How long before bed do we give melatonin?

[Jimjams]

That's it- title says it all! half an hour???

yes

Is this available over-the-counter? I thought it had been removed from sale without a prescription a few years ago? Am I totally wrong?

gp recommended it for our kds when we flew to thailand, tho we had to source it ourselves

Lou: But it's available on prescription - what reason did the Doc give for not prescribing?!

cheers lou. Also can I get a GP to prescribe it or does it have to be coonsultant prescribed (we're seeing the paed in a couple of weeks)

dunno dh went, it isn't for long term use for us though, maybe that was why.

Jimjams, i don't know, maybe call the gp and ask if they can do it?

I found this on a NHS site (applies to Bolton only but probably gives an indication). Melatonin is not licenced in the UK but Gp's can prescribe at their own risk.

INCLUSION CRITERIA
Under the care of a Consultant paediatrician, Consultant child psychiatrist or Consultant paediatric neurologist via Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, Bolton PCT or a visiting Consultant arrangement

Documented neurological or neurodevelopmental disorder

Documented severe, and disrupted, sleep disturbances (failure to respond to desired conventional treatments and problems causing family crises) supported by a 24-hour sleep pattern record covering a minimum of 7-10 days

EXCLUSION CRITERIA
Patient aged under 1 year

Patient is pregnant or breast-feeding

Sleep disturbances due to obstructive apnoea, emotional distress or nocturnal seizures

Patients with severe allergies, auto-immune diseases or immune system cancers8

Patients taking immunosuppressants8

yep- at the mo have to get it from a specialist (paed etc) not GP...on a 'named patient basis....so easier if you stick to the same pharmacy) then to give it 30-60 mins before bed - ideally get capsules as you break the capsule and sprinkle it in a small drink/yogurt etc....then wait for the yawns!!

davros gets liquid from the US- buy on the NHS seems this isn't available!

we have been using it for T for other 18 months and for L for 9 months..... and the best advice i would give is to aim to start 'putting to bed' before the hour is up....as there seems to be quite a 'narrow window' of optimum potency....and sometimes we 'miss' this and 2 hours later they are like 'bush babies'....and we then might as well not have bothered!!!!

oh and the SMALL drink..... literally as small as you like....even a teaspoon full! Idea being this gets the whole dose quickly into the body in concentration.

Davros kindly sent me some liquid melatonin to try but I can't get it into him! I've scrounged a tablet off my friend (easiest way with him- if I tell him its a sweetie he'll eat it usually). Hmmm getting him into bed is the difficult bit...... so this may not work!

jimjams have you tried putting it in a drink? Mine swigged it without knowing

yep- but he smells it!

can he have yoghurt?

We've been getting if for ds for about 18nths now maybe more,it was prescribed by his paed for about the first year,but she wrote to our GP and they agreed to taking over the prescription so now we just get it from our GP.Also dont forget a top up can be givemn in most cases fi the window is over run.

thats great to hear loobie- that your gp has took on the prescribing

Hello Mrs F
I keep leaving you messages on here but I think you are ignoring me
Only kidding

!!!! just read the one you left on my Zzzzzzzz thread....you wre saying night nioght at 10 in the morning?????

is your dd diagnosed with a specific thing yet?

i have got the CAT you sent too....so will hopefully do that later.

Guess what Mrfs. The school have said they doubt she will ever get a diagnosis as she doesn't fit any criteria enough. I watched the Adhd programme and don't think she has that.
She is on the spectrum, mildly I guess. The dx just won't ever be official. I'll try and find the post I did on the conversation with dd's head teacher.
What's happening with ds3 as I didn't think you had any concerns?

post here

oh! where to begin!

i cannot leave him alone in any room with pens/crayons etc withouit him wrting on furniture/walls

he tears paper out of books and says he is making a palace (never anything else)

he peels lables off everything

takes batteries out of everything- and hides the cover to the battery compartment

hides important things-

cannot sit still

hates being looked at

sensitive to may items of clothing (lables/stitching/textures)

literal

touches other people inapproriately

He reminds me totally of T at the same age- and for that reason i am not as desparate as i felt about L....as T and A are 'happy in their own sweet way' and oblivious to the chaos they create.... however L gets distressed.

so school have noted much of this too- and put him on Sch Action + in nov- reviewing after half term i think.

interesting to me also- is that all books HE CHOOSES are non fiction....and he needs a dummy to 'smell his pillow' as he puts it- and he still sits in the original 0-3mth carseat he had - again so he can turn his head to the fabric and smell it when he is tired.

he also takes his clothes off quite alot (reminds me of Jo of the Jackson family [dummy/hates clothes])

However he seems to show empathy & remorse- so hopefully i can continue 'enjoying' him!

oh- he also hates loud noises...won't go into parties in halls etc....

MrsF I didn't realise you had any concerns at all. Have these things been happening recently or they just sort of dawned on you IYKWIM?
There is a brilliant asd site I go on that I know you would love. perfect for you!
Asdfriendly
Let me know what you think!

and if he gets hurt- will run and hide-crying

pretends to be a kitten alot....sometimes for an hour he just meows when you speak to him...he then also crawls around 'loving round my legs'

flicks his ears when anxious

lines toys/videos/books up-

new every car logo by age 2

Does ds3 remind you of your other 2 sons though and are you going to pursue a formal dx at all?

Mrs F - you disappeared on me again?