Can a gp prescribe melatonin or similar?

[elliejjtiny]

Dc5 is nearly 10 and was diagnosed with autism aged 6 after a very long wait. I said at the time to the consultant could he please be prescribed something to help him sleep because he doesn't sleep and needs constant supervision while he is awake. Consultant said no and gave me a lecture about how I shouldn't be wanting to "drug" my child and made me feel like I was being hugely selfish and like I was suggesting giving him brandy in a baby bottle.

Today his social worker said she wants him to be on melatonin and I should talk to the gp. Would the gp even be able to prescribe melatonin? I'm worried I'll end up with another lecture about it to be honest. Waiting list to see a paediatrician who is specialised in autism is years.

GPs are not allowed to start melatonin. It can only be started by the hospital paediatricians. But you could still ask GP if they could refer him back to the paediatric team for a second opinion on the melatonin.

My dd was diagnosed also at 6 (after a lengthy wait) Paediatrician that diagnosed her wrote a letter to the doc to say we had discussed melatonin, so that if I wanted a prescription the doc could just prescribe it I guess. Apparently after a few months i will have to discuss situation with doc but they could prescribe it.

So they can prescribe it, I guess some are anti but the Paediatricians words were that people use it for jet lag in the US all the time.. my dd still needs me to lay with her for up to 2 hours so I am considering it..

At our surgery there are certain doctors I know are not the best for my kids appointments

Most GPs won’t initiate melatonin. Some will prescribe promethazine, which you can also buy OTC but you would have to lie about the reason because it isn’t licenced for aiding sleep in children.

If the wait for the paed is long, you could try asking for a referral to a sleep clinic. There will still be a wait, but in some areas it isn’t as long as the wait for paeds.

You are right in that GPs can prescribe melatonin after it is recommended or initiated by the paediatrician. But it requires something called a “shared care agreement” from the hospital. GPs cannot start it without this - nothing to do with their feelings on it.

Thankyou everyone. The consultant told me to give him a banana before bed because that has natural melatonin in. Not sure how much compared with melatonin medication though. I'll give the gp a ring and ask about a re referral to paeds or a referral to sleep clinic. Would the GP know which consultants would be willing to prescribe melatonin or would we just have to hope for the best?

The GP may know depending on other patients they see/have seen. You could ask around locally, too.

As others have said, it needs to be initiated by the paedatrician. Unfortunately it is a bit of a lottery. In my trust (once we got an appointment!) they were very happy to prescribe, assuming there was a clear need. In others they seem to want to have proof you have exhausted every other option. I don’t think any parent gives medication lightly or without trying every imaginable solution (I think I spent a fortune on everything from magnesium supplements, white noise machines to weighted blankets!). I can imagine this hostile approach is very frustrating. I can honestly say it changed our lives and we are all happier and my son (whilst definitely not meltdown free) is able to cope better because he isn’t exhausted all the time.

I did approached all options and no positive outcome my child is constantly exhausted and this deprivation of sleep for me as his mother is doing a lot of harm to my health with cardiac issues. I wonder how much long I will be able to survive without a proper night sleep. It’s not only affecting my child life but I feel like is draining me and eventually drive me to the grave some time soon as I cannot keep on taking red bulls and coffee to stay awake on my daily basis. It’s disgusting system that parents have to go to such lengths to seek for help… I am extremely exhausted…

Have you gone privately OP?

we were prescribed privately within minutes, you can even just get online appointment

good luck

It's a shit system. The school ended up referring us to a social worker for an assessment. Not because of our care, but they could see how exhausted and broken we were as parents. We did manage to get melatonin and ut helped, but he still wakes at night for a while, but not for most of the night anymore. We did buy online too, which obviously I don't recommend, but we were desperate. Turns out we were not giving even a quarter of the dose he needed anyway. If anyone else is involved with your child's care get them involved to heap pressure on the consultant. Ask who DOES prescribe in your area and what the process is.

Sometimes doctors say no, but they have agreed with other services that the prescribing authority is not them. Physical meds go though consultants, but there may be an LD service that offers the sleep medication and MH drugs instead.

hey! which online GP did you use?