and being up at 5am,he tried a small dose of melatonin & fell asleep within half hour.Bliss
never looked back

MissConductUS · 28/02/2023 22:26

Your body produces melatonin. Substances that the body produces naturally tend not to be dangerous.

anon37484291918 · 28/02/2023 23:04

I've been taking it for years.

Ds is also on it and will be long term.

anon37484291918 · 28/02/2023 23:06

AloudAlot · 28/02/2023 22:17

Not in our case, sadly.

DS was prescribed them and after a period of several months they stopped working ( despite breaks) so then the dose was doubled. He took them happily for a couple of years as the paediatrician felt they were helpful.
He then, because of something the awful nurse at CAMHS said, abruptly stopped all his medication. It’s been a terrible few years, never mind covid! It affected GCSE results, friendships, our sanity and his sleep is as awful as it ever was but he’s now far to big to tell him what to do so we can’t force him to take medication.

That's shocking. I'm sorry to hear of your struggles.

I have heard that they try to stop older teens meds around 15/16 to see if they can cope without it as adults but it's so unfair.

Could you go private for a private prescription and ask your gp for shared care?

Cantonet · 28/02/2023 23:20

Mine take the antihistamine nytol as well. But the effect wears off after a while. So they alternate the two. Also on ADHD stimulant pills.

AloudAlot · 02/03/2023 06:52

anon sadly he now wouldn’t take them even if we bought them. In fact we still have a couple of boxes of them sat here.

Crumpetdisappointment · 02/03/2023 06:56

can you ask your GP to write to camhs to restart it?

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 02/03/2023 21:09

Order it from piping rock.

GoKartMozart · 02/03/2023 22:28

I’ve also taken it for many many years since discovering it on holiday in the USA and how much better I sleep with it.
Ive always ordered from Piping Rock.

Bunnyhair · 02/03/2023 22:36

Yes, order it from the internet. We get it from Biovea. We honestly could not survive without it.

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