Melatonin for sleep

[Runaround50]

Has anyone used melatonin tablets to help them sleep?

My sleep is non existent, despite following every trick in the book to promote good sleep.

I'm on hrt ( patch 75 and mirena) but sleep remains a massive problem for me.

Thanks.

@Andsoforth yes I think your specialist is probably right. I am on the 75 patch and last had levels tested 6 months ago. Maybe I've stopped absorbing the patch? I did increase to 100 but it makes me feel a bit ill and irritable. I just don't know what to do for the best.

Following

@Runaround50 I think neither hrt nor melatonin would have worked on their own for me, but combined together things are a lot better (though nothing like they used to be).

I would buy both 2mg and 3mg time release and then you can try doses of 2mg 3mg 3mg 5mg 6mg etc to find the right level.

5mg makes some people very groggy, it isn’t enough for me.

If it works for you, melatonin is only a short term fix as your body gets used to it and its recommended that you don't use it for longer than a month. An option is to do an month of melatonin then a few months of Valerian root then back to melatonin for a month etc etc.

I only use melatonin for jet lag or when my lack of sleep is absolutely desperate. It has to be 10mg for me. Anything less doesn't have any effect on me (I'm VERY hard to knock out, always have been pre-menopause so it's even harder now). I used timed release when I get my hands on it but it was hard to find when I was in the US a few times last year.

I also use a supplement called JP Dream Sleep. It's magnesium plus other minerals - magnesium alone does nothing for my sleep (told you I'm hard to knock out). It really makes a difference to how quickly I fall asleep and the quality of that sleep. Although my body now seems to be getting used to it so I'm considering a break and then going back to it.

Don’t be put off, I’ve used melatonin daily for over 6 months with no change in effectiveness. It’s a hormone that our body naturally produces for sleep so it doesn’t really make sense that supplements would become less effective over time.

I have either 5 or 10mg and try and alternate with Phenergan. I do wake in the night but can usually get back to sleep. Have just started with night time hot flushes which wake me so may try HRT soon.

I had no idea melatonin was available to be prescribed by GPS in the UK, so I’m very interested. I have terrible sleep, made worse by being on medication to make menopause symptoms worse. I can’t take HRT. I take very short bursts of zopiclone.

I take 1mg a night and drop right off.

We produce 0.3mg or so naturally. It has some sort of antioxidant properties that can pass the blood-brain barrier too.

Only certain specific categories of people can get it prescribed on the nhs but anyone can order from Europe or US, it’s completely legal

Oh, so it isn’t prescribed? I have to say, I was under the impression that the only people who got it were children with ADHD, with a consultant prescribing it, not even a GP.

Neither HRT or melatonin worked for me unfortunately. Magnesium helps a but as does a healthy lifestyle including twice a day meditation, journalling first and last thing etc.

@Outfor150 there are a few other categories including people over a certain age who can’t sleep, but yes it’s a very limited nhs prescription, I suspect because it affects quality of life (not life iyswim) and is expensive as there’s only one provider and no generics in UK. GP can prescribe it though.

I was able to buy it from a private GP. It worked out at around £.1 per tablet, but this is a number of years ago. Couldn’t get anyone to prescibe is as it’s not licensed in the 18-65 age range (but it can be prescribed children ans the elderly!

So on Biovea currently it’s £24 for 200 x 5mg including postage. I think this has a lot to do with why it’s hardly available on the nhs as the only product available in uk (circadian) is very expensive.