Circadin - anyone used for child

[knat]

Been changed over to this from melatonin as dd always night wakes and although melatonin helps with initial falling asleep it doesn't keep her asleep!!!!! Although tests say not used on children our paed is changing all over to this and I must say I would welcome giving it a try. However the info says that the tablet has to be given whole and swallowed. How the hell do you do that with a 6 year old? Anyone ahve any experience?

Yes - just started last week. It is still melatonin as far as I am aware, Circadin is the trade name. It is slow release which is maybe why your DD was put on it. I did a search on the internet and found various PCTs have guidance on melatonin - Circadin is the only licensed one in the UK but there is lots of guidance about the quick release ones too. DS's psychiatrist only offered this one type.

It does have to be taken whole and I was really worried about this with DS (8) too but he managed in a spoonful of set honey with a mug of warm milk and honey to wash it down.

He is on 2mg but we have to give him it 2½ hours before we would like him to be asleep as it takes a very long time to kick in - will be asking about dose when we have a review!

Good luck - hope it goes ok.

DS2 is on this, has been for over a year now, and he is only 4. It's marvelous stuff.

Like Ampersand said, it is still melatonin, it's just a slow release which stops the constant waking rather than just to get them off to sleep.

I wrote down how I got DS2 to start taking it on another thread, will go c&P it as was quite long.

BRB

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We started by hiding it in yoghurt, but he inevititably chewed it a bit before swallowing. We then tried to get him to drink it with a big gulp of milk, again he chewed it before swallowing. Then we got some nesquik magic straws, and put the tablet on his tongue, getting him not to chew (took a few attempts) and then got him to take big sips of the milk. This was the only way he swallowed the tablet whole. He can now take it without the straw and whole, without gagging.

We also refered to it as his button, as he loves chocolate buttons, rather than tablet/medicine, so he would think that it was a good rather than bad thing we were trying to give him. It's in his routine now to have it every night before bed, he even asks for it earlier if he is feeling tired.

HTH

hi, we too tried circadin. our paed basically said it was too much hassle for her to get liquid melatonin and to use this instead. (not her EXACT words, but close enough...)

our son was 3 when we used it, and he has porridge for supper before bed, so we tried hiding it in a spoonful. however he quickly cottoned onto that one.

we ended up just crushing it and putting it in juice. of course i suppose that kindof scuppers the slow release aspect of it.

unfortunately for us it didnt work. in fact i felt that after a few weeks it was actually disturbing his sleep more. so we decided to stop it, and (thankfully) he is much more settled at night now. we still have difficult nights, but they are much less frequent.

good luck, and i hope you find something that works, cos it is a real nightmare if you are not getting any proper sleep.

My Dd1 has been changed over to this, she is on 6mgs a night, and it works well. She is 10 now and can take tablets (luckily)

thanks everyone. I'll just have to see how it goes!!! I think if I put it in a yoghurt she'll identify it as its not the normal texture and her response would be either to spit it out or chew it so I think putting it on her tongue with a spoonful of something to swallow like chocolate milk etc might help (very doubtful though!!!!!) Might try the nesquik straw as she liked those!

I wqas tempted to crush it but apparently it does stop the slow release side which is what we are aiming for!!! Well here goes.

good luck